December 1, 1966
Mr. Otis Brown, Jr. Srt? flower County Improvement Association Indianola, Mississippi Dear Friend Who Never Gives Up: If there were about one thousand people like you in the United States we could make this place into a paradise in about ten years. I am sorry to be so slow in replying to your letter of September 14. Z have a feeling there is an October or November letter somewhere around, which I will come across eventually, but I have just had the excruciating pleasure of rereading the September one. I was proud to learn that the people in Indianola were determined to try to enroll their children in the white school in spite of all the obstacles and with no comment on how bad those schools are. I wish I had been able to send a box-car full of clothes. I will try to send a few clothes next week. For a while I was up to date on the struggle going on in Mississippi between C.A.P. and the local groups for funds to keep the headstart program going. At the moment I realize that I don't know exactly what is happening, though I do remember that funds were curtailed for many headstart programs throughout the United States. In fact, I learned last week that the headstart program in Evanston has been hanging ever since September, with children and teachers waiting for approval to continue the program. I hope your volunteer program has been able to continue somehow. The whole story about voter Page No. 2
Mr. Otis Brown, Jr. December 1, 1966 registration, no jobs, end no cars is devastating. When I reach this point I find myself speechless. Please continue to keep me posted as to what is going on. By the way, I was in California last month for the wedding of my son Ruffin Harris, whom you may have met when he was working in Cleveland with Lee Bankhead. He later worked in Perry County, Alabama. After Ruffin's wedding I went to the Black Power conference at Berkeley where Stokely made a wonderful speech to about fourteen thousand people. As I sat there listening to him in a big outdoor theater, somebody in front of me turned around and said, "Hello, Lucy." It was Jenell Glass. Tou can imagine how thrilled I was to see her. I have been asked to help assemble some material about the Freedom Movement for the Wisconsin State Historical Society and also for the University of Tennessee. Would you be willing for me to give them copies of your letters as part of the history of this important period in the United States? The conditions which you describe tell an important story which could never be found in the usual classroom history books. I am enclosing my check for $150.00 which I hope you can use for your car or the Freedom House or whatever is currently most urgent. With best wishes to you and all the Sunflower Freedom voters. Tours in the struggle,
Mrs. Kenneth F. Montgomery End* Ck.$150.00 oris8RAWAJ.&. $u/v?kotitE£ Co
Sept. 14, 19C6
Dear Friends, Schools ar-; opening and wo in Sunflowor County want intcrgratod schools thia year, Tho county is divided into thrco districts. Last year tho Drew school district 3ubnittod a Froodoii of Choice Plan which vies approved by tho Justice Dopartrvant:, rocoivad thoir SXXXABSX feder al funds, and figurod that si;. ;<• ./i-ow Red so successfully resisted any Proodon iRovoncnt that no Nogro would s-. r±l thoir child to tho White schools. One woman who lived on ?. chit • nan's plantation sent her 7 children to the whito school, Last yoar also"tho rest of Sunflower County schools did nothing about intorgraticn. This year the schools wore even willing to do without foctcr .1 funds, but the Justice Depart ment brought a salts to force seR.ee1 intox-gration. At first wc thought 8 gradc3 would be opened, butJustice Department insisted on only 6, Thoy will bo grados 1 through 5 and grado 12, People who want to try and enroll topJLr children in other grados can write to tho Superinten dent. Tho/scnools opened two weeks ago and white schools opened Mo&, Sono parents hold their children out of tho ttogro schools to enroll thorn in the white schools. Rare,re encouraging parents vo take tho±r children to the school thonsclvos, R'o have talkod to people about schoolintcrgration a ] ong tine and people aro roady, Indianola and Drew divided their towns into beats with tho railroad track as the dividing lino, and children go to the school on thoir side od bho track In Indianola all Wcgrocs live on the dido of tho track, of the Rogro school and whitOS on that side of tho track aro moving so thoir child ren can still go to tho white schools. People in the rural em Indianola and Drew have rroodjPD of Choice, but none are choosing tho Y/!MVO rem.com bocause they liv^/whitc n.cn plantations. Peeling that tho plan ">r intorgration if schools Is unfair and wishing tho best cclromt:. V m-* thoir children, sono parents in the town of Indianola aro r' RR.. m •'•''• going to try to enroll their children intho white schools* Scsv p.j't ole are ashanodto sond their children to the whito schools boo.'v.:-a thoy don't have enough clothes for their children to wear, any "• iidroi clothes would bo appreciated. Recently, a nan nancd Allen Roman, afcogro fro n Sunflov7or~o\ir»t2* was arrested in Chicago and turned over to Mississippi po3ico :o to accused of burning our Prooclon School in Indianola, in I-Iarch I'R'v Ur. Ho man was first arrscted for passing Bono bad chocks raid then ho • was pinned with tho burning on our Frcedon School. In A-A. in ^iss, ho was forced to- sign a confession to the burning o£ ths FvoodonSchool* Sonohow, he got a lottor to a friend in Indianola tolling what tho police had done to bin in jail and ashing his friend to m.t hin a civil right lawyer. His friend cane to us and wo got an LCBC ( Lawyor EBX Constitutional Defense Commit to o) lacrycr. The police boat Rr«- Herman in jail to try and get hin to release the LCRC lawyer end accept a> •• state lawyor, lb is still retaining tho LCDD lawyer- em>R- Iris trail night be coning up next nonth. Re do not boloivo Allen -He man burned our Proodon School, and wc will do all wc can to.help hin,- Tho CAP board and pooplo of the Hoad9tart 3taff are competing fo* fodoralfcua^x povert y program funds for a Headstart program* The CAP board is made of white pooplo who n over carod aboutff&groos horo until rocontly they were inspired to .help with tho federal funds, •Tho- vice chairman of this CAP board even admit tod he Is amonbor of the i/hito Citizen Council, To call thonsclvos intorgratod, there aro a fow Rog- rocs whoa wc consider Uncle Ions on the CRP board. Tliey are tcachorc :: and others who are not poor thonsolvos and previously have shown no concern for poor people. The headstart staff, who formed an organizct -ion, tho Associated Communities of Sunflower County, worked in tho Headstart progran in Leland last year and when tho program ended thoy organized, a headstart program in Sunflowor Couutv vrhieh bhoy have opcr -atod on a volunteer basis since last Potobor, Thore cro now perhaps 800 children attending A3CS centers through- out tho county, Tho ASUS Staff works without pay and. tries to got donation*!• of ncnoy to feed tho children and-donations a£ paper, bocies, nrc^rn* and other material to use in the Heads tart/l^aiotxx. Before tho Clri.1 -1 ts Conrission hearing in Qroonville two menthos ago it was p^c—i -,hat CAP -mm; not sincerely interested in bho rights of Bogroos of -liflovor County^ • tout CAP 3tand3 a better ohonoo of bo ing fundod for H_m .• .--. u . r. j.
.f*.Smit Already'ths CAP proposal has received, approval from the 0E0 offioo In Atlanta, hut still has to pass 030 in R'ashington... -.SOS proposals havo boon repeatedly turned down with'various unroasonablo excuses givon for why. Probably without funds, .*SGi3 shall at least oontlnuo tho vol -unteor headstart program to the onR of this school toru, R..D...', v/as sponsoring a voter registration drivo in Sunflowor County in an effort to register 10,000 voters bofore hovo:R>or, Some 2QS: 200 popplo from the rural were registered, and then tho project had to 3 bo partially atoondono ". for the lack of funds, Pooplo In tho county wore paid R20 a wool: plus ga3 expenses to do voter igi3tration* V.3 gave needed job3 to pooplo for bhoro is little cotton to pick this year. The State Efctpmoymont Security Con: •'.is si on announce'!, mobis s soa would do no3t of the pickingi an'1 Btogroojflc school vm.'RR soon stay±n In session all Ray because there will he no cotton for tho ohildren to pick in the afternoon,. We havo had further trouble reaching pooplo on votor registration, because wo hav'nt had a cor, 0"H"' CC r broke down in the spring and we took it to Guy MoOonb who t? • R, •'• -1 ;:es our oar a and sometimes does it for free. Then Guy HoOonb rt s in an automobilo accident and has not boen able to ro-cpon his shop, i Cut \*y i> ri .n setting there because we have to got up the cost to get e one so to fix it and Guy MoComb would usualvlot/rJty when wo could, OJI the community center wo havo tho udtitorum scaled R FI wood. The Headstart staff will he glad when "C HO -'mu \"m _"• r. s j?j L, 10 tho Readstart school can he held there wRR oh has more tcci i-.Rni L" • church whore it Is now hold. I stuck a n II in IT*' ?rri"t *.';V " ' T ' 1 ' +• on the center yesterday,tout I'm still doin;- al" ' .1 l t O C:C • - » V/o'vo been putting in the floors and doing the reining at r still need the rest of tho inside:;, the rest of tm.e floor, sewers. It will tako -,/4-50 to complete the center now,..,he be proud of any assistance ypu could give.
.on no iiovor Gives
otij Efc.*ovn'Jr, 'R--ej/ cf Sunflower County tmp rovement Association
Cc - Mr. John Buffington 451 Cottrell St. West Point, Mississippi August 19, 1966
Mr. Otis Brown, Jr. P. O. Box 398 Sunflower, Mississippi Dear Otis: Thank you for the picture of the Sun flower County Center. The determination and persistence of your group is very impressive. I appreciate your keeping me in touch with what has been happening. Also, of course, I feel honored that you are naming your library after me. By the way, last June I sent a shipment of books to John Buffinjjton for use at a conference of Mississippi Negro College students which was held at Mary Holmes Junior College at Vest Point. Somehow the shipment was held up at the airport and so far as I know lt is still sitting there. It included books in good condition, all new, I believe. I can hardly remember what they were but I had carefully selected things that I thought would be of particular interest, such as, Negro history,poetry, and novels by people such as James Baldwin. Maybe you can find some way to get this supply of books by getting in touch with John. I think that the Freedom Center at West Point is still at 451 Cottrell Street. Do you ever hear anything from Linda and Janell Glass? Best wishes, Love,
Mrs. Kenneth F. Montgomery Dictated tout not read.
Encl.Ck.$lCO. Cc - Mr. John Buffington 451 Cottrell St. West Point, Mississippi
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^rv7v^ v. in/ yrut^cA wi^i j^i lAJ> 'M // Uj^Ayiy^^ 1 January 22, 19GG Dear Mr. Brown: Please believe me when I assure you that my not writing earlier doesn't mean thai I asm not acutely interested in Indianola*s problem*. I have long been deeply committed to the idea of freedom schools, literacy classes and discussions as being absolutely necessary for voter education. My problem is that I get letters like yours from all over the South. Of course, the needs are endless and my resources are not. Excruciat ing choices have to be made continuously. For instance, how about those people living in tents at Leland, Mississippi, and in Lowndes County, Alabama? I have been working with Frank and Jean Smith and some of the Strike City people. I am planning to go down there this month, probably next Wednesday, January 26. 1*11 try to come over to ee you. If Linda Jenkins is still there, please give her my regards. I was very much pleased to get a letter from Janell Glass at Christmas. Aa enclosing a check for $100.00. Hope it will help. Freedom! Mrs. Kenneth F. Montgomery Mr. Otis Brown, Jr. Sunflower County FDP Box 30 Indianola, Mississippi End.Ck.$100. Dictated but not read. ,}rV\ , Sunflower County FDP V• Bex 30 y ' \ Indianola, Mississippi J r^3 January $„ IfSS Bear Rrs. Mont joinery: Ira the last letter I wrote you ItoM ycu we had received" the remodeling permit tcr build the Indianola Conrrmnity Center, However* the permit which we received' was: for the wrong address* 30 now we are trying to have the address on the yermit changed or get another permit. The wrong address was on the pemit because the ran f ron whon we bought the land and the house was using soneone else's nail box address, Ihe nail nan wouldn't bring the nail to the House because of the poor condition of the road. A month before wc bought the land the road was paved. We began work on the house and worked four days before we were in formed that our pcrnit was no good. If we had had enough noney to really do the job the ripht way, we probably would have conploted work on tho outside of the house before the pemit was invalidated. We could have been working on the inside without a pemit, but now we need a franc on the outside before we build on the inside, Ifeyort Pitts1, Mayor of Indianola, gave us the remodeling permit with the wrong address on his own authority. Our second application for a remodeling permit must bo approved by the board of aldermen. *tur application has supposedly been on the board's agenda twice, but we've heard nothing from them, Mayor Pitts has told us that he hoped the board didn't give us the permit. Our lawyer is going to file suits In federal and state district courts con cerning our permit, ITe is going to file in both courts to improve the odds of winning a favorable decision} if we lose in one courts maybe we'll win Ira the other. Our case in the state district court will be hoard in I larch, as that Phone Numbers: 887-9P29 or 887-99£U court"convenes only Ijr. September and Lfecrch, Tw complete the Indianola Conrranity Center we will oniyiftg^e to raise $3000, When the community center is built we are going to use It for a child day care center, for adult literacy classes, and, hopefully, start a regular night school. The child day care program will be for children 18 months to 2f jjraars. Several women are already finding children to be in the program* so it can begin as soon as the community center is ready for use. The day care program will rum from about 7:00 A«M, to 6:00 PJ1. Adult literacy classes are now being held in people's hones two nights a week. The classes are tajtght by people in the community. When the center is completed they will be able to hold their classes at the center. We would also like to start a night school. No night classes are offered at the highschool or anywhere else in Indianola, A night school would give people who wero busy during the day achance to further their education at night. We would also charge tuition so that the night school would make expenses. We are still going to try and integrate the schools around here, A lawyer is going to file a suit to integrate the schools in Sunflower County and that will affect all the schools in the county but those in Indianola. Some mothers in Indianola will talk to the princepal of the white school here in Indianola about enrolling their children in the white school. The Indianola Improvement Association, a conservative Negro group, is work ing on voter registration. They would like to take over the work of the FDP volunteers. Whatever their purposes, we're glad to see others working on voter registration. We are working hardest on getting a place for the people to meet. We still haven't paid for the work that was dome on the house before we lost the permit. Please send something, anything, even if it's only a dollar. Anything would be appreciated. Tour Disparagement is ry Dispara-'emont, SM c •RrvTwn . Jr.. 3 7, 66 tUA-td-A^LsTiiUa. / y7lXsx ftr\j&~f-eALs j^-^Jl ~XJ\J<~ d gyrCl/uAh^*^^ uJUx^ GRu-oCi &s*& ^K^L jjJft-L tjQ tjkrt^jL MUSK; "ft LVULW - tW r\jLsxt tti G**^ -AUs-MUtAiX^ .AXJUL yU-^JLCr^ th - t^U-nRcA 4hu. - CLMI ^eUss^UAA) ftJftH*~*^«- AJOJ^-J A4#^* zCafjrX ^|jL ^UJi^ tyyuL &Uy*- UC ICs Jyd/'* T*4$i., V/JAfZ. 38TJI /4R^| 7 J964 0 y *> '••' y'A^^^AA • A •sisZcsH^ %yty AA:•Jts' l4Asts O \JL> AJ-AAJ^ £ stsf/0 f 4 r ML. A,-L/JA^, /'Ahf^sLA AsLAs*t^Ss' YA-sy/£- A) f£y--^Jlh ^sf/^AA'^p. Mi, AOfi'u-ji* A^y #,<\ ^ sisCsJLsfsuk-^ Jyf <&Z-J&? Cv^/n.J^yj TtesistAj '-A J?* M'-nstiUj A^t^^y^^ A> ZAA cA-tf.TA'yL/ s%^ Ay'z/y-^y yfl<&?MsJL> ^y^^SjAs-rssysis / / ,'j j* y /?/AsjyZs. IMt /'-/Us' ~fffrU ^^^ £L*U* dCi^cA JU*4Jbb ttA^v-Ji, **z<£ *&•> fat? Ct ^/JU X%e*4As*-*lsR ~r*AJ ^-^^ At4*> I&^Z^-UZLL, £t4& /• ••'••-> '"•'-' *UAA> JQS+4***-*^4S #/& * L lb/Li/ /^ry^tJLesay. ry^-ix£sy /*/-*£ Afou/d* 'lAAl AyAlA's^v d/>.yC *&j>€*t-. Mt/y,,Tnls -J$y »''-fijAL ^A^AAA ^ /•-A -'A ^-Tyy xM$i2ty~*.J Af*M> /*CUL. Csfu/tts - }Al *L> !//$ '.Ifrts /y-y Ay-t.:AZAyysCy ASAJA *•:•'..'ZS. C 'jl^t&O 4//y-7?<7-;, is^AL ~fi^Ayj--*u,4jA., tj TA/'J. /> 1<(A ( /ASAJLJC/ fclL s£*4JLs fet/ &LsyvtA*4 ''7^' wy^*< d Cis ,./y -;,. $~uJ QA£U£££fcjk Aj_ 7UUS/1& rrs//y-cs.s&/ 4 J- 4J A/ * . . '/- / J/ fJL>£" LAC* /p-ds^y~'-^,/^« A-^l/ 77"' s C'£<-&Ass t/ e* . ' . , 0 * A 2] u tJHju*Zisj CAl^\ ~i- ^ ?AJ<-JLS I- Us* y &-4LA/&7:^ •• • '- s>— 7:/^- p*€<^tAL, Tfc WlJU •CArAS'.tfiS'Ary^Ls /A-:S±--yPs<. / 'A^A^iyu^ ~j£(Cu <-'^z<-^y7AA'/ fr6*> AsyAJ&As '&- R /"*% t pA'.&r.s-J^ &*i*4sfUJPf A? Ac.I yA. A */7, eftS-*L*~> ^"is Alsi,f\,.JMA*'7 ,<. ><.<>L As*As^s\y sisC£> 7^ 0 '-' y • 1 . s-, A. y^.tA- -jCjA/AA/A yyy JM6* A ' SUNFLOWER COUNTY ftEPORT REPORT OF SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IH SUNFLOWER COUNTY FROM APRIL lh, 1965 TO MAY 9, 1965. REPORT INCLUDES THE TOWNS OF DREW, MOORHEAD, RULEVILLE, SUNFLOWER, INDIANOLA, AMD OTHER MUNICIPALITIES OF SUNF- 10WER COUNTY. MOORHEAD APRIL lkf 19$£ Moorhead MSU, sponsored by Willie D, Smith, COFO worker from Sunf lower, Miss, and Charles Scat tergood, SNCC v;orker, attempted to integrate the Galoe Theater in Moorhead, The MSUers, numbering about thirty-five, mainly young men were, refused admitance into the theater by the manager. April 21, 1965 Two MSUers and one SNCC workcrware arrested for parading with a permit and disturbing the peace when about twenty five MSUers were stopped by the Moorhead police as the student were walk ing single flic toward the Galoe Theater, The MSUers then attempted to havo a demonstration in front of the city hall to protest the arrest They were forced at gun point back to the ghetto by the Moorhead police April 2h, 1965 Charles Scattcrgood, SNCC worker , was arrested for distrubing tho peace and resisting arrest. Charges were brought cgainst Scattcrgood when an officer told him that he was talking too loud. When told he was under arrest Scat'.;crgood walked away. Bull was sot fa** taoa» jgfa trail has been suspended. May 3, 1965 Several white male student from Uocrhoad Delta junior College att empted to start a fight with four MSUers, The Delta student thew bottler •«*»•> bricks at the ilSUors as tho MSUers wore walking toward the Fro Your financial help is needed to K°I O fchu freadr-i p-o "riiort cliwt in this Mississippi delta county, a drcifiDA *PM> banded ucrwiJ Vcmi the northern district federal court a mouth ago ordering that Negmoec bo registered according to same standards required of the whites. ( This injunction will last only one year). Since then, we have been conducting a massive voter registration drive. We have expanded ir.to areas in the county which we had previously only touched* The response has been good in some areas. Some eight- hunderd Negroes have parsed the test over the past few weeks. But there are thirteen thousand (13,000) eligible Negro voters in the county so there is a lot more work to be done. In December of this year, the municipal election will be held be in Indianola. All persons who register before September will allowed to vote, provided something is done about the poll tax, either through the voting Right Bill or through a court suit. Assuming that there will be something done, Negroes stand a good chance of winning some posts in this election. There are about 1200 white voters in the city and about 2000 Negroes eligible to vote. Of these about 100 were registered before the Court Induction and about 250 in the month since. So if we can register about 900 more Megroes this summer, Indianola " the stronghold of segregation in the Delta" may be the first, town in .Mississippi to have Negro municipal officials. To be effective in reaching many cf the Negroes who live in njral areas a.11 over the county, we must have too3s to work with. .These tools really boil down to cars. which often need repair, gas to operate the cars, and some small rrubsr.tenfce fc-r worker* who are not supported by SNCC or some other Civil Rights organization. We , must also be able to mantain a central office in the county. Funds will also be needed for campaign espenaea. How effective we are in voter registration efforts depend on all these nends. You can aid the right of the Mississippi Negro to register and vote by pledging your support to our efforts. Our needs are great and our resources are scarce. If you want to help send contributions to: P.O. Box 30 Indianola, Miss, WE SHALL OVERCOME John Harris THE CLARION-IBDTfSR JACKSON DAILY NEWS Jackson, Miss. Sunday, April 2$, 1965 AID FOR NEW REGISTERED NEGROES IS BEING SOUGHT By Charles M. Hills Clarion-Ledger Staff writer The Negro Freedom Democratic Pc.rty filed suit Saturday to postpone municipal elections in Sunflower county until October and said it will file suits Monday making the action statewide. Tho actions sock to call off the May 11 voting and set the elections for Octo'or, PO that Negroes, hoping to get Rlanket qualifications undeR the new Voting Rights I.ill in Congress, will have opportunity to register, vote and even seek office as 'qualified electors. Circuit Clerk Cecil Cambell, of Indianola, was served a federal restrainer pending action by the Northern District Federal Court at Oxford-Refore U.S. District Judge Claude P, Clayton. Plaintiffs are members of the Freedon Democratic Party, including Fannie Lou Raner, Roselle Giles, Annie Mae King, Marie R. weeks, and Cora Johnson, all of Sunflower County, acting on behalf of themselves and all other Negrir> residents of Sunflower County. CO--DEFENDANTS Gov. Paul Johnson, -.itty, Gon, Joe T. Patterson and Sec. of State Herber Ladner, all members of the State Election Commission are named as co-defendants in the case. Patterson said here Saturday that ho has been served a subpoena and that a federal agent WOS enroute to Pearl River County to servo the secretary of state, who is visiting there. It was not known whether Gov. Johnson h. d accepted service. Members of the Municipal elections commissions and municipal Democratic committes in Ruleville, Drew, Indianola, Moorhead, Inverness, Sunflower, Rome, and Doddsville, were being served suppoenas. Complaining that Negroes have boon prevented from registering in time to vote in the coming May and June muni cipal .elections in Sunflower county, the I ill asks i number of concessions that would prevent carrying out the regular Democratic primaries and general election in June. Under Mississippi Irs, the first primary for municipal election is May 11, second primary election May 18, and the general election Juno 8. Newly elected officers would begin terms July 1. INJUNCTION Federal Judge Clayton is askdd to issue an injunction in favor of the Negroes suspending the above elections, with the court fixing £ new date in October, 1965° It is cited that Nog -ca have been deprived of the right to register and vote. -2- Further, the bill of complaint charges that unless the court acts, and, the present election iawa rule, the Negroes will have to live under "minority rule for nother four yeurs. The bill further asks that Negroes or others who register to vote prior to Sept. 30 this year, be allowed to vote in the proposed October elections. It is also asked of the federcl co rt that candidates for city office c able to qualify up until II4 days prior to the proposed October elections* Eoth registrations and qualification deadlines have been passed for municipal elections under Mississippi law. The till asks th t any poll tmx requirements bo waived and that those paying poll taxes prior to Sept. 30 this year be allowed to vote in municipal elections. Under requests of the t ill of complaint, the first primary elect on would be held three weeks prior to the general election dc te in Octob ar. FIVE DAYS Any person who registers within five days before the proposed gonoral election would tc allowed to vote. Once the rogulcr primary elections and general election are wcivmd, pro sunt municipal officers in the eight Sunflower county towns would continue to serve until AMPLICATION FOP ftijfrlSra.iTICH TO VOTE i. wMte the date of this application_ 2. jjgivit is your full nains ? 3- State your age and data of t>irth_ 4. What is ycur occupation? 5. Where is your "business carried on? (Give City, town or village and street address ) 6. By whom are ycu employed' 7. where is ycur place of residence in the county and district nth ere ycu propose to register? 8. Are ycu a citizen of the United States and an inbabitat of fiiss issippi? 9. How long have you resided ir UissiCSibpi? 10. How long have you resided 5n +he eleoilcfi ii'tr'.ct cr precinct in which you propose to register? 11. State ycur last previevs profica R'SJS .if mrs.Rta-<, 12. nreyca a minister or R.? v. i.R: •; •. a*si?be*'r 13. Check which cuth yot dasire to take (1) General (2) llnister's , (3) Rinister*s wife (4) If Staler ft years mt pre* ant, but will be 21 years old by date of general election 14. If there is more than one person of ycur name in the precinct, by which name do ycu wish to be called? 15. Have ycu ever beer- cc~wictei of any--of the follorin; br*0«ei bribery, theft, arson, obtaining money or goods under false pretevSa. per/jury forgery, embezzlemoi.t, or bigany? 16. Have you ever been convicted of any other erime? 17. If ycur answer to quas'Ron 15 or 1G is "yes", name the nri:n or eriroie of which you have been convict 3d, and the date and place of such conviction or convictions: IB. Write and copy in the space below, Section of the ConstituttiQn cf Mississippi 19. write in the space below a resonable interpretation!the Weaning) of the Section'of the ConsTRftition of Mississippi vbich ycu have just copied* 80« YZTite in the space blow a statement setting forth your understandirg of the duties and obligations under a constitutional form of government. 21. Sign the oath or affirmation referred to in question 13, and which is: Ul CENTAL and/or SPECIAL OATH: I, " , do solemnly •wear that I am twenty-one y ":.-'""" years old and that I will have resided in this State two years, and Election District of County one year next preceding the ena ing election, and am now in good faith a resident of the same, and that I am not disqualified from voting by reason of having been convicted of any crime named in the Constitution of this State as a disqualification to be an ^lectox;; that I will truly answer all .questions propunded'to me concerning my antecedents so far aa they relate to my right to vote, and also aa to my residence before my citiaenship in this District^ that It will faithfully support the (Constitution of the United State* and of the State of Mississippi, and will bear true faith and allegiance to the Same, So Help KB God. , Applicant' s Signature' to Oath (B) OATH OF MINIST© and/or jRIfTETSR' S \fHFH'••""• I, T"~~. (the rest is the same a8 the oath above) "applicant's Signature to Application (The applicant will also 3ign his name hers) STATE OF MISSISSIPPI WUWT OF Sworn to and subscribed before me by thi» within named on * - - I 1 1 1 K ~• this the day of , 10 , Coa/ity. Registrar" A ERIEF SUMMARY OF INCIDFIITR TIf 3IRRIR^)COTJNTY, MISSISSIPPI t Js^ June 23, 196U—Ruleville: LOOK and WB reporters covering voter rally / j/fa. *0Q at Williams Chapel were chased out of town by a car driven at speeds ^-^ tyl~^yc\^ up to 85 MPH. Early next morning, nine Negro hemes, and cars were V /^m? N hit by bottles thrown from a similar car. (^>__<_u~ciy] ) June 2lt—Drew; 30 volunteers and staff workers engaged in voter registra- tion met open hostility from whites. Weapons shown. June 2$—Ruleville: Williams Chapel Firebombed. Damage was slipht, but eight plastic bags filled with gasoline were found outside the building. June 27—Doddsville: Highway Patrollman killed a 3u-year-old Negro with a history of mental illness. The killing was ruled "justifiable homicide" in 17 hours. June 28—Ruleville; Mayor tells a visiting white Methodist chaplain he cannot attend white Methodist services: "You cane her e to live with Negroes, so you can go to c^mrch with them, too." He did, with three volunteers. June 30—Ruleville: Man loses job for housing white volunteers. July 5th—Ruleville: Local segregationist visits COFO office and had a friendly argument with civil rights workers. Police ask him to leave and he refuses. He was charged with disorderly conduct and fined. July lath—Drew: Police pick up James Dann for distributing literature without a permit. Later, seven peoole were arrested for distributing literature without a permit and blocking the sidewalk. Their bond was set for «100~*200. July 15th—Drew: 25 people were arrested for willfully and unlawfully using the sidewalks and the streets during voter registration rally. July 16th—Indianola: Of those arrested in Drew on July l5th, ten women are beinr held at the oounty jail and 15 men at the county farm near here. Superintendent of the farm tells COFO lawyer he can't guarantee the safety of those at the farm. KbI advised. July 20th—Ruleville: •'•wo workers ordered out of a cafe. Doors were locked with people inside. July 2uth—Ruleville: A Negro woman was ordered off the has and handled roughly by the driver when she sat down next to a white man. All but two passengers got off. Ruleville: Rabbi and summer volunteer are "forcibly ejected" from the office of Drew City Attorney where they had gone to attend a meeting of parents of children detained and then released on July l5th. July 25th--Ruleville: Rock smashed windshield of car owned by local Negro housing civil rights workers. July 29th—Ruleville: A plantation worker fired for being a freedom registrant and attending two voter registration rallies. Plantation renter told the Negro: "Get off the place and d Aug. 11th—Ruleville: Mrs, Fannie Lou Hamer, candidate for Congress, who suffered a brutal beating in the Montgomery County Jail for her voter registration activities, is again being threatened. One of the men involved in her earlier beating has been passing by her home todav in a pick-up truck, pointing her out to a series of companions. -2- Aug 12th—Ruleville: Mrs. Hamer threatened with murder in a telephone call to her home tonight. Aug. 13th—Ruleville: 19-year-oln1 white volunteer Jc:eph Smith arrested this evening on charges of "conduct tending to incite a breach of peace" while passing high school campus. Aug. llith—Ruleville: Local attorney has informed voter registration workers here that any white volunteer staying overnight in the Negro section of Drew, a small town near here, would be arrested. Indianola: Volunteers and newsman threatened by white man with rifle /nt the Freedom School. Aug. 17th—Rul'-ville: Three local Negro youths picked up by nolice here and held for half an hour for distributing announcements of tonight's production of "In White America." Tndianola: Approximately 25 white citizens attended this evening's performance of "In White America." Eight to Ten helmeted police arrived in two cars. Aug, 25th—Drew: Law student Len Edwards was arrested for reckless driving after being followed by local police chief. He made a U-turn at the speed of 5 MPH. Sent. 29th—Ruleville: 10 people arrested in Morehead. They were charged with "failing to move on." They were threatened while in jail, Oct, 1—Ruleville: Mrs. Annie Mae Strong was fired today from her job as cook in a high school here. Her son Ron was one of ten persons arrested on the 29th. Oct. 3—Drew: Louis Hayes, local Megro yout^, was grabbed by a clerk while trying to buy a carton of cigarettes. The clerk charged him with stealing them. Later he was chased and shot at bv police. Oct uth—Ruleville: Five person who tried to integrate a cafe here last night were not served. On their way hcma from a meeting held later in the evening, shots were fired over their heads from a passing car. Indianola: Police arrested 13 civil rights workers following a test of Weber's Restaurant. The Restaurant manager told the group he couldn't serve them. While they were returning to their cars, the police came and arrested then for trespassing and unlawful assembly. Oct 28th—Ruleville: James Dann, volunteer, was threatened and beaten and kicked by a white man while getting his clothes out of a car. October 25th—Indianola—A low flying plane made a pass at the Freedom School, droped a parachute flare, then made a second pass and dropped a bomb which exploded in mid air. At the time there were 250 peoole attending a mass meeting inside. October 20th—Indianola: Clifford Vaughs,28-year-old Megro COFO photographer from Snata Monica, ^alif., was beaten in a Pure Oil station here. Vaughs said the attendant motioned and sDoke to another white man at the station when he arrived. The second white man cursed at Vaughs and demanded: "Are you one of them (civil rights workers) or are you a nigger?" A Highway Patrolman at the scene drove away just as Vanghs' interrogator began punching him in the face. The FBI was notified, Oct. 26th—Indianola: aob Hewell, 19, from California Polytechnical Institute was beaten by whites as he helped local Negroes to register. Oct. 27th—Indianola: A former Baptist school now used by COFO as a Freedom School was burned. Firemen watched the blaze. All equipment was destroyed, and firemen would not allow COFO workers to examine the area. -h- F>h„ ?0th—Tndianola: More people were arrested as picketing at the white-only library continued. Over $0 were arrested in the 2 days, and several of them were beaten by nolice. Ruleville: A cross was burned in front of the StBC community center. Feb. 21st—Ruleville: An integrated group of nine neople attended the local movie theater and sat in the white section. Half a dozen white persons threw objects at them wlRle they sat watching the film. Feb. 26th—Indianola: Police entered the freedom School arri individual homes without warrants, arresting nine persons. They were charged either with contributing to the delinquency of minors or with disturbing the peace. March 3—Indianola—The formerly white-only library finally integrated. Howevmm, all of the tables and chairs were removed. March 5—IT Ranolj The Freedom ^chool and SNCC office was burned to the grouR Fire also destroyed a staff car. Eight SNCC workers who tried to enter the area were arrested by police who had cordoned off the area. Police took all the files which included lists of local Negroes who belonged to the FDP. April 9th—Drew: 7 people from Ruleville went to Drew to talkto people about registering to vote. On their wa y back to their car, three of them were arrested for vagrancy. April 10th—FEDERAL COURT ISSUES INJUNCTION AGAINST REGISTRAR. CRASH VOTER REGISTRATTr,"f PROGRAM BEGTMS IN SUNFLOWER COUNTY. FDP Chairman Lawrence Guyot announced that because of a recent injunction by the federal court demanding that all people who can readan d write and can meet the a^e and residence requirements be allow! to vote. Tfaia order eliminates the interpretation requirement and requires the registrar to give reasons for failure of applicants. April 23rd—Indianola: u people were arrested -'< "mrehea • m Wednesday night while trying to attend a theater. April 2Uth—THE SUNFLOWER FDP FILFD SUIT IN FEDERAL COURT ARUNO A OFLAY IN MUNICIPAL ELECTTOS. If granted, this wuld allow more time to regj atar Negroes under the injunction, and would give then B chance to run their own candidates, April 29th—Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer, Freedom Democrv Ic Congresswoman from the Second District, and a native of Ruleville, Miss,. testified about the number of people in Sunflower ^ounty who wanted to register,. April 30—Ruleville: FDP people went to Dro avass for ' registration. They were followed by Police officer Curt.i. r Floyd each sbep of the way. On their way back to R-RR Tills Floyd arrested the driver of the car for running a stop sign May 1—Indianola: Four ^laces were firebomb-:; •; 2:U5 AM. TV.-; Freedom House was hit by two bombs—one of which .-Ruded. -"-he fira waa extin guished immediately by R_a!C workers who had "'3en Bleeping In tha house. Second place to be bombed was the home of Mrs* ^agrauder, Re first Negro woman in Indianola to house civil rights wcrkers. °i- people were asleep in the house, but they managed to gat out. The hcus : . :J almost completely destroyed. Third target was the store of Mr. Oscar Giles, FD° Executive Committee K3mberj the store was a total loss. Fourth target was the home of Mr. Dougly Wilder which was completely destroyed. This afternoon, Ike Johnson, found a molotov cocktail (unexploded) beside his gas meter. Also this afternoon, two local youths w_.ro arrested for leafletting without a permit. They were passing out lea le leaflets announcing ameeting to be held on the ruins of the burned out freedom school. They were released to the custody of their parents. May 1—Morehead: A Molotov cocktail was found near the Freedom House. THIS IS SUNFLOWER COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI Sunflower County lies in the heart of the Mississippi Delta cotton country. The total population of the county in I960 was U5,750— lb,730 white, 30,355 black. The voting age population is bOA% black. In I960, 35* of the white families and 90,83 of the black families had yearly incomes under tt3,G00. Of the Negroes who were employed in I960, u7.2,o worked as farm laborers and 13.63 worked as domestic servants. Corresponding employment categories for whites were, respectively, 31.751 and ft.23 . Thirteen percent of the Negroes and 8.53 of the whites 25 years or over had no schooling. Fifty-nine percent of the Negroes and hit of the whites over 25 years had completed between one and six vear s of school. The largest cotton producer in the county is the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman. Other large producers in the county in clude Senator James 0. Eastland with something over 2,000 acres, and the Billups Plantation, owned by the same family which operates cut-rate gasoline stations in several states. There is very little industrial development in the county. The only industry of any size is the bagging plant of the Ludloi-j Corporation in Indianola. Ludlow's headquarters is in Needham Heights, Massachusetts, Sunflower County is in the Second Mississippi Congressional District, represented by Congressman Jamie Whitten, Whitten is Chairman of the Agriculture Subcommittee ©f the House Appropriations Committee, The county is represented in the Mississippi House by J. Fred Jones of Inverness and John H. Hough of Indianola. Hough identifies himself as a member of the White Citizens Council. The county comprises the 12th Mississippi Senatorial District and sends Robert L. Crook of Ruleville to the State Senate. Sunflower is the home of Senator James 0. Eastland, Clarence Albert Pierce is staff assistant to Senator Fastland, and also a state representative from Carroll County. In I96I1 Pierce introduced into the Mississippi House a bill providing for mandatory sterilization of unwed mothers, which was designed to drive Negroes out of Mississippi. The county has a long record of lawless violence againse Negroes, In 190.4 the current Senator Eastland's fit her lad a lynch mob which burned Mr, and Mrs. Claude Kolbert at the stake near the Eastland home in Doddsville, Mr. Holbert was accused of killing the elder Eastland's brother, the Senator's namesake, in a fight over a woman. Mrs. Holbert was not accused of anything. b0th were Negroes. There was another particularly brutal lynching at parchman in 1929. A Negro prisoner bad escaped from the penitentiary and in doing so had killed a guard. Here is a description of the lynching from the Memphis Press-Scimitar: "The Negro was chained to a log and burned slowly. Mow and then someone would step forward and throw a little gasoline on the blaze. The whole burning took a little more than an hour. The Megro was alive and screaming uO minutes of that time. The fire ate its way slowly up the Negro's body. His right leg arched when the flames licked his calf ani ha begged members of the mob to straighten the leg, saying it hurt him* One fellow came forward wi th gasoline, threw it on the leg, saying, 'Thla will straighten it, vou black .' The fire ate off his legSj and the Negro, a wonderful physical sneciman, raised to a aitting position and spit in the faces of several of the mob, crying, 'You white s.' At this point a man with a knife came forward and cut off the Negro's ears, proudly displaying them later in the evening at a filling station at Drew, Mississippi.••. he moment the "egTO stooped screaming and died, the mob rushed forward for souvenirs. Links of the chains with which the Negro bad been bound, pieces of his charred bones, one of his feet, parts of his fingers were grabbed." y May 7, 1965 Dear Friends of SNCC: This mailing is about Sunflower County, Mississippi. On April 10 an injunction was issued by the federal district court providing that people who wanted to register and who could pass age and residence requirements and who could read and write should be registered. The injunction, issued by U.S. District Judge Claude Clayton, ordered Registrar Cecil Campbell "not to use any qualification for registering Negroes which is more difficult or complicated than used for whites." The injunction will be in effect for one year. Judge Clayton ordered the registrar to process no less thai four apnlicants at a time, and to review past applications under the new qualification. A monthly report must be filed with the Justice Department and the Court giving specific reasons for all rejections. Reaction to the injunction in the white community has been pathetic. While hundreds of Negroes have been registered, whites were also urged to get themselves registered. The Enterprise-Tocsin, Indianola's newspaper (of April 29) declared: "Many negroes are registering over the county without being required to pass any sort of examination...That is a Court Order, we understand. Now, are we going to allow apathy on our part to turn this decision of electing our City and County officials over to the colored race because they are more interested in who those will run (sic) Cities c^d County in the future? Well, if ycu don't open your eyes as to what is going on, that is exactly what is going to happen, and much sooner than you think...If you are qualified to vote and don't accept this re sponsibility, then you have only yourselves to blame for what happens in future elections. DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN. Go and Register yourself and protect YOUR RIGHT as a GOOD citizens." Meanwhile, some of the "GOOD" citizens of Sunflower County were busying themselves making making Molotov cocktails for Negro homes and stores and for the Freedom House. They didn't miss their targets. Polico harrassment and intimidation Cf Negroes fromj»Mte citizens has increase. The white community appears to be using aLj fw old ploys to keep Negroes from registering to vote. The Mississippi Freedom Democratic jfarty attempted to have municipal elections delayed so that newly registered Negroes could vote in the May elections. Suit was filed in federal court but was turned down by Judge Clayton on technical grounds. MF^P lawyers intend to refile the suit. We think it is important that all these things be considered in connection with LBJ's voting bill. what good does it do to for Negroes to have the right to vote when there is no police protection from the people who harrass and intimidate them? What good doesit do to register if you can't vote in an election? Is what is happening in Sunflower County, Mississippi, the same thing we can expect to happen in the rest of the black belt when the voting bill is passed? For freedom, y\ QSLCI cvli{ Margaret Lauren StaFivwe*, rf, is- Dear Hrs. Kenneth, In o-jr laet letter we told you about the Uew Election ti at will bo he]3 in dunflow^T*,but rRnce then t.iere are live other places in tho county that o?n also toi have a new election* They are Drew, ;iulevil3a, boddwiHe, Hoorhoad, and Inverness, Kiss. The way hhese elections vr.li OM& a»-;>ul i:: the etssafi aa Sunflower aid. bcjaefjpe-v:ij]. have to t'"'.:. a "3"nplairit .luat like .1.-, *nru.o bae Sing d.i.d wltR chc lcwyers^Jor 3v:b'l;>'.:ero K^erhcad, Doddaville, and Ruleville arc places which we have B strong feeling lhao we <"an «dn along vrilh Sunflower* RocrhttCU bftsalrecdy si(-reu a COHnlalflb* I The lawyers will ;;o to see Judge Clayton triday o^ Saturday*And see uhen will t'ue cie'-Rion ecoa off for iunflower al»o at tfcis tirac the lawywe Mill present Meorh- erc's complaint and we hope we will have the other lour cities as eteted before* Sunflower is growing stronger ever;/ weak ard nor? peo< Lc are becoming more concerned in asking wiat they tan QO to hela , also we hac' our first • erbium. '• r Dodd -svilie last week a d the people responded better t-.era than ever nryAccre before. As I told yov buforc we already nave tie per .ii.t tc build to.-; cm '.or m In otnflower , we havo barely begit to v/er1 en the ce; l»er, ''c will rot have a concrete floor, because v.. coulo net j. ex. anyone to sell us uirt or concrete i'cr tKe m-mose, sc we will have a wooden floor and a tin top . Ihat caused the1 changes in -ie top VJS& because ve did'nt have ?ncugh money to QC the job with anything else. We will also havfa to atxx fix the insice little by little for the sa ->e cause. be kindly thank those of you who have donated wiaL you could for this ecu so. bur telephone nuober is 17, and bhcnVs again lor the donations* . . •.-.;•. : - Lc 1 - ut : Q . • 1 R • • ; • ' -• -•: :> ' .. • , Yours with leva in PrRedom . . •• . .'.'.* utis Drown Jr*.Sunflower- County Chair an '' • -'- , • ft *:; ;.'• J-^"> /'• • Lola !.* **roo' s Vi'cc-Rm-.ir .v^n $ - • " R , ' mm. -•' u>die J, I'ownsend Sec. I, •':•'.•••,- • . . : •, .