MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2016 By: Senator(S) Horhn, Frazier, Blount, Caughman, Debar, Jackson (11Th), Jack

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2016

By: Senator(s) Horhn, Frazier, Blount, To: Rules Caughman, DeBar, Jackson (11th), Jackson (32nd), Stone

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 688

1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE DEDICATION OF THE 2 MISSISSIPPI FREEDOM TRAIL "CAPITOL RALLY" MARKER ON THE NORTH SIDE 3 OF THE STATE CAPITOL WHICH COMMEMORATES THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF 4 THE "MARCH AGAINST FEAR" LED BY JAMES MEREDITH AND OTHER CIVIL 5 RIGHTS PIONEERS WHICH IS THE LARGEST SUCH DEMONSTRATION IN 6 MISSISSIPPI'S HISTORY. 7 WHEREAS, the latest marker on the Mississippi Freedom Trail 8 was unveiled on July 29, 2015. Placed on the north side of the

9 State Capitol Building, the "Capitol Rally" Marker commemorates 10 the 50th Anniversary of the "March Against Fear" led by James 11 Meredith which began in Memphis and ended at the Mississippi State 12 Capitol in 1966, and is estimated to be the largest civil rights 13 demonstration in Mississippi's history; and 14 WHEREAS, James Howard Meredith (born June 25, 1933) was an 15 iconic Civil Rights Movement figure, who in 1962 became the first

16 African-American student admitted to the segregated University of 17 Mississippi, an event that was a flashpoint in the Civil Rights 18 Movement. In 1966 Meredith planned a solo 220-mile "March Against 19 Fear" from Memphis, Tennessee, to Jackson, Mississippi, to

S. C. R. No. 688 *SS01/R15.2* ~ OFFICIAL ~ N1/2 16/SS01/R15.2 PAGE 1 (lr\rc) 20 highlight continuing racism in the South and encourage voter 21 registration after passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965; and 22 WHEREAS, the Mississippi Freedom Trail is an important asset 23 in helping us tell Mississippi's whole story. These marked trails 24 give visitors a pathway to follow as they learn about 25 Mississippi's history and her story. This marker on the Capitol

26 grounds gives us another page in that story, and a very important 27 one. What is arguably the nation's largest Civil Rights Movement 28 happened in Jackson, Mississippi. On June 26, 1966, James 29 Meredith's "March Against Fear," led by Stokely Carmichael, Martin 30 Luther King, Jr., Floyd McKissick and others after Meredith was 31 shot and wounded, ended its three-week trek from Memphis with a 32 rally at the State Capitol. The crowd was estimated at 15,000,

33 the largest Civil Rights demonstration in Mississippi history. 34 Stirring speeches were delivered by King, Carmichael, McKissick, 35 the wounded Meredith and others; and 36 WHEREAS, when James Meredith was shot and wounded in 37 Hernando, Mississippi, on the second day of his "March Against

38 Fear," major Civil Rights leaders gathered to continue the march. 39 Large rallies were held along the way, during some of which

40 marchers suffered attacks of violence, in Greenwood, Philadelphia 41 and Canton. When the rallies were widely covered in the national 42 news, activists from across the country came to join the march on 43 its last leg into Jackson; and

S. C. R. No. 688 *SS01/R15.2* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 16/SS01/R15.2 PAGE 2 (lr\rc) 44 WHEREAS, marchers entered Jackson from several different 45 streams led by movement luminaries, as well as hundreds of 46 dedicated veterans. The marchers amassed at the back of the 47 Capitol, as arranged by state officials to hear speeches and join 48 in freedom songs. The Mississippi Highway Patrol, Jackson Police 49 and Mississippi Army National Guard were on hand after the attacks

50 in Philadelphia and Canton to protect the marchers; and 51 WHEREAS, the "March Against Fear," which brought together all 52 the major Civil Rights figures and organizations and introduced 53 into the movement the new urgency and energy, ended on a high 54 point of black pride and solidarity; and 55 WHEREAS, during the tumultuous years of the Civil Rights era, 56 many of the movement's most noted leaders took part in events in

57 Mississippi. This marker is significant in that it commemorates 58 both the involvement of leaders such as James Meredith, who was 59 shot on the march, Stokely Carmichael and Martin Luther King, as 60 well as what is considered the largest Civil Rights gathering in 61 the state's history; and

62 WHEREAS, it is with great humility that we pay tribute to the 63 legacy and significance of this marker which is the first placed

64 on the grounds of the New Capitol Building in many years: 65 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF 66 MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That 67 we do hereby recognize the dedication of the Mississippi Freedom 68 Trail "Capitol Rally" Marker on the north side of the State

S. C. R. No. 688 *SS01/R15.2* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 16/SS01/R15.2 PAGE 3 (lr\rc) 69 Capitol which commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the "March 70 Against Fear" led by James Meredith and other Civil Rights 71 pioneers, which is the largest such demonstration in Mississippi's 72 history. 73 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to 74 the Visit Mississippi Tourism Bureau of the Mississippi

75 Development Authority and the Mississippi Department of Archives 76 and History, and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.

S. C. R. No. 688 *SS01/R15.2* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 16/SS01/R15.2 ST: Recognize the 50th Anniversary of the PAGE 4 (lr\rc) "March Against Fear" led by James Meredith and dedication of the Capitol Marker.