June Elizabeth Kay Campbell (August 19, 1925 – August 19, 2004) was an American civil rights activist and administrative secretary.

Early life

June Elizabeth Kay Campbell was born on August 19, 1925, in

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, eighth-most populous city in the st ...

, the seventh child of Dr. John Walcott Kay and

Willie Otey Kay Willie Virginia Otey Kay (March 17, 1894 – September 25, 1992) was an African-American dressmaker. She was known for making wedding dresses and debutante gowns for almost sixty years, becoming one of the most sought-after designers for women's f ...

. Educated in

Raleigh Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...

Public Schools, she graduated from Washington Graded and High School in 1944. She later attended classes at

Shaw University Shaw University is a private historically black university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded on December 1, 1865, Shaw University is the oldest HBCU to begin offering courses in the Southern United States. The school had its origin in the fo ...

and

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and p ...

. She married Ralph Campbell Sr. on January 1, 1946. They had four children: Ralph Jr., Mildred,

Bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Pl ...

, and Eddie.

Career and activism

Campbell worked as an administrative secretary at Saint Augustine's College. Campbell and her husband petitioned the Raleigh School Board to allow their children to attend white schools. The board agreed to allow Bill, a younger child, to enroll at the Murphey School, making him the first child to desegregate a school in the city. June took Bill to the Murphey School on his first day of classes on September 7, 1960. ''

The News & Observer ''The News & Observer'' is an American regional daily newspaper that serves the greater Triangle area based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The paper is the largest in circulation in the state (second is the '' Charlotte Observer''). The paper has be ...

'' photographed the two of them, and she told her son as they entered the school, "Hold your head up high and just count the steps." Campbell accompanied her son to the school multiple times thereafter. In the early 1960s, partly as a result of their efforts to enroll their children in traditionally segregated schools, June and Ralph began hosting meetings of civil rights activists at their home. Often sitting around an oval-shaped glass-topped table which June had purchased, this group became known as the "Oval Table Gang". Its members strategized to desegregate schools, support black political candidates, and organized protests. June often prepared food for them. The meetings continued until Ralph died in 1983. Bill was later elected Mayor of Atlanta, while Ralph Jr. was elected

Auditor of North Carolina The state auditor of North Carolina is a statewide elected office in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The state auditor is a state constitutional officer, constitutional officer responsible for overseeing and reviewing the financial accounts of ...

Later life

Campbell retired from her secretary job in February 1992 to care for her mother. When Bill ran for office in Atlanta in 1993, she moved there for several months to take care of his home and children while he and his wife campaigned. She returned during his reelection campaign. Campbell also involved herself in several civic organizations after her retirement. She was diagnosed with

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of ...

in March 2004 and died due to complications stemming from the disease on August 19. The Campbells' oval table was later acquired by the North Carolina Museum of History, and in 2005 June and her husband were inducted into the Raleigh Hall of Fame. Saint Augustine's College named an annual woman's leadership conference in her honor. The

North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Government of North Carolina, state government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the North Carolina Senate, Senate and the North Ca ...

commended her for her work.

References

Works cited

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, June Kay 1925 births 2004 deaths African-American history in Raleigh, North Carolina Activists for African-American civil rights American civil rights activists

June June is the sixth and current month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars—the latter the most widely used calendar in the world. Its length is 30 days. June succeeds May and precedes July. This month marks the start of su ...