Dion Diamond - Fearless Freedom Rider

Born: July 2, 1941, Petersburg, Virginia, U.S.A.

Dion Diamond is a lifelong activist whose courage and persistence helped challenge segregation and inspire future generations to speak out against injustice.

Dion Diamond was born on July 2, 1941, and grew up in Petersburg, Virginia. From the young age of 15, he began what would become a 60-year commitment to advocating for racial equality. Life in the South at that time was strictly segregated, schools, restaurants, libraries, and even water fountains were divided by race. From the time he was a teenager, Dion refused to accept these unfair rules. At just 15 years old, he began staging what he called his “private sit-ins.” He would take a seat at whites-only lunch counters or browse books in whites-only libraries, knowing full-well he would not be welcome. When workers called the police, Dion would usually slip out the back door before getting arrested. Though he was young, he knew something was deeply wrong with segregation, and he was determined to push back against it.

After high school, Dion enrolled at Howard University in Washington, D.C. There he found other students who shared his passion for change. Inspired by the famous Greensboro sit-ins in North Carolina, Dion and his classmates formed the Nonviolent Action Group (NAG). In 1960, they organized sit-ins at drugstore lunch counters in Virginia. At one protest, Dion sat calmly while George Lincoln Rockwell, the leader of the American Nazi Party, stood beside him and taunted him, asking, “You want to die?” Even as white supremacists jabbed him and put cigarettes out on his clothes, Dion stayed silent and kept his seat. His calm courage impressed his peers and showed the power of nonviolent protest.

That same year, NAG also targeted Glen Echo amusement park in Maryland, which was closed to Black families. Dion helped lead daily picket lines outside the park. On some days, hundreds of people, both Black and white, joined in. Dion even used humor and creativity to draw attention to their cause, dressing in a turban and dashiki to pose as a foreign dignitary demanding entry. Though the protestors faced arrests and harassment, their persistence paid off. By the following year, Glen Echo announced it would desegregate.

Dion’s activism soon grew beyond Washington, D.C. In 1961, he joined the Freedom Rides. These were groups of mostly young activists who boarded buses traveling across the South to challenge segregation in interstate travel. Freedom Riders faced violent mobs, firebombs, and brutal arrests. Dion himself was arrested multiple times, spending about a year in jail overall, including two months in solitary confinement. By the time his activism slowed down in 1963, he had been arrested more than 30 times.

Dion was known for his fearlessness and wit. Stokely Carmichael, a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), once described him as “dangerously fearless and dedicated.” Fellow activists remembered his ability to keep spirits high even in the darkest times. Despite threats, slurs, and attempts on his life, Dion never gave up on nonviolence. He believed that if he fought back physically, it would undo the movement’s progress.
Instead, he held firm, determined to show the world the injustice of segregation.

After his time with SNCC, Dion transferred from Howard University to the University of Wisconsin to study sociology. Later, he earned a degree in education at Harvard University and built a career in finance and human resources. Though his professional life took a different path, he never lost his passion for justice.

Even decades later, Dion continued to speak out. Into his 80s, he gave talks and participated in protests, urging young people to raise their voices against inequality. “I regret absolutely nothing that I have done,” he has said. “I have many regrets for what I have not done.”

Dion Diamond’s story is one of courage, persistence, and hope. From a teenager challenging “whites only” signs in Virginia, to a Freedom Rider risking his life in the Deep South, he showed that one person’s actions can inspire others and help bring about change. His life reminds us that even in the face of hate, standing up peacefully for what is right can change history.

References:
“Dion Diamond Oral History Interview Conducted by David Cline in Washington, District of Columbia, 2015 December 13.” The Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/2016655423/.
“Dion Diamond: Doing What Is Right.” Deeply Rooted, historyfortomorrow.org/story/dion-diamond-doing-what-is-right/.
Spencer, George. “A Freedom Rider’s Perilous Path.” On Wisconsin, onwisconsin.uwalumni.com/a-freedom-riders-perilous-path/.

Keywords:
Civil Rights, Justice, Courage, Perseverance, Freedom, Responsibility, Challenge Injustices, Stand Up for Your Beliefs

Explore ARTEFFECT projects about this Unsung Hero:
Dion Diamond Artworks

View Discovery Award projects about this Unsung Hero:
Dion Diamond - Discovery Award 2019