The Story of Greenwood, Mississippi, Album Liner Notes & Background, 1965
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FEATURING: Bob Moses and S CC workers Fannie Lou Hamer and Greenwood citizens Mass meetings, hymns, prayers Freedom ongs Medgar Evers Dick Gregory FOLKW.A YS R ECORDS Album No. FD 559.3 "Wby do tbe:y bAte ua so bad, t.D1 ve'n· bite» workin' 1 @ IQ65 by FolKways Records ~ nd Service Gorp. f'or UIIL all .of our l.ivea1 '1'b.oy go OA r141:o' in 165 W, 46th St. N.Y. C. USA the tine ears. vhUe our ch.1l.d.1"*11 a,o1n 1 to ecbool barefoot am DeTer get. DO ~bile on4 ve 're aot able to pay tor one. Why do they try to Ju.st k.eep u.o dOWDf wc•rc AO'b YaDiJb' ~ o~ 4ovn DI:N1 o.Dil ve•re r.e&ay to t'ight." "Amell. • " 2B- "nlie 1a Cl..s.nnce Jordan. I 've been 1D the STORY OF GREENWOOD, MISSISSIPPI county about forty years. When I eame bare: 100st ot tlrl.s land vaa iD voodo. I VO>kod by tile iJay ~or sixty cents a aq on up rz- to il-25 : saved Reco~d. an4 ProdUC-ed ror s .N .c .c. b7 G\Q' Caravan Vith. a c:roaa-cut N:v - cutt.ing -tl.op , ~· thea up Vitb muJ.~a, work at J11ght, raised ay ehildren, onl.y sav 18.11. llvt! on a -Sunda.y zrnin•. In tbe 'be4 SIDE ONE vbeD I lett in the ~~~::~rnii1 t 1 ecme 1D late ill tbe evenin' iD the bed. •OtilJ" oix: bite a day. *dt! tablelaDd, ~one place thirty yee.ra, made i t t A • 'T'b:s.a Ll.ttJ.• Liaht M lU.Do" - - aong all tile ....,.. froa 35 to 4o bole o ~ cotton, piclr;e4 Gv'r:r ona or •u. Didn't set too mch OUt ot it. "rb1a little lisbt _at llil>e, Been a regiet.cred voter about twentt yeo.ra-t &D4 I z•m g01o1 to let it sh1De, oh- tl11nk. tbot I ba.ve t.bio r13bt to belp JCf peop.lu This l:1t'tl$ ~i&ht Ot .S.., to register and vote. I ~ that Ood choac »q I'a go1D' to let. i.t eb1ne, color. I 'm DOt tbe cause. tbl.t I 'm black~ God. !l'bi.e llttle l.1~ ar aiDa, choose this col..or and be made &l.l nation.$. Wo a.-ro I'• go1u1 to let 1t ehille, brotJ:lua, I dou1 t · care bov Y9U tr.eet 1t_, but ve Lot 1t shine, ob--- are all brothers. We're di.:ttere:nt colore but '410 1 ro 1 a.U. hUmEUh Ve re DOt IDOD.key. We're h\lam1 ve•n I •ve got tile li&J>~. ot heedooa, oot t'eelill8'• ,just l!R ~u got., am I tbi.nk 1-t'e I'm. go1n' t.o let it abiDe, W!/ery cS&y, time tor ou;r vb1te brother to rea.llze tbe.t. ADd I,.,.. got tile lisbt ot tree4om, eo ve•re juat tirecl ot i.t aDd va "'V&.Dt to be .tree. I •a go1n • to le:t 1t abiDe •• •• '' We ·IIIOde all the wl>ite people ill W.o Delta ricb. 1 tt -you trlll t got DO acme,. you bave bad it1 &n4 My oame· 1e Bo~ N;)Ma aDd I first C&lllll to ~ae1.8s1pp1 ought. to haft: it·. AD4 eo ve ju.st· • a n to· regi:eter 1 1n tbe .euaaer ot l96o 1 ao4 l l>Gsa.n wo.rk1ag vitb. the and vote 1 we do.a •t aan to f'ie;;bt and w don -t ....a voter Reg1atrat.1on ProJeeu 1n M1a.e1al1pp1 1D tbe to =· We juet - to ·so to tbe polls - get .,_.. o:t 1961. .,. carrled out proJect• in tile our ~. I l>ave ·tit'teen ~b.ll.dreD and I eout.lnnJet corner or M1ae1.u1pp1 that year &Di the ltno'w: I'e oot goiu' to ll'Ye long, at -tb!! •ge of oext aua..:t ve JD:7Yed up to tbct ])e.lta area, where sixt)" 1 but I 'm fiebtin& ~or a::;y gra.nd~ll eo there wu a higbar conc.entrat.10n of: Negroea. We they won 1t b!Jve to so tbrough v:lth Vbat I '• 8)in' besao proJect• in six or JW>l'O ,De.l.t& town., ipcl.ud ·t~l1 Viti>. I - lOU·" l.ng Greenvood, M1aaJ.as1pp1. 3A .. Mass Meeting• ... Preec:ber a:od Congregation l B- Cl>urch -- ~-· and doaaresation "llbat did our I"•the~ clot ••••• "Oh Father1 ob. told, Before Idrev _,· bre&tb•••••• H l'IOY, DOW .DOV LOXdi.e 7 Oh Lord, 1 llhe-:ra vo a-t tlu'ough 4r1Jik1A tears Lor vater1 llhen w get tibroush eatin' at unve1co• table, 3B- "'rbe Greemrood Voter Regl.strati.On projeet Vitll 1 When fl get tbro\13h ahakin UIMIJ..COIIB baDda 1 erw-pt.ed into D&-tioDal. prom:lDellCo fit.a bo.at into lle·'n got t.o •et Dt&tb. e~;re, t.bree ~Jt;agee . 1!b.e f irst stage J.&ated tor a1X Don ' t l•t u.a 'be aha14 1lo d.ie1 month.s and ~ in A.ugua-t o't 1962, vben Samuel ltoek M 1 rook. ae, Lord, BJ.och vent into Crefl:nwod as a fie].d_ secretary.• He Roek • UD.Ul I won 't bave oo ca.na1 vaa joiDed later on that moiitb by Wlll:r Macock ~ r1t1 ep1r1t•• • 'Wbere I'll be a-t reet. from Cbarle&'ton, Ml.&ti.•aippi, ~ he'd been cb&Md P•-tbor I I •tHtctt. Jf::t t.D1 -to ··-·· •• out by e. l!Db e.t tbe vot~ otti.ce. 10: Greenwood. Do otb.er .btlp I JmoV•••• • Wbat d14 they do t'or tboae s1x DOlitb.et Well, tor six ..::>ntha pr~il.y" they coDI!uct.ed a veey intea.ive, very oerve.-v:rack1ng voter reg1atrat1on_CU!p&ign 1:n 1 2A .. "I m A ci~n at Creemrood. tor abo \It tUty yMre. vhiclL they contacted the J{egroea 1D ·tbe c~ty I've li-..4 1o aD! around tb1.o town - it ,... onlJ" aD! really •t tl>at tiioo ti>e 1/eg:t:<>eo in tbe commmity a aid hole. I ha'ft t i n eb.114Hn_, t.l:l.Ne IIOD& &D1 vere not. 'Vi tb thea. ~-t 1.a 1 aoet at the- Be~a tvo dau,glrt.ere. I dU IOM boDeat to God, bard, long were aware that tbey were in taim, ware e.'til&l'e t.tat. lite vert. aettiD,g rinse 1D the atreett a.od. bull4:1ng tbe 'Vbite paver stz"Uc.tare did no% W'Dint them ill tovn., -l.eo u4 lAy.\~~& curbo vbicb Y1ll be bere )'8&1'1 and were avare that to1: the tWe beiDa tbey vere DOt ....a. yoo.ro at'ter I '• 60'1"• lie - tllet tile pro... goina: to a.esociate wit;b -.-. fhe7 couldn't t1lld a dure are beiD& tueD DOW quolitr peop.le to to place to l1Te1 they eould.n't t1Dd a . p:Lace to aeet, regiate:r-t am. ..ote i.a 110t pl.e&dq to our vbit• ODd tar e:lx 11011tha tlley ope,..te6 p-etty ...,h on tbe ne1.gb.bO:t'B 1 bu~ tlle lav be.e been paeH4 that ve ban streets, lc:o.QcJd.ua trc:a door to door_, eoatacti.ag ri.gbta to go to the court boUM aM apPly t'or :rcgia people, gett!J>g o-.er tl>e tea.- vhicb io l».aio in all t.rat1on, &nd ve &re 8'1n' vitbout ,:at weapon at &ll. of tile•• towns tll&t tll&y wen! go1ne to l •ve the11. W'e 1re gol.Dg hUIIble, w•ro SOiDS Melt, ve•ro so1Dg Tba.t 1s, ..,.t ot tile people feU tlwt:t S... e.n4 111l.l;r v itl> tbe spirit to treat botl> ·•U.• r18ht• AD! were cOJdl\e in to work taro a 11.ttle vb1l.e 1 to stir ainae tbat 11 our &ttitu:le ~ aia, I d.oo.'t tb:1Dk the up """"' t rou\IJ.e' to ~tate' aM - to be sone. vbite peo;pl.e o~ tile city ou8hta re.u. lllllt t bat ve •re AM 'llll&t t11ey bad to colivillee tll& peo;pl.e tll&t 1 1 ct """ :tryin to get in the trc>Dt or ~. Ve ant aald.u tbey '"'re nero to ·~. .And tb1• u 'illl&t tboy cUd them k.incUy., let \18 walJt by your side." 1'roll Aueust, 196'2, untU DeCOII>ber, ~. • "I'm ~~~ .Pe&eoclt, fi.el4 """""te.xy .for tbe Student Always ror .:>Dilly 1':rCIIl tbe cbil..drea. f'Qr eoa: prOb lion-Violent Coord1oat<f.ns. co-ttee • .I &ll proeeotly lems. We don't g..t eDOUgh out Of our jobS to cover workina 1.D Greeowood, Mialiadppi in voter re,a1s our ~oses at hOme, atd 8(lgl Qf' ua only akea tn.tion. 'rM police 1>epo tn.1l1n6 "" fi\'ery night, $2.50 a day. And our husbe.uda, they d0e8D.'t bave Su a.n:l I; t.her•'• oot a nieht paoea that t~y Jobs. 1!hey be at hoc!te: aJ.l. w:lQ.ter long, aD! ow dou't trt\11.