Mother whose treatment at Castner Knott helped set the events of 1946 in motion
Gladys Stephenson lived in Columbia with her children, including her son James, who had recently returned from service in the U.S. Navy. On February 25, 1946, she went with James to the Castner Knott department store to retrieve a radio she had left for repair. When she learned that the radio had been sold to another customer and returned in poor condition, a disagreement developed over the repair and its cost.
Accounts differ on the exact sequence that followed, but Gladys became involved in a confrontation with white store employee Billy Fleming. James stepped in to defend her, and the encounter became physical. White men joined the fight, and Gladys was struck while trying to protect her son. Police arrested Gladys and James but did not arrest the white men involved. A police officer also reportedly struck her after the arrest.
Gladys’ mother, Hannah Peppers, sought help from Black community leaders, who posted bond for both Stephensons and helped move them away from the growing threat of mob violence. The charges against Gladys and James were later dismissed. Like her son, Gladys did not return to make Columbia home again.
Gladys Stephenson
