Harse, Connie | Amistad Research Center
Constance "Connie" Harse was a graduate of Tulane University's Newcomb College for Women, who was active in the Congress of Racial Equality and the Civil Rights Movement in New Orleans, Louisiana, during the early 1960s.
Born to a traditional Southern family in Birmingham, Alabama, Harse attended Newcomb College for Women at Tulane University in New Orleans. In late 1960, Harse attended a CORE meeting in New Orleans, not as a supporter of the organization, but as a proponent of segregation. Her experience at the meeting led her to change her views on the topic and she joined CORE. She took part in CORE-sponsored demonstrations and served as photographer for the organization, documenting CORE's activities and harassment toward members. Her support of civil rights and CORE led to hardships between her and her family; at one point her family tried to institutionalize her. This attempt led Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth of Birmingham to remove her to Louisville, Kentucky. She later returned to New Orleans to continue her studies. She remained active in CORE through her junior year before studying in Europe. Upon her return to New Orleans, Harse became less active in the local branch of CORE following the purge of white membership in 1962.