THE STUDENT VOICE

VOL. 4, NO 8. The Student Voice, Inc. 6 Raymond Street, N.W., Atlanta 14, Ga. DECEMBER 16, 1963 Negro Testifies later Arrested 3000 MARCH WINONA, MISSISSIPPI -- A young Negro who told a federal jury last week that policemen · "paid" him a pint and a half of corn whiskey to beat two civil rights workers was arrested in IN ATLANTA nearby Kilmachael for an offense supposedly committed while ATLANTA, GA •• Dec. 15 --More he was behind bars. than 3,000 A tlantans, Negro and 23-year-old Roosevelt Knox white, braved below freezing was one of two Negroes who were weather today to hear speakers prisoners in the Winona jail when from a variety of groups de­ five Negro civil rights workers clare that some action must be were beaten by police. Knox taken soon to implement an in­ and another prisoner testified tegration plan presented by this they had been ordered to assist city's Summit Leadership Con­ in two beatings. ference. Knox's parents told SNCC Each speaker echoed the same workers in Greenwood the youth theme: Atlanta, once a show­ was charged with passing a bad case city for the South and a check during the period he was model of "smooth" r ace rela­ held in the Winona jail. tions, is lagging behind other His trial on the bad Southern cities and even other check charge, scheduled for De­ Georgia cities. cember 10, was not held when While some encouraged a con­ charges against him were tinuation of negotiations carried dropped. on by the Summit group, others called for direct action if Negro CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 Marchers Brave Cold In Atlanta Demonstration demands are not met soon. James Forman, Executive Se­ cretary of SNCC, told the crowd DEMONSTRA TIONS BEGIN that overflowed Atlanta's Hurt Park here: "No one leader, no group of leaders can get your rights. You have to get them for yourselves:' FIVE ARRESTED IN DANVILLE Forman said, "We have two DANVILLE, VA., Dec. 15 -- An­ powerful weapons, the dollar and ti-segregation protests resumed the vote:' in this Southside Virginia city as The SNCC leader reminded the five students were arrested at crowd of the up-coming presi­ a Howard .Tohnson's restaurant dential race in 1964. He called December 10. for consideration of an Easter Sit-ins at Howard Tohnson's, Boycott here, and for a pos­ other restaurants and movie sible school boycott aimed at theaters are being conducted by eliminating segregation and students, most of them from triple sessions in Negro schools. Danville, as part of a drive He called for a program to ease to open the public facilities of slum conditions in Negro neigh­ this city. borhoods, telling Atlanta Vice­ A 22-year-old white SNCC Mayor Sam Massell, represent­ worker from Chapel Hill, N.C., ing the city on the speakers' J.V. Henry, reported that hot platform, "people are swimming ammonia had been thrown on the in Bu"termilk Bottom" (a slum floor of one restaurant where section of the city.) a sit-in took place -- Staley's Martin Luther King, Jr., fea­ Restaurant -- "to get rid of us." tured speaker a t the junior March Henry stated that Danville stu­ on Washington demonstration, dents and SNCC workers were told the audience "time is run-

Danville Demonstration-Summer, '963 CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Page 2 DECEMBER 16, 1963 STUDENT VOICE ------~------MISS. RIGHTS ATLANTA -.. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 GROUPS MEET " IU IN. JACKSON, MISS., Dec. 15 -­ ning out for Atlanta_" CHTS Close to 300 representatives of The SCLC head said, "If our civil rights groups and civic words fail to move them (the organizations met here today at power structure) then our actions a state-wide meeting of the Coun­ must show them:' cil of Federated Organizations Other speakers were Larry (COFO.) Fox, Chairman of the Commit­ The meeting was called to dis­ tee on Appeal For Human Rights; cuss the organizational structure Dr. C.M. Smith, for the Atlanta of COFO. and to plan the di­ NAACP; Rev. Ralph 0; Aberna­ rection of civil rights activities thy, for Operation Breadbasket; in Mississippi for the coming and the Rev. William Holmes year. Borders. COFO is a federation of re­ T wo members of the National presentatives from voting States Rights party, attired in leagues andNAACP chapters, and Nazi storm trooper uniforms, staff members from the Student picketed the gathering with signs Nonviolent Coordinating Com­ reading: "Negro, your future is mittee, Southern Christian Lea­ not here but in Afric a; . dership Conference and Congress The theme of the meeting was of Racial Equality, who are work­ that Atlanta, despite its image They Came ...... ing in Mississippi. as a city "too busy to hate," One item of business was the is still as segregated as many adoption of by-laws, in which deep South towns. the purpose of COFO is outlined Public schools are integrated as working for "total demo­ tokenly; only lunch counters and cracy, r acial equality and eco­ a few r estaurants downtown ad­ nom ic justice" in Mississippi. mit all comers. All movi.e "The program of COFO theatres are integrated, as ar" consists of voter registration and the colleges in the area. But citizenship education projects. A tlanta Negroes are still shunted political action -- both mock and into slum s and ghettoes in official. the implementation of the city. government program s and gen­ Today's "Pilgrimage for De­ eral civil rights work," ac­ mocracy" wa s the first demon­ cording to the newly amended stration held here since Presi­ by-laws. Ident Kennedy's assassination. "Mock" political action refers The day before the large to the recent Freedom Ballot march, 275 Atlanta area clergy­ Campaign in which Aaron Henry, men -- Protestant and jew­ President of COFO. ran for ish. Negro and white -- signed governor and polled 85,000 Free­ a petition supporting the aims of dom Ballots from officially dis­ the Pilgrimage. enfranchised Negroes. Leaders of the Summit Con­ Robert Moses, Director of ference reported to the crowd SNCC's Mississippi vote drive on the progress of negotiations to implement their plan for They Heard ..... since julv 1961, was r e-elected ' \ Project Director for COFO. total integration of Atlanta. CORE staff member Dave Dennis The Atlanta Summit Leader­ wa s electedAssistantProjectDi­ ship Conference is composed of rector. representatives from 10 civil "SNCC's wholehearted par­ rights organizations and r epre­ ticipation in COFO is part of sentatives from "at lea st 75" our South-wide ONE MAN -­ other community groups, accord­ ONE VOTE campaign aimed at ing to Summit Co-chairman At­ breaking down all barriers to torney A.T. Wa lden. Negro voter registration except The gr oup called a city-wide residence and age," stated john conference on October 19, 1963, Lewis, Chairman of SNCC. where over 300 people, from a cross-section of Atlanta life, dis­ cussed and recommended action in the following areas: public THE STUDENT VOICE accomodations, employment, ed­ Published Once A Week uc ation, registration and voting, On Mondays at Atlanta, health and social services. hous­ Fulton County, Georgia. ing. political issues and l aw en­ forcement. BY STUDENT VOICE, INC. Since then, members of the 8 1/2 Raymond Street, N.W. group's steering committee have Atlanta, Georgia 30314 CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 James Forman Say "You Must Get Your Rights Yourself' STUDENT VOICE DECEMBER 16, 1963 Page 3 SCEF Case In Henry Suit Appealed i E'SUALL'ovEnCOME! Federal Court CLARKSDALE, MISS., - Dec. CompileWE SHALL OVERCOME is a new zer, were arrested along with ry stated that the charges were book of "songs of the Southern Dombrowski on October 4th for a complete fabrication, and pre­ Freedom Movement." Itisavail­ allegedly violating the state anti­ sented an alibi supported by able from SNCC, 6 Raymond communist statutes -- as man­ Has No Authority sworn witnesses. Street, Atlanta, for $1.95. agers of a "subversive" organi­ When Henry later stated in a zation and for distributing "com­ press conference that the prose­ munist" literature, -- and all Says Justice Dept. cutor and the police chief, who BLIND CASHIER SCEF records were seized. Con­ 'figured in the trial, had conspir­ spiracy charges against the three ed to frame him, Henry was sued NIXES BIAS men were dismissed by a Crim­ ATLANTA, GEORGlA - A by them for defamation. spokesm an for the Department of inal District Court, but the re­ The Mississippi State Supreme cords were not returned to SCEF. JU E~ ice ha s told a California sen­ TALLAHASSEE, FLA. -- The Court upheld the libel suit in a The plaintiffs are now asking ator the government "has no cafeteria of the Florida State December 2 ruling, and awarded for a temporary injunction a­ authority" to intercede in the Capitol Building was desegregat­ $15,000 to the police thereby re­ gainst state and city officials pre­ case of a 67- year-old white min­ ed recently because its cashier versing an earlier decision. venting them from enforcing the ister held in jail here since Au­ is blind. statutes, and prohibiting the gust 28. Sever al Florida A&M Univer­ L ouisiana Joint Legislative Com­ T he senator, Thomas Kuchel sity students, along with SNCC mittee on Un- American Activi­ (R-Cal.), forwarded the letter to field secr etary Sam Shir ah, went ties (LUA C) from turning over L1e SNCC office here. Iprotest March to the end of the line to pay, the The !etter was written by Burke c ashier could not see to r efuse the seized SCEF records to the CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 Orleans Parish Grand Jury. Marshall, A ssistant Attorney their money. This is the first time that a General. met with city, county, state and SNCC staff member has work­ The elderly minister, the Re­ private groups in an attempt to 'CORE Worker Stricken ed in Florida. A militant stu­ ATLANTA, GEORGlA -- CORE verend Ashton Bryant Jones, a negotiate increased integration dent action group here, which field secretary Zev Aleony was native Georgian now residing in here. Shirah helped organize, has re­ hospitalized here last weekend San Gabriel, California, is being Cooperating groups include quested affiliation with SNCC. with a heart attack. held under $20,000 bail on charg­ SCLC, NAACP, SNCC, Operation es growing out of a protest de­ "Most people don't realize that A1eony was one of the Ameri­ Breadbasket, the Committee on cus F ive held in that Southwest monstration at an all-white Appeal For Human Rights, the northern Florida is as rigidly segr egated as Alabama in many ,Georgia city for two months on church here this summer. Gandhi Youth Society, the All Since Jones' conviction is be­ places," Shirah stated. The 20 charges of attempting to incite Citizens Registration Committee in surrection. ing appealed, his time behind bars and the Atlanta Negro Voters year old SNCC worker , from At­ A1eony is 25 years old, and is "dead t ime" and does not League. lanta, is a white native of Ala­ count against his sentence. bama. a native of Minneapolis, Minne­ sota. "We Shall Over come," the official r ecor ding of the August 28, 1963 March On Wa shington may be purchased by using the coupon on this page. Money collected from the sale of this record will be used to further civil r ights acitvities. KENYA CONGRATULATED

THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON" * AUG UST 28 TH · 196~ COUNCIL FOR UNITED CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERSHIP AT LANTA, GEORGlA -- The "W"E ..:; 10 E.. t 44th Street New York 17, New York. Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee extended "heartiest OVERCOIVIE! Please send me copies of the authorized reco rding(s} of the March on Washington at the special Council price. I understand congratulations" to Kenya Prime the proceeds from the sale of this record will benefit the c ivil rights Minister Jomo Kenyatta on the lIVE SHALL movement throughout the country. I enclose $3.00 for each record ordered. evening that country achieved in­ dependence, December 12. OVERCOME I NAME ______The SNCC cablegr am from ADD RESS ______Chairman John Lewis and Execu­ C ITY ______zo N E STATE _____ tive Secretary James Forman Plea 58 m ake check or money order payable to Council for Unity. called Kenya's struggle for in­ dependence "an inspiration for S . N . C. C. Branch ______all freedom struggles." Page 4 DECEMBER 16, 1963 STUDENT VOICE Raleigh Vote l 'I" 'F YOU KNOW WHAT 'S GOOD FOR YOU ...... " Drive Begins Stay Out Of Helena! ATLANTA , GEORGIA: A new SNCC voter registration project HELENA, ARKANSAS - - The week with an East Helena minis­ operating out of Raleigh, N.C., Chief of Police of this Arkan­ ter on land adjoining a Catho­ wa s announced here by John Lew­ sa s Delta town has threatened to lic church. is, Chairman of the Student arrest SNCC workers whenever On December 13, SNCC work­ Nonviolent Coordinating Com ­ they cross the county line. ers Bradford and Jordan were mittee. Chief Roy Ross told SNCC sentenced to 30 days in jail and SNCC was invited into Raleigh worker James Jones, "whenever fined $500 each for "threatening by the Raleigh Citizens Associa­ , you Cross that Phillips County to make a disturbance. " They tion (RCA), a coordinating body line we've got you." were held under $1500 bail of Negro organization s in that Ross told Jones to, "take that each. city. station wagon. that literature and Hansen, who direct' s SNCC's SNCC field secretary Regi-· all that' snick' stuff and get Arkansas project, said the two nald Robinson, lastbasedinCam­ out of here if you know what' s youths had been in Helena for D ridge, Md., during this past good for you." only 6 hours when they were MRS . CAROLYN DANIELs, summer's racial unrest there, Jones was warned to, "tell jailed. whose Dawson, Georgia home wa s will direct the project. your buddy (SNCC worker Wil­ Bradford and Jordan were bombed last week after shots Officials of Shaw Un ive:- sity liam) Hansen that everything I' ve working on a voter registration were fired at her house, has and St. Augustine's ('0!leg:2 ' " told you goes for him." project in Phillips County. indicated she will continue try­ Raleigh have offered their SLo.p .. Hansen and two other SNCC Negroes are 53.9% of the coun­ ing to register voters in South­ port. workers were jailed in Helena ty's population, according to the west Georgia. Only 32% of the eligible Ne following the first sit-ins held 1961 Civil Rights Commission groes in Raleigh and Wake County here in early November. Two Report on Voting. Only 28% of are registered, according to the workers, John Bradford and the eligible Negroes are regis­ 1961 Civil Rights Commission l{e­ Danville Bruce Jordan, were jailed last tered voters, however. port. SNCC now has major field CONTINUED FROM PAGE I projects located in Alab,ama now beginning to organize in Friends Ask Help For Chicago Boycott Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi P ittslyvania County and the out­ and Virginia, in addition toNorth lying districts of Danville. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS -- Chica­ Carolina. "SNCC was asked into Dan­ go Area Friends of SNCC (CAF­ ville in early June 1963. Over SNCC) has initiated a "STOP! 20 SNCC workers have since Don't Shop Downtown" Campaign Mississippi worked in this mill and tobacco calling for the ouster of School town -- which has seen some Superintendent Ben Willis and for CONTINUE D FROM PAGE 1 of the worst police brutality in the adoption of a positive policy SNCC worker Dick Frey the South," according to John DON'T SHOP for integration by the Chicago in Greenwood said the office ther e Lewis, Chairman of SNCC. School Board. had lodged protests with the FBI " Danville is an exa mple of DOWNTOWN about Knox's arrest. an upper South city, assumed by This action, supported by Knox had te stified at the tr ial most of the nation to be more a growing number of community of five Missi ssippi law officers liber al than the deep South. And WILLIS MU ST organizations, is the follow up who wer e accused of beating five yet we have encounter ed some to an Oct. 22nd FREE DOM DA Y Negroes in the Winona jail. of the greatest resis tance of the GO! School Boycott, in which over The five officer s were acquit Elemands of th ~N e ntieth century 200,000 students and parents par­ ted by an all-white all-male jury. in this citv," Lewis said. ticipated in the l argest civ ~! rights action in the country's history.

The purpose of the downtown boycott is to pressure business leaders, who have openly sup­ ported Willis.

CAF-SNCC has issued a call for volunteer help to make the boycott a success. It has asked college students to spend their Christmas vacation in Chicago working on the "STOP I Don't Shop Campaign." Chicago Friends of SNCC cannot provide subsistence wages but will find living accomodations for those who come. Those interested may H20t: ' eD 'eluer. V contact CAF- SNCC, 765 E. Oak­ ' N:N "lS puowkell 9 wood Blvd., suite 212- 3, Chicago, III. 60653, phone 268- 5077.

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