Pullen Park Pool Protest Challenged Segregation in 1962 Raleigh

Four Black teenagers and two White friends jumped into the Whites-only pool, sparking a pivotal civil rights moment.

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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In the summer of 1962, four Black teenagers and two White friends jumped into the Whites-only outdoor swimming pool at Raleigh's Pullen Park, defying decades of segregation. The protest sparked chaos, with the city later closing the pools at both Pullen Park and the segregated John Chavis Memorial Park. The following year, the Raleigh City Council voted to reopen the pools to the public, and the 1964 Civil Rights Act integrated all public facilities in the city.

Why it matters

The Pullen Park pool protest was a pivotal moment in Raleigh's civil rights history, challenging the entrenched segregation of public spaces and helping to accelerate the integration of the city's facilities. The protest highlighted the determination of young activists to fight for equality, even in the face of resistance and fear.

The details

On a summer day in 1962, four Black teenagers - including competitive swimmer Herman Hinton - and two White friends, including New Yorker Ray Raphael, jumped into the Whites-only Pullen Park pool. This act of defiance sparked chaos, with many White swimmers quickly exiting the pool. An announcement was made ordering the Black swimmers and their White friends to leave, as the pool was for Whites only. The city later voted to close both the Pullen Park and Chavis Park pools until further notice.

  • In the summer of 1962, the pool protest took place at Pullen Park.
  • In February 1963, the Raleigh City Council voted 5-2 to reopen the city's pools to the public.
  • In 1964, the Civil Rights Act integrated all public facilities in Raleigh.

The players

Herman Hinton

A competitive swimmer in the era of segregated pools in Raleigh, Hinton was among the best swimmers in the city, Black or White, but was limited to training at the segregated John Chavis Memorial Park pool.

Ray Raphael

A White teenager from New York who had come to North Carolina that summer to tutor Black students integrating into White schools, Raphael was one of the White friends who joined the four Black teenagers in jumping into the Whites-only Pullen Park pool.

Rev. Percy High

A member of the NAACP, High was a teenager at the time of the Pullen Park pool protest, and a now widely circulated photograph shows him leaving the pool under the watchful eye of the city's parks director.

William Enloe

The mayor of Raleigh in 1963, Enloe announced that all city pools would reopen to the public after the City Council had previously voted to close them in response to the Pullen Park pool protest.

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What they’re saying

“It wasn't weird because we came up in that era. We didn't have a chance to mix like we do today.”

— Herman Hinton, Competitive swimmer

“Everybody deserved to be equal. But that'll never happen.”

— Herman Hinton, Competitive swimmer

“You buy the tickets, and this is the park pool. If a Black person went up and tried to buy a ticket, they would not get sold a ticket.”

— Ray Raphael, White teenager

“To tell you the truth, I was scared. Really scared. The whole project seemed a little bit dubious. But I was 100% behind it. We were going to do this.”

— Ray Raphael, White teenager

“I just feel like we were on the right side of history. We saw that, and we did what we could.”

— Ray Raphael, White teenager

What’s next

The Pullen Park pool protest and the subsequent integration of Raleigh's public facilities marked a significant step forward in the city's civil rights movement. While progress has been made, the legacy of segregation and inequality continues to shape the community, and ongoing efforts are needed to address systemic racism and promote true equity.

The takeaway

The Pullen Park pool protest in 1962 was a powerful act of civil disobedience that challenged the entrenched segregation of public spaces in Raleigh. The courage and determination of the young activists who participated, both Black and White, helped catalyze change and paved the way for the integration of the city's facilities. This pivotal moment serves as a reminder of the ongoing work required to achieve racial justice and equality.