▁In sp ired ▁by ▁Kel log g ' s ▁innov ation , ▁C . ▁W . ▁Post ▁invent ed ▁Gra pe - N uts ▁and ▁founded ▁his ▁own ▁c ere al ▁company ▁in ▁the ▁town . ▁Battle ▁Creek ▁has ▁been ▁nick named ▁" the ▁C ere al ▁City ." ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁tur bul ent ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁Battle ▁Creek ▁was ▁not ▁imm une ▁to ▁the ▁ra cial ▁issues ▁of ▁the ▁day . ▁Dr . ▁Martin ▁Luther ▁King ▁spoke ▁here , ▁as ▁did ▁Sen . ▁Hub ert ▁Hum ph rey , ▁President ▁L . B . ▁Johnson , ▁and ▁He avy weight ▁Champion ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁Muhammad ▁Ali . ▁African ▁Americans ▁were ▁subject ed ▁to ▁" stop ▁and ▁fr isk " ▁procedures ▁while ▁walking , ▁and ▁housing ▁c oven ants ▁were ▁in ▁full ▁force . ▁ ▁No ▁Black s ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁school ▁systems , ▁and ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁Black s ▁held ▁mid - level ▁manager ▁posts ▁in ▁the ▁local ▁corpor ate ▁sector . ▁ ▁The ▁Federal ▁government ▁sector ▁was ▁better ▁at ▁the ▁Federal ▁Center , ▁and ▁less ▁so ▁at ▁the ▁local ▁V eter ans ' ▁Administration ▁Hospital . ▁ ▁The ▁Black ▁Re cond os , ▁a ▁group ▁formed ▁from ▁the ▁local ▁young ▁adult ▁council ▁of ▁the ▁NA AC P , ▁forced ▁the ▁local ▁board ▁of ▁education ▁to ▁h ire ▁Black ▁teachers ▁and ▁administrative ▁personnel , ▁under ▁the ▁threat ▁of ▁removing ▁every ▁black ▁student ▁from ▁their ▁public ▁schools . ▁They ▁also ▁forced ▁the ▁chief ▁of ▁police ▁to ▁allow ▁Black