Researched by: A People's History of Winston-Salem
·
On March 3, 1970, Ms. Polly Graham was evicted by a Forsyth County Sheriff Deputy. Her belongings sat on the curb of Locust Street in northeast Winston-Salem. The city had condemned Ms. Graham’s landlord’s property several weeks prior, and she felt that she should not have to continue paying rent for such living conditions.

But that did not stop the sheriff from forcing Ms. Graham out of her home at the landlord’s behest. After police left the scene, the Black Panthers arrived with shotguns and helped move Ms. Graham and her belongings back into the home. In the days that followed this bold eviction defense, Ms. Graham’s dispute with her landlord was quietly resolved, allowing her to stay.

The Winston-Salem Black Panthers Party’s armed and successful defense of Ms. Graham’s home is the city’s most well-known and direct confrontation with police power over evictions. It helped push North Carolina’s legislature to enact a guaranteed right to an eviction trial by magistrate in 1971 (NCGS § 42‑31).
.
Sourced from: washingtonareasparkdotcom