HU AC Flounders The Southern Vol. 23, No. 9 Violence Goes Unchecked

(An Editorial) November, 1965 The much-publicized hearings by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) on the Ku Klux Klan have recessed limply, and all objections of the civil rights forces which opposed them have been PATRIOT proved valid. Civil liberties were violated, but the sources of violence were not Published by the Southern Conference Educational Fund, Inc. touched. ^ r ^ - On the eve of the hearings, five Southern-based organizations is- f t l‘1*0 111 AllM M ’il'IIS sued a joint statement opposing them and repeating requests that in------stead President Johnson set up a high-level commission to investigate the “ entire pattern of violence and the crisis in law enforcement in the / South.” ■■a im m unity Still Divided The organizations were the Southern Christian Leadership Confer- X Correspondent) formed the habit of throwing high school, possibly with court ence (SCLC), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee —xvl CUS, Ga. — This little rocks at demonstrators. Once this action to force action by school (SNCC), Highlander Center; the Mississippi Freedom Democratic southwest Georgia town, quiet same group hurled rocks at a officials. More than 40 Negroes Party (MFDP); and the Southern this fall after another summer of passing car that had no connec- enrolled in white schools this fall, Conference Educational Fund turmoil, presents today in minia- tion with the demonstrations but but many have returned to the (SCEF). ture a picture of all that is the was occupied by Negroes. Some- Negro ones. They gave four reasons for op- most hopeful and all that is the one fired shots, and a white boy In the all-Negro junior high, posing the hearings: most discouraging in the South of was killed. Two young Negro men, students staged a boycott this 1. HUAC probes men’s minds 1965. Charlie Lee Hopkins and Willie fall, over 50 went to jail for a ^rather than their acts and thus In the Negro community, there Lamar, are charged with murder week, but as a result they got violates the Bill of Rights. (“As is hope. It is organized strong, and due for trial in December. adequate books and equipment for organizations dedicated to peace- self-confident, ready to move But the summer also brought the first time. ful social change,” the petitioners ahead. a tremendous upsurge in Negro The Americus movement was told the President, “we are de- But between white and black, voter registration. On the day organized by SNCC workers who pendent on the weapons provided there is still the deep chasm— President Johnson signed the came in here in late 1962 and in our Bill of Rights and cannot more obvious here than in new voting rights bill, hundreds early 1963. Local teen-agers were let them be destroyed—even if the many Southern towns, because of Negroes were lined up early the first to respond and in the i immediate target might be our the failure of white community that morning ready to early demonstrations carried it opponents.” ) here has been greater. to the courthouse. almost alone. 2. HUAC has consistently at- The two white citizens who did Soon more than 2,000 were This year, great numbers of tacked the same people the the most to bridge the chasm— added to the rolls, bringing the older people joined in, but those Klan attacks and thus could not Attorney Warren Fortson and total to an estimated 3,500 in who are planning for the future adequately investigate Klan vio- Dr. Lloyd Moll, announced this Americus. The Americus popula- are still the young: people like lence even if it avoided viola- tion is variously estimated at Mrs. Mary Kate Bell, who ran fall that they were leaving tions of civil liberties. —Parker in The Washington Post between 12,000 and 16,000—about for office last summer and was Americus. The economic and 3. It can be reasonably assumed “ We’re safe as long as we keep half of it Negro; potential Negro one of those arrested in the vot- psychological pressures had be- that the Klan probe will be a track of our expenses and pay our vote is about 4,500. ing line, mother of three now, springboard for a new attack on come too great to bear. income taxes . . . With them went all hope for For the immediate future, a but a student participant in the civil rights groups. the foreseeable future of an or- main objective of the movement Atlanta sit-ins in 1960; people 4. More than the Klan needs to be investigated if violence against ganized moderate force within the will be jobs. like Lena Turner, steeled by civil rights advocates is to be halted; the crisis is in law enforcement. white community. “The vote is important,” says jail and suffering when they Point No. 1 was dramatically illustrated by the turn these hearings So the Negro community will Lena Turner, “but people are were little more than children, took. For three weeks, the Committee rode rough-shod over the con- “ go it alone,” and its road ahead asking why they should vote. and matured young. stitutional rights of Klansmen but threw no light on the hideous is fairly clear. " They heed jobs—Specially- TruT The continuing militancy of- crimes of violence that have corrupted the South. The most it came up “ Sometimes people think young people.” the Americus movement may re- with were insinuations of petty when the demonstrations stop, They’ll push the campaign flect what it has already “over- Ileatli to Heath larceny and income tax evasion by the movement is dead,” com- for jobs through use of the new come.” It was here that insurrec- ATLANTA, Ga. — Abolition Klansmen. ments Lena Turner, a move- federal law and in tion charges carrying the death of the death penalty, now an Finally, when the hearings ment leader. “ But that’s just some cases, she says, reactivate' sentence were brought against issue in several Southern were becoming so dull that even when the long hard work be- a maid’s union which was early SNCC workers (Ralph states, is expected to come up newsmen weren’t interested gins.” started last year (many maids Allen, Don Harris, John Perdue) for consideration in the 1966 anymore, HUAC said it would Many of the obvious victories here work for $8 a week), and CORE worker , Georgia legislature. Early look into the case in which organize the renters in Ameri- have been won here. Public ac- and only dropped after court hearings around the state by a Klansmen were accused—but commodations are open, schools cus’ dirt-streeted poor-housed action and nationwide pressure. special Senate committee found acquitted—of the murder of Ne- Negro sections “whether the are integrated from top to bottom There were 200 children, many of wide support for abolition, but gro Lemuel Penn in Georgia. (if very uncomfortably for the landlords are white or black.” them between the ages of 10 and opposition has mounted. Negro At that point, it was reported Negro students), police who Another current effort is to 16, jailed under concentration- Senator Horace Ward proposed that such an investigation might cracked heads during 1963 dem- stop harassment of Negro stu- camp conditions in 1963. the committee study. jeopardize current federal efforts onstrations were much more re- dents inside the formerly white (Continued on Page 2) to get further court action on this strained in 1965, voter registra- case, and the hearings recessed. tion has soared. Thus, the uselessness of HUAC Mass demonstrations were One Student W ho ‘Overcame’ was underscored: when it begins touched off last summer by the (By Staff Correspondent) Honor is due also to the brave Some at least acknowledged his to touch on criminal acts, which arrest of four Negro women who KOINONIA FARM, Ga.—Much handful of white young people right to his integrationist views; are the real problem (as opposed refused to stand in a segregated praise has been given justly to who have endured the same hos- a few even began to question to evil thoughts), it runs square- line on election day. Negro youngsters who have with- tility to support integration. their own belief in segregation. ly into court procedures, where The summer brought one trag- stood hostility and attack to inte- One of these is Greg Witt- persons accused of crime under Each day then became a chal- edy. A group of white hoodlums grate the South’s schools. kamper, now 18, who graduated our constitutional system are sup- lenge to him—to help them last spring from Americus, Ga., posed to be tried. change. “ If I had just had a little High School. Greg’s family are As for Points 2 and 3 above, longer, I could have made be- members of interracial Koinonia HUAC member Charles Welt- lievers out of some of them,” he Farm community near Ameri- ner of Georgia continues to in- says wistfully. cus. Koinonia arouses fury sist that no probe of civil rights among Americus segregation- There are other Koinonia groups is planned, but other ists; its children are not young people who belong on an Committee members aparently exempted. honor roll with Greg—who at- disagree with him. Greg went three years to Amer- tended the high school during Under a banner front-page icus High. It was a constant or- times of great hostility: Greg’s headline on November 14, the deal: books dropped on him, spit- older brother, Bill, Lora Birmingham News quotes HUAC balls thrown at him, names hurl- Browne, Jan Jordan. member John Buchanan as pre- ed at him, twice seriously as- dicting that after the Klan in- saulted. Parents sometimes say it isn’t vestigation the Committee will Looking back now, Greg says he right to put children into such probe what he describes as “ other “wouldn’t take anything for the situations. They should meet groups that stir racial prejudice experience.” Once, midway Greg—at 18, strong, calm, self- and create situations that result | through his senior year, he al- confident, facing life with clear in violence.” He mentioned spe- most gave up. eyes, a son any parent would be cifically SCLC, CORE, and SNCC. ■ GREG WITTKAMPER (right), who braved name-calling and physical “ But I decided I couldn’t quit,” proud of. It is impossible not to Buchannan said he believed the assault for his integrationist views at Americus High School, now he says, “ and I’m glad. After believe that his high school ex- majority of the Committee will works at Koinonia Farm. At left is his co-worker at the farm, Collins that, I saw some of the kids be- periences helped make him that favor such a probe. He claims McGee, young leader of Americus movement. (Patriot Photo.) gin to change.” way. (Continued on Page 4) T HE SOUTHERN PATRIOT ★ The Southern Patriot S h uttles worth A ttac hed ■lo w It’s Slo ne CI N CI N N ATI, Ohio — The Rev. Fred L. Shuttles worth, president The Southern Patriot is published monthly except July and August An exa mple of ho w school of S C E F and secretary of the Southern Christian Leadership Confer- by the Southern Conference Educational Fund, Inc., dedicated to desegregatio n can be increased ence, is under attack by dissidents in Revelation Baptist Church here, ending discri mination based on race, creed, color, national origin, when people organize and work where he is pastor. or econo mic condition. Editorial offices, 4403 Virgi nia Ave., Lo uis- at it is provided by Notto way He charges that the trouble was inspired and has been aggra- ville, Ky. 40211; business offices. Suite 408, 822 Perdido St., Ne w County in Southside Virginia. vated by “right- wing extre mists” outside the church who want to dis- Orleans, La. 70112; office of publication, 150 Tenth Ave. North, The Southside is the most credit hi m and the entire civil rights move ment. Nashville, Tenn. 37203. T wenty-five cents a copy, $2 a year. segregated part of Virginia, This theory is supported by the fact that he received “ hate Entered as second-class mail matter, Nashville, Tennessee. but last spring Notto way letters” fro m strangers as far a way as California quoting spe- sc hool officials announced t hey cific charges made against hi m here before these had received THE SOUTHERN CONFERENCE EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC. natio nal p ublicity. 822 Perdido Street, Ne w Orleans, Louisiana, 70112 would co mply with federal leg- islation with a “freedo m of The dissidents later filed their charges for mally, accusing Shuttles- Preside nt Treas urer choice” plan. Ho wever, they worth of “ arbitrary” conduct in church affairs, failure to keep “ ade- quate accounting records, and “i mpropriety and abuse” in handling- F r e d L. S h uttl es wort h B e nja min E. S mit h did nothing to infor m parents of what that meant. church funds. Court suits and countersuits were filed. Vice- Preside nts Secretary A subsequent report by an auditing fir m said the church’s financial According to the ne wsletter J o h n M. C o e J e s sie P. G uz man reports “fairly state” inco me and disburse ments. The Revelation of the Virginia Students Civil B is h o p C h arl e s F. G ol de n Board of Deacons studied the charges and issued a long written re- Rights Co m mittee, Notto way M o djeska M. S i m kins Assista nt Secretary port. adopted 15 to 4 saying they found “ no truth or substance in Negro parents started organ- C l aric e C a m pb el l any of the charges.” izing last May. They mi meo- E ditor They said Shuttles worth had follo wed plans for the church agreed Exec utive Director graphed fact sheets, held week- A n n e B r ade n to by the congregation when he ca me here fro m Bir mingha m. And, J a mes A. D o mbro wski ly meetings, and within three rather than misusing funds, they said, he “ generously contributes of weeks visited every Negro par- Special Consultant Field Organizer his o wn money and money fro m speaking engage ments” to the ent in the county. The res ult: E l l a J. B a k er C a r l B r ade n church. Revelation young people issued a strong state ment supporting this fall 151 Negroes enrolled S h uttles wort h. Eastern Representative Project Director in Notto way’s for merly all- The dissidents continued to repeat their charges, ho wever, and W m . H o war d M e l i s h F r a n k F l etc her white schools —the most in any mustered 276 votes in an effort to oust hi m as pastor. There were county in Southside Virginia. 284 votes in his favor. The church has 1,200 me mbers. Nove mber, 1965 V ol. 2 3, N o. 9 N e ws i n A iii ^i'ii‘ 1 1 ^ of Cyttiirsi ge.... bo mb-destruction of its road-side don’t have to be scared of the One of the most significant re- of Negroes fro m juries and e m- ( Continued fro m Page 1) market, g u nfire i nto its b uildi ngs, Kl a n.” cent events in Southern politics ploy ment in the court syste m. A meric us is one of t he oldest to wns in south west Georgia, its and physical attack on its me m- F urt her more, Le n a Turner was the defeat of Alaba ma Gov. * * * econo my based on the cotton- b er s. points out, Koinonia has de mon- George Wallace in his effort to In Nashville, which has been corn-peanut agriculture of sur- But Koinonia s urvive d. It strated to young Negroes of get the legislature to approve a without de monstrations for a lo ng rounding Su mter County until shifted its econo mic base fro m A mericus so mething everything constitutional a mend ment so that ti me, 500 Negro students and recent develop ment of poultry po ultry, livestoc k, and field crops else in their world has denied: he could run for another ter m as so me whites marched in protest and livestock far ming. The to wn to a mail-order pecan and pecan- that white and black can live and governor. Alaba ma’s constitution when an Africa n student reported has been run by an oligarchy prod uct busi ness. work and build toget her. forbids governors to succeed he had been beaten by police. of old fa milies, givi ng way o nly “ They more or less leave us “It is i mportant that we kno w t he mselves. Ralph Odour, of Nairobi, Kenya, slo wly and reluctantly even to alone no w,” says Jordan. “ They that,” she says si mply. A deter mined group of state said the beating took place when i n d ustrializatio n. accept us as part of the scen- Koinonia has also affected the senators blocked Wallace’s move. he was arrested during a raid on For the white oligarc hy, there er y.” white co m munity although less Iro nically, t hey did it wit h a fili- a restaurant. Police denied the has been gentility and culture —a The far m survived partly be- obviously. It has stood as a chal- b uster. beating, but original disorderly thin veneer covering oppression cause of an outpouring of support l e n g e. Ho wever, Alaba mians report- conduct charges against Odour of both Negro and poor white. fro m all over the nation. For One who was deeply affected ed that the episode was having were later dropped. “ Anything you can think of exa mple, when its insurance was was Warren Fortson. A native wide reperc ussio ns i n t he state. * * * that has been done to the Negro ca ncelled, 2,00-3 perso ns agreed to of Washington, Ga., Fortson at Many who have supported Wal- I n T all ul a h, L a., a t o w n i n any where — murder, rape, exploi- be liable up to $50 each to cover 40 is one of the many white lace turned against hi m, seeing northeastern Louisiana, C O R E tation —it’s been done in Su mter possible losses. ( Fort u nately, none hi s proposed co nstit utio nal ( Continued on Page 3) headquarters was burned to the County,” says John Barnu m, of these insurers ever had to pay change as a “ po wer grab.” ground. Just a fe w weeks earlier, Negro funeral director who has a nyt hi ng.) Meanti me, one of Wallace’s C O R E Southern Director Richard been a mainstay of the move- But Koinonia survived also be- chief foes, moderate Alaba ma At- Haley reported, police in Boga- m e nt. cause those who lived there would torney General Rich mond Flo wers lusa La., “ran wild”. They ar- The fa mous case of Mrs. Rosa not give in. T hey never retaliated was carryi ng on a lonely struggle rested 75 persons during a day of Lee Ingra m 18 years ago occurred with violence, they would not to get honest justice in Alaba ma de monstrations and that night, in Su mter County. Mrs. Ingra m, l e a v e. murders of civil rights workers. Haley said, “charged into the Ne- a Negro sharecroper, was at- The effect was profound. Not He was recently attacked physi- gro section and beat, clubbed and tacked by a white man; her teen- o nly did it mean a place for early cally by t wo young men at a kicked any Negro who happened age sons ca me to her defense, and S N C C workers to live (they football ga me in Dothan, Ala. to be in the area, arresting 20 the white man was killed in the stayed there many months); the And massive marches were more.” The de monstrations were fray. She and t wo sons were exa mple strengthened the A meri- starting again in Alaba ma, as the in connection with a school boy- sentenced to death in 1948 but cus Negro co m munity. Mrs. Mabel Southern Christian Leadership cott, in which Negro students are the sentences were co m muted to Barnu m, elder me mber of the Conference announced a ne w de manding better facilities. life after nation wide protest, and Barnu m fa mily said: ca mpaign of direct action in Black * * Sjs they were finally paroled in 1959. “ When people sa w that little Belt co unties to protest excl usion Throughout Alaba ma and Mis- Today, like a sy mbol of the group wasn’t going to let the sissippi this fall Negroes were indestructibility of the hu man Klan run the m off, they kne w organizing to try to elect their I mportant Notice spirit, one of Mrs. Ingra m’s fro m that ti me on that you o wn representatives to the county grandsons, Sa m mie Rushin, is a A ne w postal order will soon co m mittees of the Agriculture field worker for S N C C. require zip codes on all ad- Stabilization and Conservation This background gives added dresses of publications. Wit h- Service. These are the co m mit- meaning to words spoken by Col- out the m, the publications will tees that are very i mportant to lins Mc Gee, one of the young not be delivered. far mers, since they set crop al- Negro leaders, and echoed by If your zip code is not on lot me nts. ma ny ot hers: the address label on this S NCC workers reported that “ The people just aren’t afraid paper, please send us the for m various evasions and inti midations any more. They never will be belo w. If you are not yet a were being used to keep Negroes a g ai n.” subscriber, you may use this fro m getting elected. A si milar One big factor in the building for m as a subscription blank ca mpaign in Mississippi last year of the Su mter County move ment and enclose pay ment. The caused the U.S. Depart ment of has bee n t he existe nce of Koi no nia Patriot is sent to all persons Agric ult ure to order no n-discri mi- Far m here in Su mter County. who contribute $2 or more to natory Negro representation on Koinonia is the interracial S C E F. the co m mittees. co m munity organized in 1942 * * ❖ N a m e______and led by the Rev. Clarence In Arkansas, S NCC reported Jordan, who challenged the A d dress ______that 30 Negro residents of the mores of his native Georgia C i t y------state ran for local school boards wit h livi ng brot her hood and the this fall. All were defeated, al- plantation syste m with modern Zi p C o de______though so me were running in far ming methods. E V E R Y B O D Y PIT C H ES I N with the work at Koinonia Far m. Above, ( ) Check here if you are a areas of heavy Negro majorities. During the 1950’s the co m- the Rev. Clarence Jordan prepares to cut slabs of “ pecandy,” one of ne w s ubscriber. The Arkansas Voice, publication munity was harassed by “investi- the far m’s ne wer products, a co mbination of pecans and candy. Belo w Return for m to of the move ment there, said wit- gations,” totally boycotted (“ We the three daughters of the Rev. and Mrs. A1 Henry help bag and pack nesses actually sa w many cases S C EF co uld n’t b uy a sack of feed or sell shelled pecans for ship ment to custo mers across the country. They are 822 Perdido St. of fraud, inti midation, destruc- an egg,” says Jordan), and sub- Linda, 13, Nancy, 10, and Janet, 6. The Henry fa mily joined the Koi- Ne w Orleans, La. 70112 tion of ballots. Co mplaints are jected to 28 separate acts of nonia co m munity just this year; he was for merly minister of a church bei ng filed wit h federal officials. violence — including the total in Bir mingha m. ( Patriot Photos.) 2 ★ T H E SOUTHERN PATRIOT I f o o f ; N n t* » s t Primer on Negro History An impressive, graphically il- Facts9 Humor3 and Philosophy lustrated paperback book has been published by The Student Many agree that man faces is a small volume, 180 pages, la- sion of involvement—the disap- Voice, publication of SNCC. It is three basic questions today: rac- den with chuckles. Simple, Har- pointments and hopes. He is criti- Negroes in American History, A ism, mass society which destroys lem’s charming but sharp folk- cal of civil-rights leaders from Freedom Primer. the individual, and violence that philosopher, comments wryly on outside Danville but his story in- threatens world destruction. a wide variety of subjects, local, dicates that the fault also lay The book was originally writ- Ralph Templin ties them together national and international. A with local people who, like men ten by Bobbi and Frank Cieciorka in Democracy and sample: all through history, kept cherish- for Southern ; ing a hope that a leader could (Porter Sargent, 11 Beacon St.. “ When I was young enough to be its words are simple, but the Boston, Mass., $4). drafted, Uncle Sam used to scare me come and save them. Over and ideas are large. Starting with half to death. But even then I had The author, sociologist and tire- some questions for him. I said ‘Uncle over men learn that it never hap- Crispus Attucks in the Revolu- Sam, if you is really my blood uncle, pens that way.—A.B. less worker in humanitarian ef- prove it. Before you draft me into tionary War, it describes the forts, believes democracy is be- any United States army, prove your kinship. Are we is, or are we ain’t American Negro’s long struggle trayed in America by racism and related? If so, how come you are so Labor Fact Book 17 is 152 for freedom (and that of poor white and I am so dark?’ ” bureauracy and sees nonviolence pages of valuable information for whites in the brief Negro-white as a way of revolution that can If you are not acquainted with civil-rights workers and those in- unity of Reconstruction and Popu- “lay the axe to the roots of vio- Simple and his gifted creator, volved in other struggles for lism). All along, past events are lence in the structure of society.” you have a treat in store.—J.A.D. equality. These books have been related to the modem movement. Some will say he is an impracti- published since 1931 by Interna- Copies available from The Stu- cal idealist, but Templin would An Act of Conscience (Beacon tional Publishers, 381 Park Ave., answer that what seemed imprac- Press 25 Beacon St., Boston, South, New York City. Price is dent Voice, 360 Nelson St., S.W., tical yesterday is today’s only Mass., $4.95) is Attorney Len $3.75; paperback, $1.65. They Atlanta, Ga., 30313, $1.50 each for day are woven together in SNCC’s realism.—A.B. Holt’s diary of events in Dan- make good Christmas presents. 19 or fewer, $1 each for 20 or new freedom primer, as in this ville, Va., during civil rights dem- This edition includes special sec- more. Proceeds go to distribute drawing of Simple’s Uncle Sam by Langs- onstrations in 1963. The author, tions dealing with labor, civil the book free to Southern free- carrying a sign with the words ton Hughes (Hill and Wang, 141 a militant partisan of the move- rights, and social conditions, as dom schools and their counter- often used today. Primer draw- Fifth Ave., New York City, $3.95) ment, brings to his story the pas- well as civil liberties and peace. parts in the North. ings are by Frank Cieciorka. .... I l l l t I Imsin Between Black and W hile (Continued from Page 2) And yet, Fortson says, he son persuaded Americus merch- One by one, Fortson's sup- asks Judson Ford, director of also felt police were telling the ants to offer to post bond. “I Southerners of his generation porters fell away. A few stuck, SCLC activities here. “I haven’t thought perhaps it would be re- who never really accepted the truth when they said they most notably Dr. Lloyd Moll, re- heard of one yet that does any- fused, but it was a gesture we myths of white supremacy— “feared for their lives,” even tired president of Georgia South- thing. It just ties the hands of had to make” he says. who has “spent a lifetime,” as though they had no reason to western College here, but the tide the movement.” he puts it, “ wrestling with this fear. Then he got businessmen and was too powerful. The main value here, would question.” From then through last summer civic leaders to do a thing un- The Methodist Sunday School have been symbolic—visible proof he struggled to establish com- precedented in the Southern But his first challenge to action Class which Moll had organized of some redemptive force moving munication. Successive attempts : go as a came soon after he moved to and which was named for him in the white community. Ford’s at bi-racial committees failed— delegation to a mass meeting Americus when he was named to asked him not to come back opinion, shared by many Negroes, one last spring because white of the freedom movement. the city school board, and the is just one more indication of how “ I felt we had been waiting for and dropped Fortson as one of board voted not to admit even the far apart Negro and white are in the Negroes to come to us too its teachers. Fortson’s business white children of Koinonia to city Americus today. long,” he explains. “ I felt we fell to nothing. In September schools. Opponents said it would Buy Pecans should go to them.” he announced he would have to Clarence Jordan sees hope in cause “friction,” Fortson knew leave. Moll followed in Novem- This is an opportune time to About 25 went, sat and “took the current strength of the Negro nothing of Koinonia except what ber. remind Patriot readers of Koi- it” as speakers declared there community and believes that the he had heard (all bad): he ab- —Negro vote, now the balance of nonia pecan pr(jductsj " which were no good white people. White 2000 persons" signed t j petition: stained in the voting. power, can change many things. people everywhere buy not just leaders made speeches acknowl- asking that Fortson be removed Then Koinonia sued in federal As for brotherhood among men, because they admire Koinonia edging that the white community as county attorney. Slightly more court for admission of the chil- even he feels that the outlook in but because they are delicious. had done wrong; they were ready than 100 asked that he be re- dren (and won), and Fortson tained—indicating there are still Americus is dismal. But he will Some choice items: 1-pound to meet again. heard Clarence Jordan tell on the moderates here. But everyone keep on working. box pecan halves, $1.85; 4*/2- Then within a few days the witness stand about what he be- agrees that with Fortson and “ You think about a chicken pound box Schleys pecans in whole effort fell apart. Fortson lieved. Moll gone these people will not egg,” he says, combining his the shell, $3.75; 3-pound fruit blames the failure on the This caused Fortson to won- coalesce—not for a long time to knowledge of farming with his cake, $3.90; two Vi-pound organized efforts of the John der whether the people at come. philosophy of life. “You watch, boxes (minimum order) “ pe- Birch Society. It has been ac- Koinonia were being treated tive in Americus since the Both Fortson and Moll had also and you think it will never hatch. candy,” Koinonia’s original fairly by the white citizens of Goldwater campaign last year, been leaders in such efforts as “Then one day you look at it, caramel fudge filled with pe- Americus. replacing the old White Citizens Urban Renewal and a community and what was a lifeless object cans $1.95. Write for complete Fortson’s final spur to action Council as a center of reaction, anti-poverty program and the yesterday is now a warm, living came in 1963 when he saw what price list, order from Koinonia giving segregationists high- future of these too is now in and beautiful thing. But you was happening to the “little chil- Farms, Route 2, Americus, Ga. sounding and patriotic goals to question. know all that change didn’t dren” arrested in the demonstra- Prices are postpaid except for work for. It is ironic that it was in efforts happen since you looked yester- tions. the far West, where there is a This summer national Birch for a bi-racial committee that day; the change had been going “ They were using an old aban- charge of 10^ per pound. leaders visited Americus (“They moderate organization in Ameri- on all the time, but you couldn’t doned newspaper building as a don’t condemn those outsiders,” cus failed. Such a committee was see it.” jail,” he recalls. “ They had them Fortson notes). They convinced one of the formal demands of the Jordan combines with his deep crowded like animals; I sat in leaders refused to meet with two key leaders that anyone advo- Negro community last summer, philosophy a warm sense of court and watched people hobbling of the representatives named by cating a bi-racial committee must but militant Negro leaders doubt humor. “Who knows,” he smiles. in with cattle-prod burns. I don’t the Negro community. be a communist or a dupe. The its value. “Maybe in 20 years the white want anybody ever talking to me When the four Negro women phone calls, the harassment in- “ When you get a bi-racial people in Americus will even be about the guilt of Nazi Germany.” were arrested last summer, Fort- tensified. committee, what have you got?” willing to speak to us.”

THOSE WHO CARRY ON in Americus: Lena Turner (left (seated), funeral-home owners who risked business to sup- movement.) Right Photo: SCLC staff workers in Americus with daughter, Lisa, 2), one of the earliest SNCC workers port young people early in movement, and (standing from (from left) Judson Ford, director, Susan Schmitz, and and first to go to jail, head of SCLC’s SCOPE work in left) Alton Pertilla, Randolph Battle, Sammie Rushin, Tyrone Harris, who led school boycott this fall. SCLC plans Americus last summer, now field worker for NAACP. Cen- SNCC workers. (A third generation of Barnums, John’s more voter registration work and direct-action against job ter Photo: Mrs. Mabel Barnum and son John Barnum children, ages, 11, 14, and 18, have all been jailed in the and school discrimination. (Patriot Photos) 3 THE SOUTHERN PATRIOT MFDP Wins Victory in liclcnt 'Speak Truth to Power' (By Staff Correspondent) a federal suit asking reapportion- can leadership and the Demo- JACKSON, Miss.—The Missis- ment of the state legislature, va- cratic Study Group (so-called sippi Freedom Democratic Party cating of all its seats and new liberal grouping) to kill the (MFDP) is vigorously contradict- elections. They have petitioned Challenge quietly. Lobbying by ing premature reports of its the National Democratic Party to hundreds of Mississippians, plus death and preparing new cam- authorize them to hold the party a deluge of mail, phone calls, and paigns to bring democracy to primaries in Mississippi. visits from across the nation, Mississippi. “ We intend to make 1966 the broke this coalition, forced a roll The death reports have come year of free elections in Mis- call vote and won those 143 votes. partly from hostile newspaper sissippi,” said Lawrence Guyot, Mississippi politicians real- writers and are apparently wish- MFDP chairman. ize the significance of what ful thinking. Such reports have And, although the main con- MFDP won. Rep. Abernathy, said MFDP is “ on the wane” since centration will be Mississippi, the a challenged congressman, re- its “failure” to unseat the Mis- party will also encourage inde- cently told the press he knew sissippi congressmen. pendent political action in con- there would be another try and Actually, MFDP members gressional districts throughout next time they might not beat feel the unseating effort, known the country. it. Senator Stennis made a as the “Challenge,” was not a “We are pointing out that Mis- similar statement. failure but a success. Although sissippi is not the only state with Guyot said some people wonder they lost the final vote in the political inconsistencies and op- why they work within the Demo- House of Representatives by pression. We want people every- cratic Party. 143 to 228, they broke through where to pick up the concept we “We believe there are incon- a powerful alliance to force an have developed—or people or- sistencies within the Democratic open showdown. Like MFDP’s ganizing to act for themselves.” and Republican parties,” he ex- first national challenge at the In this they will be building on plained. “We will work with Democratic National Conven- the national support that helped them when they are right, oppose tion in 1964, it showed what force the Challenge to a show- them when they are wrong. We little people can do when they down this fall. are not building a third party organize. In early September, the MFDP but a first party run by the peo- FREEDOM DEMOCRATS march toward capitol in Washington to tell it to the congressmen “like it is.” Hundreds came at climax of Chal- MFDP is now consolidating its learned, there had been agreement ple instead of hacks and ma- lenge. (SNCC Photo by Joffre Clarke) strength at the grass-roots in among Democratic and Republi- chines.” Mississippi. Recently at a state- wide workshop in Greenwood, more than 150 local leaders met Totlaif's Orent Issu es: Call to Action to make plans. They came from Action Suggested: Write and get others to write congressmen and every congressional district. Resolutions on several great issues facing the South were adopted by the SCEF board at its semi-annual meeting this fall. Action pro- senators urging legislation to make murder a federal offense in civil “The people are confident and rights and similar cases. Support the proposal for federal jurors from posals, things any individual can do even alone, were suggested to ready to work, they feel we are all over the nation and explain it to others. Write the U.S. Justice just beginning,” said Mrs. Vic- implement them. Because of their general interest, we print excerpts Department and demand enforcement of laws now on the books bar- toria Gray, one of MFDP’s con- from both the resolutions and action proposals. ring racial discrimination in juror selection. Talk to people you know gressional candidates who led the and organizations you belong to and ask them to act also; point out Challenge. that so long as violence goes unchecked in the South, each U.S. citi- Plans for 1966 call for forming Oil Foreign Policy Debate zen shares part of the blame. active organizations in every Mis- sissippi county and running can- “We express our deep concern about the war in Vietnam and es- didates in local races, all con- pecially the lack of public discussion throughout the South regarding On Enforcing Laws the foreign policy of our country. . . . This reflects a traditional illness gressional races and against U.S. “We call on the federal government to move much more decisively Senator James Eastland. of the South: it has silenced discussion on the matter of race rela- tions and in the process has tended to stifle debate on all public issues. to enforce and bring to life civil rights measures already enacted. MFDP members have also filed Especially, we call for cut-off of funds to any locality that uses eva- “Therefore, insofar as possible, we plan to encourage a series of sive tactics to avoid compliance. workshops and conferences throughout the South at which can be dis- HU AC Fizzles cussed varying points of view on both foreign and domestic policies “We are concerned by a series of recent statements by U.S. Atty. Gen. Katzenbach indicating a weakening of will to enforce civil rights (Continued from Page 1) of the nation. legislation, and causing us to lose confidence in his policies. “This is in line with the long-time objective of the Southern that the KKK and civil rights We urge that he immediately send federal registrars into all Conference Educational Fund of bringing true democracy to the groups are “ equally to blame” Deep South counties where Negro voter registration has been re- South. . . . We feel that such discussion is especially important in for violence. stricted; the small number into which registrars have been sent the South at this time because the civil rights movement, now that In regard to Point No. 4 of represents only a small beginning . . .” the petition to the President, it has struggled for the right to vote for all, must move on to find- ing something meaningful to vote for. We believe that democracy Action Suggested: Order the excellent report of the Southern Re- the tragedy is that even as gional Council (see box, this page) on continued school segregation. HUAC met, violence in the demands people at every level of society discussing the basic issues that face their community, their region, the nation, and the world. Pass it on to friends. See what can be done in your community to South was getting the green- speed up school integration; this is not just a Deep South problem. . . “In the past, too many elections have been fought out on the single light again. The man accused Write the U.S. office of Education and demand cut-off of federal distorted issue of keeping white people in power. Now we must inject of killing Mrs. Viola Luizzo funds to school districts that are evading the 19SU law requiring good- into election campaigns debate on basic issues that affect all men’s (the murder which, it will be faith desegregation. Write Atty. Gen Katzenbach urging the sending lives, and this means first of all creating a ferment of discussion recalled, prompted President of federal registrars into all Deep South counties where Negroes have around these issues.” Johnson’s call for a HUAC been deprived of the vote. probe), was acquitted by an all- Action Suggested: If public discussions of foreign policy are al- white jury. ready in progress in your community, support them, urge friends to On Economic Reprisals Earlier a grand jury at Marion, attend them. If none are planned, try to start them— through colleges, Ala., refused even to indict the churches, etc. If those who oppose the war are being attacked in your “We are concerned about the continuing numbers of people in the state trooper accused of killing community, defend their right to speak and urge others to do so. South who are subjected to economic reprisals—loss of jobs, credit, Jimmie Lee Jackson, and another etc.—because of their civil rights actions . . . We call on the federal all-white jury freed the man ac- government to help these people through the channeling of funds from cused of killing . Oil ’License to Murder’ the anti-poverty program for their assistance. The job now for all who want “We express concern about what has correctly been called ‘license “ The federal government has to end this terror is to suport to murder’ : repeated acquittal of white people who kill Negroes and enacted laws to bring about the mounting calls for new fed- white civil rights workers. . . . We support proposed federal legislation changes toward equality . . . but The Evidence eral legislation to make murder making it a federal offense to injure or kill a person because of his laws are only brought to life when in civil rights cases a federal Two thorough studies of con- color, his involvement in the civil rights movement, or his exercise of people in local communities step crime, enforcement of existing tinuing injustice have been is- the constitutional right to seek redress of grievances. out to implement them. The fed- laws to end racial discrimination sued by the Southern Regional eral government must support in jury selection and all stages of “ We renew the appeal we made a year ago for a system where- Council. “ School Desegrega- those who are supporting the court procedures, and revamping by jurors in federal court would be selected from anywhere in the tion: Old Problems Under a changes.” of the jury system to make it nation, not just the district where the court is located. In this, we New Law”, documents the fact work. are not renouncing the principle of trial by a jury of one’s peers. Action Suggested: Write to that 94.8 per cent of the (In this connection, we call Rather we say that, in a world that has shrunk as ours has in President Johnson about this. Ask South’s Negro children are still particular attention to the modern times, the geographic area in which our ‘peers’ live has others in the civil rights move- in segregated schools and de- SCEF proposal to broaden jury expanded. . . . ment to take up the campaign to scribes the evasive tactics selection from a small locality “Furthermore, we question whether the men who have been acquit- get anti-poverty funds used for keeping it that way. “ Southern to the nation-as-a-whole. See ted in Southern courts on charges of killing and injuring civil rights this purpose. Justice,” issued with the Amer- article, this page.) workers have really been tried by a jury of their peers. In situations * * * ican Civil Liberties Union, doc- As for the HUAC probe of the of community hysteria, where only the voice of racial bigotry is heard (A fifth resolution dealt with uments the double standard of Klan, if it continues as announced and Negroes have little voice at all, the jury is chosen from only a HUAC hearings on the Klan, justice for whites and Negroes in early 1966 it can do no good small section of the defendant’s ‘peers.’ We believe our proposal is This, along with suggestions for and “not just in sensational and will do real harm. Congress- actually the way to save the system of trial by jury of one’s peers. individual action, is covered in cases.” Both reports available men need to be told that by the “We also propose to carry on an educational campaign to call to the article on page 1, and con- from Southern Regional Coun- voters again and again—and that the attention of the public, especially the Southern public, the shocking tinuing on this page. Tell your cil 5 Forsyth St., N.W., At- the best cure is to abolish the facts about the extent to which murder has been a part of their way friends why civil rights groups lanta, Ga. 30303. Committee entirely. of life.” oppose the Klan hearings. 4