Bank of America Protests

After victories at the Select Rental Agency, Mel’s Drive-In, Lucky grocery stores, the Sheraton-Palace Hotel, and Auto Row, CORE and the United San Francisco Freedom Movement set their sights on one of the most powerful banks in the world. The Bank of America and CORE had been in negotiations for almost a month when talks broke down towards the end of April. From May to September of 1964, CORE and other civil rights organizations engaged in what became a statewide protest campaign to secure more non-menial jobs for minority community members at the bank. Inventive pressure tactics and disciplined protests ultimately led Bank of America and other financial institutions to sign oversight agreements with the recently established Fair Employment Practices Commission.