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“A Tremor in the Middle of the Iceberg”: the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and Local Voting Rights Activism in Mccomb, Mississippi, 1928-1964
“A Tremor in the Middle of the Iceberg”: The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and Local Voting Rights Activism in McComb, Mississippi, 1928-1964 Alec Ramsay-Smith A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of BACHELOR OF ARTS WITH HONORS DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN April 1, 2016 Advised by Professor Howard Brick For Dana Lynn Ramsay, I would not be here without your love and wisdom, And I miss you more every day. TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... ii Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter One: McComb and the Beginnings of Voter Registration .......................... 10 Chapter Two: SNCC and the 1961 McComb Voter Registration Drive .................. 45 Chapter Three: The Aftermath of the McComb Registration Drive ........................ 78 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 102 Bibliography ................................................................................................................. 119 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I could not have done this without my twin sister Hunter Ramsay-Smith, who has been a constant source of support and would listen to me rant for hours about documents I would find or things I would learn in the course of my research for the McComb registration -
Mississippi Freedom Summer: Compromising Safety in the Midst of Conflict
Mississippi Freedom Summer: Compromising Safety in the Midst of Conflict Chu-Yin Weng and Joanna Chen Junior Division Group Documentary Process Paper Word Count: 494 This year, we started school by learning about the Civil Rights Movement in our social studies class. We were fascinated by the events that happened during this time of discrimination and segregation, and saddened by the violence and intimidation used by many to oppress African Americans and deny them their Constitutional rights. When we learned about the Mississippi Summer Project of 1964, we were inspired and shocked that there were many people who were willing to compromise their personal safety during this conflict in order to achieve political equality for African Americans in Mississippi. To learn more, we read the book, The Freedom Summer Murders, by Don Mitchell. The story of these volunteers remained with us, and when this year’s theme of “Conflict and Compromise” was introduced, we thought that the topic was a perfect match and a great opportunity for us to learn more. This is also a meaningful topic because of the current state of race relations in America. Though much progress has been made, events over the last few years, including a 2013 Supreme Court decision that could impact voting rights, show the nation still has a way to go toward achieving full racial equality. In addition to reading The Freedom Summer Murders, we used many databases and research tools provided by our school to gather more information. We also used various websites and documentaries, such as PBS American Experience, Library Of Congress, and Eyes on the Prize. -
The Struggle for Voting Rights in Mississippi ~ the Early Years
The Struggle for Voting Rights in Mississippi ~ the Early Years Excerpted from “History & Timeline” Mississippi — the Eye of the Storm It is a trueism of the era that as you travel from the north to the south the deeper grows the racism, the worse the poverty, and the more brutal the repression. In the geography of the Freedom Movement the South is divided into mental zones according to the virulence of bigotry and oppression: the “Border States” (Delaware, Kentucky, Missouri, and the urban areas of Maryland); the “Mid South” (Virginia, the East Shore of Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas); and the “Deep South” (South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana). And then there is Mississippi, in a class by itself — the absolute deepest pit of racism, violence, and poverty. During the post-Depression decades of the 1940s and 1950s, most of the South experiences enormous economic changes. “King Cotton” declines as agriculture diversifies and mechanizes. In 1920, almost a million southern Blacks work in agriculture, by 1960 that number has declined by 75% to around 250,000 — resulting in a huge migration off the land into the cities both North and South. By 1960, almost 60% of southern Blacks live in urban areas (compared to roughly 30% in 1930). But those economic changes come slowly, if at all, to Mississippi and the Black Belt areas of Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana. In 1960, almost 70% of Mississippi Blacks still live in rural areas, and more than a third (twice the percentage in the rest of the South) work the land as sharecroppers, tenant farmers, and farm laborers. -
The Struggle for Voting Rights in Mississippi ~ the Early Years
[Donation Requested] The Struggle for Voting Rights in Mississippi ~ the Early Years Excerpted from “History & Timeline” Civil Rights Movement Veterans Website www.crmvet.org Mississippi — the Eye of the Storm It is a trueism of the era that as you travel from the north to the south the deeper grows the racism, the worse the poverty, and the more brutal the repression. In the geography of the Freedom Movement the South is divided into mental zones according to the virulence of bigotry and oppression: the “Border States” (Delaware, Kentucky, Missouri, and the urban areas of Maryland); the “Mid South” (Virginia, the East Shore of Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas); and the “Deep South” (South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana). And then there is Mississippi, in a class by itself — the absolute deepest pit of racism, violence, and poverty. During the post-Depression decades of the 1940s and 1950s, most of the South experiences enormous economic changes. “King Cotton” declines as agriculture diversifies and mechanizes. In 1920, almost a million southern Blacks work in agriculture, by 1960 that number has declined by 75% to around 250,000 — resulting in a huge migration off the land into the cities both North and South. By 1960, almost 60% of southern Blacks live in urban areas (compared to roughly 30% in 1930). But those economic changes come slowly, if at all, to Mississippi and the Black Belt areas of Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana. In 1960, almost 70% of Mississippi Blacks still live in rural areas, and more than a third (twice the percentage in the rest of the South) work the land as sharecroppers, tenant farmers, and farm laborers. -
Dat~/A4 Dtlld
NPS Form 10-900 OMS No. 1024-0018 (Expires 5/3112012) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin, How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional certification comments, entries, and narrative Items on continuation sheets if needed (NPS Form 10-900a). 1. Name of Property historic name Westbrook Cotton Gin other names/site number 2. Location street & number 395 Gillsburg Road D not for publication city or town Libert Ovicinity ~~~------------------------------------------------------ state Mississippi code ..:..:..:....::.._MS _ county ....:....::..=..:"'-..Amite ------- code 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this _x_ nomination _request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion , the property _x__ meets __ does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant at the following level(s) of significance: _nation~ _!_local dtlld- Signature of certifying official Dat~/a4 S}-fpd Title State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government ---- In my opinion, the property __ meets_ does not meet the National Reg ister criteria. -
A Righteous Anger in Mississippi: Genre Constraints and Breaking Precedence William H
Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2005 A Righteous Anger in Mississippi: Genre Constraints and Breaking Precedence William H. Lawson Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION A RIGHTEOUS ANGER IN MISSISSIPPI: GENRE CONSTRAINTS AND BREAKING PRECEDENCE By WILLIAM H. LAWSON A Thesis submitted to the Department of Communication in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2005 The members of the Committee approve the thesis of William H. Lawson on December 10, 2004. ______________________________ Davis Houck Professor Directing Thesis ______________________________ Marilyn J Young Committee Member ______________________________ Joe Richardson Committee Member Approved: _______________________________________ Steve McDowell, Chair, Department of Communication _______________________________________ John Mayo, Dean, College of Communication The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii For my favorite historian and critic, my father, Brig. Gen. William H. Lawson In a letter to his son Robert E. Lee wrote: You must study to be frank with the world. Frankness is the child of honesty and courage. Say just what you mean to do, on every occasion, and take it for granted that you mean to do right. If a friend asks a favor, you should grant it, if it is reasonable; if not, tell him plainly why you cannot; you would wrong him and wrong yourself by equivocation of any kind. Never do a wrong thing to make a friend or keep one; the man who requires you to do so is dearly purchased at the sacrifice. -
The Attorney General's 4Th Annual Report To
u.s. Department of Justice Office of Legislat ive Affairs Oflice of the Assistant Attorney Ge neral Washil1grull. D.C 20530 NOV 09 2012 The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr. President of the Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Mr. President: Pursuant to the Emmett Ti ll Unsolved Civil Ri ghts Cri mes Act of2007 (P.L. 110-3 44), we are pleased to transmit to you a report to Congress on the Department 's activities regarding civil rights era homicides. Please do not hesi tate to contact this office if we may be of additional assistance regarding thi s or any other matter. Sincerely, Jct:.Le~ Acting Assistant Attorney General Enclosure u.s. Department of Justice Office of Legislative Affairs Offi!.:e o f the Assistant Allomey Gl:m:nll Wushingtoll. /J,e. 10530 NOV 09 2012 The Honorable Harry Reid Majority Leader United States Senate Washington, D.c' 20510 Dear Mr. Leader: Pursuanllo the Emmett Ti ll Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act of2007 (P.L. 110-344), we are pleased to transmit to you a report to Congress on the Department's activities regarding civil rights era homicides. Please do not hesi tate to contact this office if we may be of additional assistance regarding this or any other matter. Sincerely, JJ:;A::el~ Acting Assistant Attorney General Enclosure U.S. Department of Justice Office of Legislat ive Affairs Onice of the A ssi~ t a nt /llIome) Genel'lll Wos/tmgtQrI. J) C 10530 NOV 09 lOll The Honorable Mitch McConnell Minority Leader United States Senate Washington, D.C. -
Stephyne Weathersby
Liberty By: Stephyne Weathersby Cast of Characters Berniece Wallace- An African American woman in her early forties. She is a hardworking seamstress, a mother of two, and she has been married to Eddie Wallace for 20 years. Eddie Wallace- An African American man in his early forties. He has worked at the Westbrook Cotton Gin for over 10 years. He is the husband of Berniece Wallace and a father of two. Louis Allen- An African American man in his mid-forties. He is a businessman and a witness to Herbert Lee’s murder. He is a proud man and always wears a hat as a sign of self-respect. Sheriff Daniel Jones- A Caucasian man in his fifties. He is the Sheriff in Liberty, Mississippi and the main suspect in Louis Allen’s murder. He speaks with a slight stutter. Setting: The day is Monday, September 25, 1961 in Liberty, Mississippi. One hour after the murder of Herbert Lee, which took place at the Westbrook Cotton Gin. This play surrounds the unfortunate case of the murders of Herbert Lee and Louis Allen. Herbert Lee was an African American man who was born and raised in Liberty, Mississippi. Liberty during the 1950s and 1960s only had one person of color registered to vote, meanwhile 80% of the small-town’s population was of African descent. Herbert Lee advocated for voter registration in Liberty. He was a member of the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. His activism put a threat on his life because, during this time Liberty was heavily filled with members of the Ku Klux Klan. -
A Content Analysis of the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer Viewed As Public Relations Efforts Using the Social Change Model of Leadership
The University of Southern Mississippi The Aquila Digital Community Honors Theses Honors College Spring 5-2015 A Content Analysis of the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer Viewed as Public Relations Efforts Using the Social Change Model of Leadership Hannah J. Hill University of Southern Mississippi Follow this and additional works at: https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses Part of the Public Relations and Advertising Commons Recommended Citation Hill, Hannah J., "A Content Analysis of the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer Viewed as Public Relations Efforts Using the Social Change Model of Leadership" (2015). Honors Theses. 308. https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/308 This Honors College Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Honors College at The Aquila Digital Community. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of The Aquila Digital Community. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The University of Southern Mississippi A Content Analysis of the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer Viewed as Public Relations Efforts Using the Social Change Model of Leadership by Hannah Jane Hill A Thesis Submitted to the Honors College of The University of Southern Mississippi in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts in the School of Mass Communication and Journalism May 2015 ii Approved by Cindy Blackwell, Ph.D., Thesis Adviser Professor of Public Relations David R. Davies, Ph.D., Chair School of Mass Communication and Journalism Ellen Weinauer, Ph.D., Dean Honors College iii Abstract This research used content analysis to examine how significant events within the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer that were well documented in journals, news articles and other mediums can be viewed as public relations strategies and tactics using the Social Change Model of Leadership (SCM). -
Rubén Rumbaut Re: Speak Memory! Milestones in the Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968)
To: Soc 63, SocSci 70A, Soc 264 Fr: Rubén Rumbaut Re: Speak Memory! Milestones in the Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968) I saw the film "Selma" over the weekend, and recommend it to you all. (I would also recommend Lawrence O'Donnell's 1/8/15 short take, "'Selma': History, Film and Truth.") May the film move you to deepen your understanding of history... of the extraordinary struggles of fellow human beings for dignity, freedom and fairness... of the campaigns of civil resistance and nonviolent protest and civil disobedience that framed the movement to end racial segregation and Jim Crow American Apartheid... and to learn about and remember especially those young and old who lost their lives to the savage depredations of a system of caste oppression and insufferable inequities. Here are some short informative entries to that end (to go along with our first supplementary reading assignment, Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963), on the week marking his birthday and annual national remembrance): 1954-1968 Civil Rights Movement • http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/African- American_Civil_Rights_Movement_(1955-1968) • http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyes_on_the_Prize May 1954 Brown v. Board of Education August 1955 The murder of Emmett Till • American Experience, PBS film: The Murder of Emmett Till • Antecedents: Lynchings and white supremacy in US • Lynchings that inspired "Strange Fruit" • Billie Holiday and "Strange Fruit" December 1955-December 1956 Montgomery Bus Boycott 1957 The Little Rock Nine (desegregating Little -
Voting Rights and Civil Rights Era Cold Cases: Section Five and the Five Cities Project
TOURO LAW JOURNAL OF RACE, GENDER, & ETHNICITY & BERKELEY JOURNAL OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN LAW & POLICY VOTING RIGHTS AND CIVIL RIGHTS ERA COLD CASES: SECTION FIVE AND THE FIVE CITIES PROJECT PAULA C. JOHNSON Voting. It is hailed as the hallmark of democratic society and representative government.1 Enfranchisement and exercise of the ballot are considered the sine qua non of governmental legitimacy. This legitimacy, in turn, is contingent on free and full participation across all sectors of the governed. However, while the U.S. government touts itself as the foremost democratic society in the world,2 enfranchisement and electoral participation has been marked more by exclusion and denial than inclusion and access.3 This has been true in historical and contemporary times, and has been most persistent regarding the denial of voting rights based on race and ethnicity in the United States, as well as the intersectional force of inequality and disenfranchisement.4 1 The Supreme Court expressed this sentiment in the landmark voting rights case, Reynolds v. Sims, opining: Undoubtedly, the right of suffrage is a fundamental matter in a free and democratic society. Especially since the right to exercise the franchise in a free and unimpaired manner is preservative of other basic civil and political rights, any alleged infringement of the right of citizens to vote must be carefully and meticulously scrutinized. See Reynolds v. Sims, 377 U.S. 533, 561-62 (1964), quoting Yick Wo v. Hopkins, 118 U.S. 356 (1886). 2 As editors Kelley and Lewis note, for example, “The Second World War had exposed the persistent contradictions between the American ideal and the American reality. -
Transcript for the National Youth Summit on Freedom Summer February 5, 2014
TRANSCRIPT FOR THE NATIONAL YOUTH SUMMIT ON FREEDOM SUMMER FEBRUARY 5, 2014 (Nicholas Nchamukong) WELCOME TO THE 2014 NATIONAL YOUTH SUMMIT ON FREEDOM SUMMER. I'M NICHOLAS NCHAMUKONG AND I'M A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IRVINE. ALONG WITH MY CO-HOSTS HARRY CLARKE AND JOY LYMAN I SPENT THE FALL SEMESTER AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY IN WASHINGTON, D.C. LEARNING ABOUT THE FREEDOM SUMMER, THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, INTERVIEWING VETERANS OF THE MOVEMENT AND PREPARING TO HOST THIS SUMMIT. WE'RE HERE LIVE IN THE OLD CAPITOL MUSEUM IN JACKSON MISSISSIPPI, IN THIS HISTORIC SPACE WHERE MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATORS VOTED ON SECESSION AND USHERED IN THE 1890 STATE CONSTITUTION THAT RESTRICTED THE VOTING RIGHTS OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS. WE WILL TALK WITH FREEDOM SUMMER VETERANS, YOUTH, AND EXPERTS ABOUT THE HISTORY AND LEGACY OF 1964 SUMMER PROJECT, A YOUTH LED PROGRAM WHOSE GOAL IT WAS TO EMPOWER AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN THE STATE THROUGH VOTER REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION. (Harry Clark)HI, I’M HARRY CLARK. JOINING US TODAY IS JOY LYMAN WHO WILL BE MODERATING OUR WEB DISCUSSION AND ALSO WITH JOY ONLINE IS DAVID GOODMAN, BROTHER OF ANDREW GOODMAN AND PRESIDENT OF THE ANDREW GOODMAN FOUNDATION. WE'RE JOINED TODAY IN OUR LIVE AUDIENCE BY STUDENTS FROM MURRAH HIGH SCHOOL IN JACKSON AS WELL AS McCOMB HIGH SCHOOL IN McCOMB, MISSISSIPPI AS WELL AS STUDENTS IN ALL 50 STATES NATIONWIDE, ABROAD AND AT REGIONAL YOUTH SUMMITS AT SMALLER SMITHSONIAN AFFILIATE MUSEUMS. THE AMERICAN JAZZ MUSEUM IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, THE ARAB-AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM IN DEARBORN MICHIGAN.