NEWS RELEASE STUDENT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING COMMI'rl'EE 6 R~rmond Stz,er:ts No:iWo FOR IMMEDIATE RELF.A.SE At,-·"l t"' ,i. ( ,,: • ,·1·'·,:.·•\q ..Lt:2. '. ·- "· ,r, ~- ~·"'\" ;,' .~

SNCC CHAIR.l\!AN MAKES SPEIJIAL APPF.AL FOR 68 IN PARCW.iAN STATE PENITENTIARY

GREENWOOD, MISSISSIPPI, JULY ·· 30 - Jchn Lewis., chairmm of t.he Student Nonviolent.

Coordinating Co!llITlittea, a.ppeal.ed Juo::lay to t,.i.'-1e 11·A.r.1ed.oan ci M.zen.ey''' to "'insist"' on the relt, :c:.so of 6C Negro H:i.1,l'd.s~:l.::,pl .ans i mp:t"is oned in Ps.rchma.n Penitentiary only be-

town m5,;:<,~11.1. ~ ,s cf:ficc to p•'.:,t.sTt, iJ1e smoh ·,-bombing of their voter registration meet- ing. Th~7 i-.cre char g,:1d w:l. ~~ "breach of the peace,"' and sentenced the next day to six mo::-.tha i::i j d .1 and $500 fine each. Bou.d was set at $500 per woman and $750 r cr"

Th c;i ct l. 1:~ r .:-::t•rnst,s ·l?Gk place in GrerJ11"'"'1ood on June 25 and 26 when 22 Negroes, most of t,h-2,-;;1 i'1~11 .... t. :1.me. a n ~. voluntf3er SNCC staff workers, were arrested inside the

Leflore Count y G:::n :::-t h.01:J',c 3.f t.er Neg:,... o ~itt zens refused to move from the closed regiatra:'.' r. !;, of.f\ :'. e~ All 1!e:·:-e se;:itenced t-.:> six months in jail on "breach of the peace" ch.~.r gcs 1

A.11. of i} 10 68 art; :i.:n r archman PP.nitentiary in the maximum security wing where:,

have sha11<,::!. cf±' t he pr·:t:;,(m<:~}~s' body hair under the guise ot "'disease prevention."

Lew:}_r;; said in A"l:,12:'l ta t,odayt.

"We appeal.. ·t;o the A.me:<'.":1.can cii. tiZt~n...ry in every state in this land to insist tha.t. Feder.al au·l;hor;t~..,:Loc 01"der M:/.,:::.;,:, i nsippi officia.la to release these citizens, in..1100e~t of e·;;~}cy \ .iri.r,1.a' ex0ept w::t.1tlng to reaistcr to vote~ The tot;tl bond foi• th.air rel£~as H i::: $Li.'2i000 md our ::-cisources are 1:i.mitede There is. only one way in which t:b.ese people will be released, an:l one way only: "!hen the .American public cares enought to clemtmd it."'

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NF. W S RE t Y. A S E s T~J;~~{I r;ci:·:1•.; ~C{ 1 !. '·~_~:;-:)~·}JTI-J/\Tii,TG cot1MITTEE FOR TI,JNEDIATE RELEASE 6 F.a:.~t:":1.~·~::f .. ~:. ~·~ '!:~'C!T, } ! ".1 ,~,}t/ '. ·, At.~."'.. .CJ.~ ::::~..::.. :1. .t ~.¥ G·'.°-) lJI"gi[·\, Tel: Gt\0 °,,z:i::;J_i_

DM:'",1~'~JJR I,FADER AR.RES l"~tl IN DANVILLE; 2 .1.J. SIT:'.~ST:•:O 1~1' FLhNiT:fLLl:; B/frTI ST CiillRGH

·,; I ;,,. .:cr:1. d.o o::.- of his home, seized 11.ii"11, and ing, t.. - - ,\-,-1 jn th2 ~: to

the Farmville l ',:-":"Y> .·) .-, -:'· - -T Y('O> .a:r•·.y,r,.~,._ L \.. ·· - ,·i·..,, e i....l,.l ·'u"ne t ryi ng to wornhi p in 24 ,'f ,._---,_-:• '· , '-" ·- l n~, ...... _. s r.1,0 day f or

:9"esterday dressed c:1'.1 ::cr: rr> YJ.s:c:o t.o r ut on any clot he3 a nd went to court

11 :0anville police continue to show as h e w2_3 1.;, '.,?:J po:l i ::-2 ·::rcJ,~e irrt.o h ._i_s h omQ .,

ecutive commi 'Gtee member of the ta):c h i:,1 n::-,\3<.:':: tc :; E:.~_: / 1 :ca5.d ..~von RoLli.!1s 1 ex

a peak the protest activity in '.l'i~e i'a.cn1r.ilL) ch;;r,-:ch ar:.~:c,s-l:,3 b:::-oc.gh·'.j to workers Ivanhoe Donru.dson c'.!'.'.d

fi... r st direct action ean•· RoJ.ar.1 S'c::,-r:-o .. '. w··.:, n'L th:or 8 ;:;c.;2r.;:i:. d :::_;7s agao This is tho

28 arrests were "a.tto.mpte V ,.::'.l n:i n:'i..;--;to.c .l.u, Y, G:i~i ffin 3ai.d t hat the July to show tho world that the condr:::- -i:cd fer tll0 r ~::cpose of wor ship f ir.st, and then in tho world,.. 11 Southern white chm0 ch is the mo:Jt segr egated institution closed public Prince Edward County is the only area in the nation that

scho0J.s !'s.t her th3.n integrate them. 11Those who are In vlr:-::i ng renewec. Vi.·rg::.nia protest, Rollins said that nonviolent, ar.d unless violent are beginning to outmunber those of us who are flowing in the streets•" there is some justice in Virginia, there will be blood - 30 - N F, W S R F. L E A S E

E F:.::: :y1· .~.c. :·1·~l S \ ·:·-- ···::~: '·. :,1 1:·~ ~ V1! v A. ~:; ..i}: ~ rJ. !_.J, ] .!J: ~: G-0,01~ gia FOR DvailEDIATE RELEASE 'It<1.: 6e-s~c,;~~.1 JULY, 1963

SNCC STAPJi'ER, 22 OTB1s2R S, JAILED ::::: N FAEi'!.Cil ILL I:.1 lC~TEJ-~..L~ -~IN

FARMVH,LE, VIFC-nr: Aj Ju1y 30 - ~~ 23 Negroes jailed hene Sunday

on the steps of al l·-wh i te F'.:.n-•mville B8.ptist Church are still ' . :, b 8DLrQ .

3 ;.x:,, In-y' 2 n 2 1.'e::it fo11owed attepts by Negroes to enter s ev ~

Ali. >.::, t;.t; one c,f ':;.1c:::10 arpcs t ed WP,re cnt>ri ed bodily from

t h 2 cl'L1 ::· c:h .s t c)P,'='· , w:b tTC t hey h a d hol d an i mpromptu service.

AmG~g t hos s j a ile d wa s I vanh oe Donaldoon, a field sec-

rct~n-y /:•cJrri ·c:.18 Studen t ifonv:Lulc nt Goordinating Comni::;tee •

Do co.1(L::: .:,~ 0.:1;.: t h o fl.3·,1err-nd J ome s s .. Williar.i s, pastor of the

Lr; \'.i. E·.:. r, t L/c Ch:.1r ch, w0re he ld on $ 1;500 cash or $ 2,500

Sv n::L3. yi s j 9. :i.ling s ma rked the fourth day of anti-seg-

r eg& t i o r:, pr ,.) test3 r..e re, spartrnd by Donaldson, who was active

in protes ts in Danville, Virginia , and the local Youth Coun- el l of the NAA ~P o

Felice Ch i e f Ov ert on said the demonstrators were taken

int o cus~ody o~ chargeB of interferi ng with the worship ser- vice at the church.

Robert Burger, chairman of the board of deacons, signed the arrest warrant.

-30- NEWS RELEASE STllDENT NO!JVICLENT COORDINAnNG COMMITTEE 6 Raymond Street, NoWo FOR TI-MEDIATE RELEASE Atlanta 14" Georgia Tel: 68&,,C) .31

25 STUDENTS .ARRESTED IN PINE BLUFF LIBRARY

PINE BLUFF, .ARY.t\.1'1.S .AB, AUGT.ET 2 ·- Twenty-five Negro student,s, members of the

Pine Bluff Movement, ir;-;.re arres~·.ed h e.re yesterday in too main branch of the

Pine Bluff Public L.i.bra..""'Yo Negroe s C D...'1 obta in library cards only in the "Negro" branch and are allowed on.ly to take out nofr~fiction books from the main brancho

William Hansen, a field secret~ for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating

Committee, said that included in the group was Robert 'Whit.field.., Chairnwn of the Fine Bluff Movement and a member of the SNCC executive committee.

The s tudents went to th~ l :Lbr'm'Y and stood and asked for cards at the main coun t.(n.· .. Thr:iy were cusknd to move .. When the building r,losed at 6 Polll• they were still inside , ani wor e arres t. r:i <'l I~() nrin 11tE:,s ].at.er.

They r e fused to nccept bondo

Hansen reported that the library demonstration followed after students were refused service at a downtown McDonald's restaurant. He said the manager of the restaurant, Robert Knight, pushed Whitfield through a plate glass window and attacked two 14-year-old Negro girls, Terri Noel and Carolyn Hnll. The restaurant :finaJly closed altogether.

· Demonstrations at McDonald's began here July 25 when whites threw ammonia and acid at , Negro demonstrators who sat on the floor in the restaurant vestib- ule. Four students were treated for injuries after they were rushed with bricks and bottles in a nearby parking loto

Despite the latest incidents of violence, the Pine filuff Movement. 7 a ST\i(\ .. affjliat.e , ha R b een s uccessful in d P. s eg:i:·egat i ng d owntown lunch counter,j~ movie theatr0s, two d:d.. v e-in theatres, nnd the Toea1. f or 11Le :dy "o] _l ? whit.e" park•

30 ... NEWS RELEASE STUDENT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE 6 Raymond Street, N.W. Atlanta 14, Georgia :FDR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tel: 688-0331 AU} IBT 2, 1963

32 STUDENTS ARRESTED IN FAYET'IE COUNTY

SOMERVILLE, 'IE1'INESSEE, AIDU3T 2 - Thirty- two Negro students, all members of

the Fayette County Council for Christian Action, were arrested this a~ernoon

for 11 parading without a permit" as they protested against segregation of public facilities here~

Walter Tillow1 .:i. field secretary for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating

Connnittee, reported that the 32 wuld join seven others in jail imprisoned

after anti-segregation demonstrations two weeks agoo

The students walked into Somerville .carrying signs reading 1'Don 1t Buy From

Segr egation, 11 11Freedom Now," and 1'v>Je Shall Overcome ." They were arrested for

"violation" of a city or dinnnce passed here July 23 prohibiting singing, kneel- ing, or parading in the streets. The ordinance also provides for a 10 porn• cur- few.

Adult supporters of the student group, a SNCC affiliat e, urged a "comple te boycott" of downtown businesses here in support of the students .. An estimated

75% of the Negro community is already boycotting the downtown areao

Student l eaders vowed t he y would conti nue to "fill the j ails11 until rest- aurants, drugstores, movie theatres, baseball parks and cafes served everyone.

Tillow said that two white supporters are on their thirteenth day of a hunger fast in jail. Ralph Barber_. 28, of Kalamazoo, Mich., and David Browns , of Philadelphia, Pa., were arr ested h er e two weeks agoo

Tillow r eported that a 20-ye ar old Negro, Tommy Lee Woods, was attacked at night by whit es on July 24, stripped and l eft nude o n a highway near Somer- ville . T he followi ng Monday whites attacked a school bus carrying Negro children in Macon, Tenn.. , arrl broke the bus w::i ndows. No char ge s have been pressed aga:inst arzy- of t he wbj t e al.tacker s., - 30 - N E W S R E L E A S E STUDENT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING COMJ\UTTEE 8 Raymond Street, N.W. Fal. IMMEDIATE RELEASE Atlanta 14, Georgia August, 1963 Tel: 688~31

ALBAl'N WOMO..N CONVICTED AFT1:R 40 DAYS IN JAIL; RETURNED TO JAIL PENDING INDICTMENT ALM.NY, GEffiGIA, AUGUST 2 - Field secretaries for the Student Non­ violent Coordinating Committee reported today that a 20-year•old Albany mother was convicted of "destroying public property" after she spent 40 days in jail awaiting trial, and was then returned to jail pending another Grand Jury charge. SNCC worker Barbara Schwartzbaum said today that Mrs .. Lannie Mae Thrower, mother of two children, was ret urned to jail on a 6rand Jury charge of "assault with intent to kill." Mrs. Thrower had been arrested June 25 after police charged th1t she had thrown a bottle at a police car. Mrs. Thrower maintained that after a bottle was thrown at the car by unidentified persons, police came over and blamed her. Mrs. Thrower had been in the Albany City Jail for 40 dqys in lieu of $1,900 bond. She was convicted and sentenced to 60 days pro .

batUm~ and then returned to jai 1. She said, "My arrest was intended to harass the movement for human dignity in Albany." Also today in Albany court, three SNCC workers and a local wo- man were convicted of "disorderly conduct and f al lure to obey an officer" after they were arrested last month. Hames Daniel, 23, of Albany; Peter de Lissovoy, 21, a Harvard student; and Phil Davis, 21, of Berkeley, California, Joined Lucille Mormon in appealing the charg- es.

Trials for five other SNCC workers are sched uled next week after a series of anti-segregation demonstrations here l a st month. -30-

(,,] NIY,SREL FJS E STUDENT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE 6 Raymond Street FOR IMMEDIATE RELF...ASE Atlanta 14, Georgia August., 1963

5 JAIIED IN CLARKSDALE SIT-IN NAACP HEAD MADE TO HAUL GARBAGE

CLARKSDALE, MISSISSIPPI., August 2 - -Five Negro teenagers were jail c '.' here today a'ter they stagod a sit~in demonstration at a Walgreen's Drug Store.

The five wer e c harged with tresspassing., and held under $201 bail eacho They joir:.ed 85 other Negroes behind bars, arrested during several days of protests here.

Included among those in jail is Dre Aaron H6 nry., State NAACP President., who is being for ced to work on a city garbage truck~

J8 mes Jones., a f'1e1d secr•e t a ry f'rorn the Student Nonv1o'li3 nt Coordina­ ting Committee (SNCC). said demonstrations would continueo -30- BAIL REACHES $40,000 IN DELTA VOTE CASES GREENWOOD, MISSISSIPPI, August 2 - Ba ilfor 64 Negroes arrested here and in nearby Itta Bena has reached over $40p000o 13 men and 4 women held in Parchman Penitentiary have

$500 and $750 bails. 4 7 men and women., now in Leflore County jaL i • are under the same bail, also.

Leaders of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee the group that has spearheaded a vote drive here since August, said "the excessive bail in both instances in another attempt to intimidato Delta Negroes and keep them from voting." Joh..n Lewis~ SNCC chairman, said "Negroes in the Delta. will continue to try to register and vote 0 "

In both the Itta Bena and Greenwood arrests, the persons involved had been active i."'!'l v :.ter:·reg1st:J>a·t;1,ov. work.

C] FCR !l\AMED I ATE RELEASE ACG L!"'.3/f, 1963 700 AFFlF.S~ED .T N GA0SD:SN: Uf) -~ CATTL E. SYO:'. ?EP$ (.W CHI. L D~?f.N GADSDEN, P.lABAMA., AUGUST 3 -- _,C,,. bnut 700 Ne9ro men, women and teen -agers were c:,.1·restcd V, tic1 .y in the d ownt own sec U on of Gadsd~n as they were conduc t ing a pr- otest rr~!. r-ch 2. g:a tnst segrcga. tlon. Inc luctc d in the gr· oup ~.r- e two wor! {E: !'!; for the Student Nonviolent Coordina t in.g Cor:imittce: Pa tricia M::; Elder.r-y, 17, of Gad$den, and C1audi2 Raw l es, 19, of P.r.1. l t 1morc~ f/ d 0 . A 1.S•Mye:2 .r old glrl t o l d SNCC offlcials in Atlant a that state p~ ll,:-:·2 fif'.s ~ 3.rres t ed a.du lt me n, then 2 ,d u lt women., and then began arres ting J uveni le boys. She said that police arrested "a few" Juven- !le girls.,

The young ster also said tha t she saw state police use electric cattle pro1 de rs on the younger children to drive them back, and that \ er own s J..:, 'tcr, 13, W'.!S j abbed wlth one of the poles. Jn a lr:.i.. e:;:- cal 1, the you:ig ~l r l said tha t t.h<.:·t!t 30 or 40 juveniles h?..d been re 1 8 2. S ?.d .'Je~~u s e t he y WET C 15 y s t, ,:·s of age or un'.:1.E:r., bu-~ that : he ad u ! ts 2 nd ol der ch i ldr en we r e being kept in back of the jail until

Th8 protest£rs we re charged with "blocki.ng traffi~" and it was believed that ndditional cha rges might be ma de. , Toc.2. y 1 $ cismo;1 s t :r ati ::m, c alled D Day by the Gadsden Movement, a coalit i on of SNCC 1 t he Congr8ss of R8.c i a l Equa ! 1ty, and the Southern \~h1" :~·::, t 5.a·n I ,eac1 ~~~r's hi.p c: onfer ~nce, "JJes the first resumption of direc t. 1c ticn si~c e d emo n strations halted tem porarily three weeks ago.

-30-

OJ • NEWS RELEASE STUDENT NONViOLENl' COORDINATING COMMITTEE 6 &cymond Street, NoWo FOR IMMEDIATE RELF.ASE Atlanta 14, Georgia AUGUST, 1963 Tel: 688-o33l

COURT ASKS SNCC WORKER, ILL IN HOSPITAL, TO SHOW CAUSE WHY HE SHOULD NOT BE ITTLD IN CONTEl1PT FOR FAIL URE TO APPEAR AT HF.A.RINGS

DANVILLE, VIRGINIA., AUGUST 3-An exec\J.tive member of the Student Nonviolent Coe: .' , "

ating Committee, ill in the hospital, was asked yesterday by a Corporation Court t o

show ca:ise why he should not be held in contempt for failure to appear at Grand Jury hearings August 2 •

Avon Rollins• 23, was taken to Winslow Hospitall August 1 after falling un­ conscious due to a head injury of several years t standing. At the hospital, his doctor ordered a spinal tap and said he must remain immobile and rest for severaJ. days afterward_.

On August 2'1 police appearM at the hospital. in the company of a court- · appointed doctor to see if Rollins was well enough to attend Grand Jury investig- ations,, . · of a statement Rollins had made to the effect that "'Those who are

Violent are beginning to outnumber those of us w.i. th a nonviolent persuasion# and it is evident that unless the white power structure or Virginia and Danville begin to respond ~ith justice to the fair demands made by its citizens, there will be blood flowing in the streets."'

Rollins refused to go with police after court-appointed Dr.,. McNealy sa:id t;'-c was well enough to get up. He told them he was too sick, and said they would have to carry him in an ambulance to the hearings. The police left. Rollins received sedation August 2 and 3o

Rollins said from his hospital bed,. "My statement was not intendied·to incite the Negroes of Danville to acts of vioJe nee. The people who do not hear the sermons of the non-violent philosophy t~ secure freedom and equality 1might' tend to accept the way of securing their freedom as preached by Malec~ X and the Black Muslims.. I am a complete believer in the non-viol ent philosophy av aw~ of life and I do believe that love will conquetr hate.. m

Demonstrations against Justice Department "'inaction" were held yest,erday on the steps of the Post Office and inside the building, in front of the local F..B.I. office. Negroes al.so attempted to be served at·a Johnson's drugstore. When white: sympathizers ordered food, and a Negro sat down next to them and began to eat the food., the store manager took it away and refunded their money. -Jo-

[q] NEWS RELEASE ST~DE!l!T NOf VIOLEU'I' COORDINATING COMMITTEE R':', 'r'~f' ~·,r~ ~ .i:,r•c,c 1, ,,+ 1'.j W 6 .....i:J ..t.u ,/.\ .•. .. tJ l.! -. ,, .·v •,· ~ ... fJ. C, FOR TIJITv1EOIATE RELEASE At r·:,;,_.:::.:--.tt~~1 lL~~ f.}e.cr,;~la. AU(}~51', 1963 T cl>i'. {:;3d~~)J~}l D!7, TA NE:;·11':::CS TO ~~~!'CB VOTE AT'J'E'MrTS DJ J.JJ GU:i'l' 6 m t:U~lHAfIC P il.ll'LA.. F C[

GPJ(E.NWOOD, MISSI SSIJ'PI~-- A f :1.Gld s ecr.etery fnr t he St udent. No:r:~liolent Cocrr'..inating

Comrrd..tt~e (SNCC) R,?.id Mis r,.:i..n.sippi Neg;;ces will make att omp-ts to vot.e in the Dem-

ocr,..%.t ic prim.a.:ry on Aur,unt 6 neyoa if they did not pass the vote test required of ,::.:.1

pc."'S ona ·who w1.zh to r~1gj.st.~r to 'vote in t}J.e st.ate" 11'

. Rch-a:tt. l'llcfrfls., a SNCC wo r ke::- who he 3.di!i 'the state wide vote drive here, cs.aid

last five months will be urged t.o .:itta"l'lpt to vote on August 6. Mos es said about

100 of thnse are be:d,~ved t.o be reg.i.~,'tm".''ed. voters now.

Miss.i .ssippi s ta-te law allows a state citi·ien to seek to vot e 0 if it is his

sincere b elief t ha';; t h e methodf; and proc edur es of voter registra·t:.cm e.o they have

bE,cn app:3-i ed t.o hin,ooha ve bee..1 H JJ.egal, and that he has been ill.egally denied

Moses s :1.:.i.

Moses safd s t

appear in J. .oc a.:L newspapnrs, whe.r e ar1y ci tiz.en may q.1 est,ion the "moral character"; of

" I ~'lt:'\.r~d.d."?.t i on by l ocal whites is prevalent in (;!Very aspect of every Negro Ts life in IvT:i.r::;:;:l. .s s::'cpp:i_, "' No::ies said.-

Mos(-?S :,m.d 12 n,atio!l!illy known civil rights leaders have been invited to come to Greer;:wood on August 6 to serve as poll watchers, to insure fair ba.ndl _ing o:f votes at Greenwood's three Negro prec~ncts. -Jo...

NOTE TO EDIT9RS: for further information, cal.ll. Robert Moses; 708 AT/~nue N Greemaood, Mtssissippi 453-]282::

[ioJ -., N E W S R E L E A S E ' STUDENT NQ\JVIOLENT CCXRDINAT ING COMJ\UTTEE 6 Ray mond Street., N .VJ. FOR B 111v1ED1ATE RELEASE At l~nta 14, Georgia· · August, 1963 Tel: 688-0331 SEVEN CIVIL RIGHTS WORKERS ARRESTED AFTER COURT RULES INJU\~CTION VOID

DANVILU:, VIRGINIA, AUGUST 8 -- Seven civil rights workers were arre~~zr'

~hi s aftern0on aft er they were celebrating a Court of Appeals decisi 0n which ruled void a Danville injunction and ordinance prohibiting demon,..

The seven, including a field secretary for the Student Nonviolent

oordina ting Committee I Robert Ze 1 lner,. were dragged from the off ices

,f the Danville Christian Prograssive Association after a crowd of

1egroes · and whites were celebrating the Court's ruling. The Court said

:. hat the injunction and ordinance passed by Danville officials was void• ~nd enjoined Danville authorities from arresting demonstratorso

Those arrested today were charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct., and so-called "violation" of the now-void injunction.-

Zellner said this afternoon that he was in a drugstroe while Dan­ ville citizens were celebrating on the sidewalk outside the DCPA office, that he walked by, and e~te red the office. He said Chief of Police S .G. McGain then came into t he office and performed the arrests of

'e 1 11:.er ., Samuel Giles., a loca l SI,JCC wor1rnr; Bruce Baynes., a field sec­ re t 2,ry for the Congress of Rac j, ·,il Equa li. ty; Her~)e rt Co 1 ton, a re pres-

·nt:i. t i ve of the 5 011thern Christi :;m Le ade rship Conf.erence.,,,_ and two-. local

~) 1 un. t c ers, Marga r et Pinch bac\{ a n d Roenea tha Moore o

Ze llner. a n d Baynes refused t o cooperate with the police and were

:·agged into pol ice cars. Zellner s aid that bond for so-called "viol-

tion'' of the now-void injunction was $ 1000.,. and .$500 apiece f.or

resisting ar,rest" and "disorderly conduct." NEWS RELEASE STUDENT NOJVIOLENT CC>CRDINAT ING COMMITTEE 6 Raymond Street, N.w. At] a -~i 14, Georgia FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 'i ~; 1: S88-0331 AillUST, 1963 BALLOI'S FILED PN NEGRO CITIZENS DECLARED HNAL ID IN MlSSISSI PP! 3 FIELD ::iECY's ARRESTED IN RULEVILLE GREEN WOOD, MISS!SS IPPI, AUGUST 8 -- Field secretaries of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee reported today that all ballots cast by disenfranchised Negroes here and in Itta Bena have been declared invalid.,

Dick Frye, a SNCC field worker, said today that according to Hu e~ Middleton, executive secretary of the Leflore County Democratic Par ty Execu.t i ve Board, ba 11 ots cast by Negroes here wil 1 "not be counted." Middl e ton said, "Each bat lot has been examined by the Board and they are all not qualified to vote in the election under the laws of Mississippi so none will be counted."

Yesterday some 400 Negroes in Greenwood and 150 Negroes in Itta Bena filed affidavits and ballots at the two respective polling placesf The affidavits were to the effect that they had been denied the right to vote, which is itself contrary to Mississippi state law.

In Ruleville, Mississippi, three field secretaries for SNCC were arrested on August 6, the morning of the state primary election. Curti Hayes, Charles I!cLaur in and Charles Cobb had gone to seek the election manager to inquire about voting procedures and to see if they could be

poll-watchers when they were arrested at the request of Ruleville ~/fayor

C.M. Dorrough. Mayor Dorrough presided at their trial which, Cobb s,:::.i :: :itool{ 30 seconds/' and charged with "interfering with an election." The three were sentenced to 30 days in jail and $100 fine each. John Lewis, SNCC chairman, strongly protested the arrests to Assisstant Attorney General Burke _Marshall and demanded "immediate Justice Department in1iervention." -30------~ -- N E W S R E L E A S E STUDENT NONVIOLENT COCRDINATING COMNIITTEE 6 Raymond Street, N.w. FOR I Ml\/£ D!ATE RELEASE Atlanta 14, Georgia AUGUST, 1963 Te 1: 688-0331 SNCC FIELD SECRETARY HANSEN AND 14 arHERS ARRESTED IN PINE BLUFF RESTAURANT SIT-IN PINE BLUFF, .ARKANSAS, AUGUST 8 -- Wi 11 lam Hansen, a field secretary of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, was arrested here yes- terday with 14 members of the Pine Bluff Movement in a sit-in at a segregated restaurant here. The 15 young people were sitting on the floor in the inside cubich of W1cD0nald 's .res.taur.ant. when the manager told them to leave. They refuse-cf. All were charged with "refusing to leave a restaurant at the request of the manager." Yesterday's arrests made a total of 72 arrested since direct act!~ resumed here a week ago. Twenty-~ive students were arrested at the main branch of the library August 1, and some 50 others have been arrested in the past t wo weeks at i~Donald's.

Hansen had repor ted t hat whites threw ammonia and acid at students when they sat-in at McDonald's last week. He added t hat the group , <;.. s attacked by whites in a nearby parki ng lot after they left the res ta:_~· rant, and pe l ted with bottles and bricks. Four students had to receive medical attention. Hansen, 23, is a white student from Cincinnati who has been _;_ rres ted 21 times since he became involved in the civil rights move­ ment two years ago. He wa s one of ten Freedl)m Walkers who took up '/lilliam Moore's trek after the postman was slain in Attalla, Alabama. He spent 30 days in jail,rn ost of them in the notorious Kilby Prison on Death Row. The Pine Bluff Movmment, a SNCC affiliate, has been succewsful in desegregating lunch counters, downtmvn theatres, drive-in theatres, and two pr ivat e resta urants. School o f f i cials have also agreed to deseg­ rega te two grades of t he publ i c school a . -30- NEWS RELF/\ S E ~;ruD:S\:'. ]'!t/F/ I :.t£>rT ('. '.)a;J) P TA TIT-JG COMMITTEE 6 ~~

TEr~.EE SNCC F l S LD WOFhEHS AFRSSTED I!-! A~JERICUS , GA .. ; P~.'1. . ICE hEFU::.f: TO S.T/:.'i.E C'. i-1!\F/iE : sms;-·u FT SHOOTS OVER CROWD

~ - - Threa fleld secretar i es for the Student

t h w: tw,) 1··.,~1:;.. ·· -·,,·:.':- .·...i ~.... ·:•+.1."·.~ ,, ,.. ", 1 mt c,:r t··c,•111\'y 1 '-"' ~~. ... -....:; ·t...... ~ ... ~-· " ·" .,. . ..\ ..,. ....C'..., ' -l ,·~.,.· r·t...... f -f'· c .t1t~,~<:?- · ppell shot 15 timE: over of 300 persons.

SHCC wor kers i.n Atlanta c21 ! ~d Sheriff Cha ppell this afterno· to fi~, j o •...1 t on ·,Nha t cha r g e s Don H.c r :t i r, , Ra l ph Allen and John Perch.:;v, .;(:;1 being hsltl . Inf0rm~.n ts hnd s a :t d t.br:: Sh~ri ff a.r.rested the trio with t wc

c- """. ..,,~1: J. ·.,:.. - /i "' '.I.,' :'"'ha- pp"',' ~ ..'... .. "' • i::;; ~ .. '~ t o 1 d /\U, 2.:. nt a ~.NCC '\.-v crkers that he didn't know ar, / thing Rbout the c a3e, and referred them to the c i ty Jail. City police officers were a sked what the ch~rgnn we re, and said, "no comment." SNCC wr;rker s asked if there wa s 2ny charge. The an-swer was, "no com• ment." SMCC workers aske d if they were being held on "investigation." The a.n swe r: "no scm.11ent."

Julian Bond, SNCC administrative assistant, said the FBI was notified that the five "are obv5.ou~ly being held incognito.I' He wired a protest to ~sistant Attorney General Burke Marshall in Washington, o.c.:

Three SNCC field secre taries we r e arrested l ast night in Americus, Ge org fa a nd onEtf·e por t e d l y wa.s beat ~n. We have tried to ascerta i ,1 in:f'or-mclt i on on what c ha~~~ e s; t h ey are be ing he ld from Sher i f f Che.pp ell and from c:i. ty police officers. The Sheriff referre(' ·s to t he c ity pol i ce who s a i d nno comment" and t hat we might be a D l"' to know later this afternoon. Yet our informati on is that the Sheriff performed the arrest and s hot over t he heads of the crowd~ We insist you investi gate immediately •••

Reports indicated that Don Harris was beaten by police officers after he went limp and fel I to the ground. Ralph Allen. was also, informants said, "slapped_around." -30· ,--~ --N E W SR E .L . E A S E STUDENT NaN! OLENT COffiD !NAT lNG COMMITTEE 6 Ray~ond Street, N.w. Fm IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tel: 688-0331 AOODST, 1963' 3 FIELD SECY'' S HE LO CN $43,000 BOND EACH AMERICUS, GEORGIA,.AUGUST 9 -- Three field secretaries from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (Stice) are being held here on t 43,000.00 bail each. The three - jailed last night after police beat one and fired 15 shots to disperse a crowd of Negroes - are charged with inciting to ric atte,npting to incite insurrection,. obstructing a lawful arrest, unlawf'.l : assembly, and seven peace warrants. They are:· Donald Harris~ 21, Negro, of New Yor-k City John PerdP·.v , 21·, white, of Denver, Colorado; and Ralph Allen, 21, of Melrose, Massachusetts. All have been working with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Commit tee's Southwest Georgia project. Harris is a former student at Rutgers University. Perdew attended Harvard University, and A lien was a student at Trinity College. The three were jailed last night with two local people after Sumter County Sheriff Chappell shot 15 times over the heads of 300 Negroes who were leaving a mass meeting. After he was placed under arrest, Harris went limp, and policemen beat him. Harris: said today he and Allen and Perdew had ,been beaten . with clubs by policemen in the jail last night, and all three requested medical , .at te~ti on. Allen was "slapped around" by policemen after his arrest, witnesse~ said. · Sheri ff Chappe 11 refused to te 11 the Atlanta SNCC off ice on wh r: .~ charQes the three were held. 'tne. At.lanta SNCC office said protests over the arrests had been lodged with the Justice Department and with the FBI. John Lewis, Chairma n of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, said "we plan to prot~st this illegal and arbitrary arrest and the unconstitutional and ridiculous charges." The Atlanta SNCC office said the total of $ 129,000 hail was the "highest ever leveled against civil rights workers." -30------N E WS RELE.f'.. SE ST UDE!11T N=~/'.' 1\F!.(:lEHT CCCP Dl NAT ING C0~·1'.\1TITTE:S (~ }J.t:.~ ;/~·1.t ':-:tH) .S, 't ?' i:1:-?.·t . y ~·J 0' ~,·/ 1-, FOR IM!\/ED I.ATE RELE.t\SE l rr; 1 • .,..1~ 1 ··,bf "t A ~'-· U..:> , 7 ...; ~ !. i\ t b -i ' ):~ ,:~~ ~ 3;'.t ,:, ~.~ i- ~i t ~t

IN F INE BL T}Ff' LlBRA.1iY SIT-IN

jailed hen: Augus t 2 wr:.:re sentern.c ed t o 90 days in Jal 1 and fined $500.

The .24 - i 11 cludlng Rober t Whitfield, Chairman of the Pine Bluff Moveme nt - we re Jailed when th8y r e fused to obey a policeman's req ~t to 1E:av so Th ey were st8.ndi ng at the main counter in the city librar : , ~ere Negroes cannot get cards but can use cards obtained at the Negrt branch to take out books.

Bill Hansen, a field worker for the Student Nonviolent Coordina~ir Committee, was ja.iled yestercay wU .h 14 members of the Pine Bluff Move- ment in a si t -in at a ~egr e gated restaurant here.

Members of the Pine Bl t:f:f Mcv·s rne nt, a SNCC affiliate, have been successful in integrating some ltmc h counters, downtown movie theatres, driv~- lr~ s, and two p1·ivate r esta u r:.:1.~ts .. School officials here have a 1 so a.g r eed to integrate two grade s this year. -30-

3 SNCC WORKERS JAILED IN CLARKSDALE CLARKSDALE, MI SSISSIPPI , Augu§t 9 - - Three workers from the Student Nonvi o l e nt Coordinati ng Comm i ttee (SNCC) were arrested here today f~r v iola~i0n of a city anti-litt er l~w~ The three are being h e l d in t he Clarksdale City jail on $ 101.00 bail each .. They have been working with local leaders in a drive to eliminate segregation here. -30-

{ 11;,] -~-- 1.. r:. - w ;s K ci:-c;-A_ S_ E STUDENT NONVICLENT COClR D IN.AT JNG COMTvtITTEE 6 p ,., ... •r-· r ,r, .A C'{ t ·>e . .. ,. .s. .,Y···:~1., . .i .....~ . · :) ""' ·' l'T W _, c.. .~. •.. r, ..... o o FCR HIJMED IATE RELEASE At l.n nr.tc JL~:, lI ·Z org1a Tel: O::; bC--,0 331 AUGUST, 1963'

9 INDICTED BY FED::RAL JURY IVIA.CCN, GEORGIA, AUGUST 9 -~ Ni ne pe:rson ~.,3 including a field sec- retary of the Stunent Nonviol ent Co(:,td!nating Committee, were in- dieted tcd2.y by a f!:~c1cral district court on either perjury or 11 conspi r acy to injure and influence a fede ral." juror0 in investig- ations sternming from the picj.,J~ti ns !) nnd sub5c1quent closing of a grocery stor c owned by a m::1n who served as a federal Jor or. Jon!. P. ab.i nowitz, 20jl was ind {cted today on cha.rges of perjury, as were SJ.a._t er King., Acting Pres!aP-nt of the Albany Movement, Mrs. Gola' -i e• '·· ...: •_:-l<._~·,~nn ..... , .... '"· • , secretary of the Al hen y Movement, and· \t hree 1 oca r Al ban 1.a:1.2 , Re·•.r,. Samuel Wells, Th emas Chatman. and Robert Thomas. Char~ed vr!th "conspiracy to injure and influence a federal juror" were WoGo A.nccrson, Pre~ddent of t.he Albany Movement, Robert Colbert, and Luther Woodall~

Bon<.~ f or rf.lss R:! bln.ov,5. tz vm s sr.:t at .$ 3000, and ~S5000 for Mr. King. The others 9 except fnr Dr- •. Anderson and Mr. Colbert, had bond set at $2500 eacha Bond ha s not been set for Dr. Anderro n and Mro Colbzr·t.

Tr ied. for all the defendents is scheduled September 10 in the Fed•:-ral DJstrir:t Court of the Midd.l e District of Georgia, with Ju dge Jo Rober t El l iot t presi ding o All persons indicted, w!th the exception of Dr. Anderson who .s out of the -state, are in jail now .ln Macon in lieu of bond. -30-

Ll "!] STUDENT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE 6 Raymond Street, NW Atlanta 14, Georgia FOR Il1MEDIATE RELE'ASE Telephone: 688-0331

SNCC FILM "WE'LL NEVE R TURN BACK 11 IS RELEASED

ATLANTA, GIDRGIA, August 12~-The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee .. announced today the release of its film ''We 111 Never Turn Back". The film, 8 produced by Harvey Richards or Atherton, 6alifornia, has been described by

the San Francisco Sun Reporter as "an extremely moving documentary ff!lm

depicting the activities of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in

Mississippi." The story of Mississippi violence and the struggle to gain

the right to vote is told by local citizens and SNCC worker::1. 'lhe San Fra.nr.:i El~o

Chronicle noted that the film was "so truly moving that the British

Broadcasting Corp. promptly bought it."

11We believe this film will be one of the most significant means at our

disposal for helping people outside the South understand the work we are

attempting to do here, 11 commented Sandra Hayden, SNCC Northern Coordinator.

The film, which runs 24 minutes, is available free of charge from the

Atlanta or New York SNCC offices or from the office of any Friends of SNCC group. Copies of the film may be puirchased from Harvey Richards, 14 Flood Circle, Atherton, California. Purchase cost is $50.00. -30-

ATIANTA ;) RQJECT AIIB STRIKING CAR WASH W) RKEF6

A TIANTA, GEORGIA., August 14 - A field ~orker for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) rE:l>6rted the si ccessful end of a one-day strike of femal. e car-waS1 workers ,. Judy Wal born, a SNCC worker who has been active in desegregation campaigns and a community improvement project \d. th the Coounittee On Appeal l'or Human bights - the local student sit-in group - said that w,man workers at the Atlanta Car Wash voted last night to strike for higher pay and better workllilg conditions. After a half-day of picketing, the workers met .tth management and signed an agreementft -30- NEWS RELEASE STUDENT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE 6 Ra.Jll'nond Street~ N~w. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Atlanta 14., Georgia AUGUSTa 1963

SNCC WORKERS, MOVEMEJ\TT HEAD, MUSLlMS ENJOINED IN PINE BLUFF MOVEMENT

PINE BLUFF, ARKANSAS, .t.ugust .14 - Two field secretaries from the Student Nonv:f.o.t

Coordinating Committee (SN::C), the Pine Bluff M0 vement. the Arkansas State NAACP and the Black Muslims were enjoined here yesterday from "engaging in., sponsoring, incitir.f

1nd encouraging stand-ins., sit-ins or from picketing" a segregated diner. The injunction, obtained in Jeffers»n County Chancery Court by Robert Knight.,,

0wnee of McDonald's Restaurant., named Bill Hansen and James Jones,, field secretaries from SNCCt Robert Whitfield., Chairman of the Pine Blu.f'f" Movement; the NAACP and the

Black Muslims.

The order ·asked that they be prohibited from "interfering with the business"· of

McDonald's.

Hansen said the order also named Carlene Ohler., a white model from St. Louis,

Missouri., who was jailed here with demonstrators at McDonald's., and three juveniles,

!hirley Baker., Lois Griffin, and Carolyn Hall,.

Hansen said more than 45 persorm had been jailed at McDonald's since demonstra­ tions began on July 25. Lunch counters arrl movie theatres have been integrated here. -30-

RIGHTS DUO WEDS

TL.ANT!., GEORGIA _.., Two workers for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating COJlllbi ttee

ere married here Frieday, August 9.

Dorothy Miller of' Atlanta and Robert Zellner of Montgomery were married by the

,~verend Murray Branch. Miss Miller worked in the SNCC communications section. Zellner, a field secre­

vary, had been jailed 17 times for his anti-segregation efforts and was 1·e1.eased from a Danville, Virginia jail the day before his weddingo -30- NEWS RELEASE S'IUDENT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING CCMMITTEE 6 Raymond Street, N.w. FOR lMMEIIA TE RELF.ASE Atlanta 14> Georgia AUGUST, 1963 Tel: 688-0331

SNCC HEAD PRO'IES'IS BRUTALITY IN 1M ERICUS ASKS JUSTICE DEPAR'.IMENT ACTION

ATIANTA, GEO.RUA, August 14 - 'lhe Student NonViolent Coadinating Committee sent a telegram today to the Justice Department protesting police brutality aid the l).se of exorbitant bonds agai.. nst demonst1·at,ors :.1n:·,Ame:r.icu~., Georgi!", Friday, August 9.

The protest, sent to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy by SNCC chair­ man John Iewi. s, cited the use of billy clubs and electric prod poles on juven- iles md older men. It al. so stated that four of the demonstrators requi red stiches to close their w.,unds.

'Ihe demonstrators were protesting the arrest of three strcc staff members who were beaten and then held on 43 thousand dollars bail each.

'Ihe telegram asked, "Will the Justice Department act to free the jailed demonstrators and see that those mo substitute savage bestiality for human decency are punished?"

More than 175 Negroes, most of them teen-agers, left a local church to march to the police station. '.Ihe police intercepted their wa k as they crossed a field in a double line and the City Marshal 1 and Chief Chambliss of the city police asked them for a parade permit. Before the demonstrators ·· . could respond police officers begm clubbing them al d using the electric prod poles. Several demonstrators have severe burn marks on their bodies from the battery-operated poles.

Many of the demonstrators are still betng h~ld in the city jai'.1:-. '1'.he male juveniles are being detained in al abandoned building. N E W S R E L E A S E STUDENT NONVIOLENI' C~DINATING COI\i1MITTEE 6 Raymond Street, N,W. Atlanta 14, Georgia FOR 1MIIIE D !ATE RE LEASE Tel: 6880-331 AUGUST , 1963 ALBANY POLICE RAID SNCC OFFICE HOLD THREE ON "INVESTIGATION"

ALBANY, GEORGIA, August 16 .... Albany city policemen have jailed

three workers from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) after breaking into the Albany s:NCC office on the pretense of searching for a gambling game.

Charles Sherrod, Director of SNCC 1 s Southwest Georgia project, aaid city police arrested SNCC worker John Washington today and

Bob Weil yesterday. Weil, who is white, .and Washington, who is c Negro, are being held on "investigation", Sherrod said-. The police also picked up and arrested SNCC worker James Daniels,. a Negro, while he was walking down a street.

Sherrod said city policemen raided the SNCC office at 504 Mad- Ison Street here and arrested John Washington, an Albany resident. The police said they were looking for a "skin game", he said o In Atlanta, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee pro­ tested the arrests and "the unconstitutional and illegal procedure fol lowed by Albany pol icemen in intimidating Albany Negroes."

The protest, addressed to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, was signed by SijCC chairman John Lewis. -30- N E W S R E L E A S t STUDENT NOi'NIOLENT COORDINATING C0..'1rvUTTEE 6 Raymond Street, N.W. FOR Hi1TIJED IATE RELEASE Atlanta 14, Georgia AUGUST, 1963 ATTORNEY QUESTIONS FEDERAL CGJCERN FCR LAW AND CRDER ALBANY, GEORGIA, August 16--A local Negro attorney questioned yest·~: -"/ the seriousness of the federa 1 government's concern for law and order ,, Albany attorney C.B. King issued a statement concerning the nine members of the Albany Movement indicted by a federal grand Jury in Macon, August 9. Six persons, including a field worker for the Stude t tlonviolent Coordinating Committee, were charged with perjury before the grand Jury, and three were charged with obstructing Justice. 1 he chai:-ges were instituted by Justice Department action in con­ nection with a boycott and picket against a white grocery store owner in Macon who is also a federal grand juror. King said, The purpose of the Grand Jury hearing ••• seamed to be directed to­ wards establishing that a local boycott of a white grocery store owner, because of his hiring policies and general mistreatment of Negro customers, was really institutid because of his verdict against a Negro who sued for damages in Federal Court,, after having been brutalized by the Sheriff of Baker County. other white store owners with similar policies had also been boycotted, and even today a selective purchasing policy is in force. King contrasted inaction in the face of "the incessant indig~l ·· ties, the constant violence, and the multiplicity of constitutional deprivations to Negroes.," with its aggressive approach, lead by the Justice Department, in indicting Albany Movement leaders in this caseu The Albany attorney was beaten over the head with a wooden can )Y Dougherty County's white sheriff D.c. Campbell in July, 1962. The incident, and the sheriff's statement that he would do it again, were widely publicized, but no acti~n was taken against the sherif(. King finished his statement with the remark, "As cogently stated by an elderly member of the Albany Ne gro co•nmunity, tFv"'~n t.ho f'c ck l' ~l government is a white man.'" -30- NEWS RELEASE STUDENT NONVIOLENT COCRDINATING COMf\AITTEE 6 Raymond Street, N.W. F~ IMMEDIATE RELEASE Atlanta 14, Ga. AUGUST, 1963 Tel: 988-0331 MISSISSIPPI RIGHTS FIGHTERS LOSE JOBS; 45 our ON BCND IN ITTA BENA ITTA BENA, MISSISSIPPI, August 20 -- Eleven Negro residents here indi­ cate white employers are atte11pting to force out of the state any : ,, Negro who seeks his rights. The eleven men said they have been told they will not be qiven back their jobs if they participate in civil rights work. Four of the rights v.o rkers had been work! ng at Miss lss lppi Voca­ tional College,. an alt-Negro school near Itta Bena. They were told by the school's chief administrator, President ·John H. White, that they would probably be able to get their jobs back if they gave up the movement •. White told them, "By your protesting, a cloud has moved between th0 white and colored in Itta Bena• . If you continue to wear your civil rights buttons and going to meetings, how can you expect to clear the cloud." According to Scott Harris, one of the group, all the people who were on the County ,Work Farm wi 11 be "marked men" in Itta Bena. But, Harris said, "I'm not go i ng to give up the freedom fight. I'll never go back begging for a job. Ir I have to leave town, then I'll find a Job someplace else." The e l even were part of a group of 45, rang ing in age from 15 to 75 years, who were arrested when they sought police protection after the bombing of a voter registration meeting at Hopewell Baptist Church here. • The 45 are free on b')nd raised by the Nat i ::ma 1 Counc i 1 of ; Churches. The Justice Department has appealed the case to the Fifth Circuit Court. -30------~ ----

NEWS RELEASE STUDENT NOJVI OLENT COCRDINAT ING COM•v1 1TTEE 6 Raymond Street, N.W .. FOR l ~,1MED !ATE RELEASE Atlanta 14, Georgia AUGUST, 1963 Te 1: 688-0331

17 FACE TRESSPASS CH\RGES COULD GET 18 MONTHS ATLANTA, GEORGIA, August 20 -- 17 anti-segregation demonstrators will face trial here M-:mday, August 26 for violating Georgia's anti- trr- ·· '.~- pass law. The 17 • including three whit~ women and two white men - were ordered to trial by Fulton County Superior Judge Durwood T~ Pye. If convicted, the 17 face 18 months in Jail and a $500 fine eac~u Judge Pye had ordered the July-August Term Fulton County Grand Jury to investigate alleged violations of the tresspass law and bring indictmen(s if ~he evid~nck ~~t~ant~d itc Pye said the law - passed by the State Legislature a month after nation-wide sit-ins began in 1960 - had been "openly flouted" and "flagrantly violated." The grand Jurors returned indictments August 2, charging 75 per- sons with misdemeaner violation of the antl-tresspass law. Ordinarily misdemeanors are tried in Fulton Criminal Court, but Judge Pye ordered all indictments bro·1ght by the grand Jury in tress­ pass cases brought before the Superior Court. The sheriff's office has made only 17 arrests since the indict­ ments came down. All those arrested were released on $300 bail. All 17 were arrested during sit-in demonstrations at downtown Atlanta restaurants. Al 1 are members of the Committee On Appeal For Human Rights, the Atlanta University Center protest group, which ls affiliated with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

-30- DEWS RELEASE STUDENT NONVIOLENT COORDThTATnm COMMITTEE S! Raymond Street, NW FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Atlanta 14, Georgia SEPTEMB:IB, 1963 Tel: 688-0331

NINETEEN GO FREE IN SAVANNAH, HAD BEEN JAILED 55 DAYS IN LIEU OF BOND

SAVANNAH, GA., SEP!' .. L,,-Nineteen demonstrators, who had been in jail here 55 days for lack of bond, were releasea yesterday. The nineteen, including Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee field worker Bruce Gordon, had been charged with $1,200 peace bonds sworn out by white persons. They had to sign a prepared statement by a municipal court judge in order to obtain their release. Judge Victor H. Mulling told the nineteen Negroes he would probate the bond on each if they signed a statement, which read in part, "The undersigned hereby repudiates the resort, to violence, the threat or violence, breach of the peace, or any other criminal act in effecting social, political or economic change• •• because a resort thereto is not in keeping with the spirit, concept,

practice of democracy." The judge said they would be returned to jail it they violated any law. The warrants were sworn out July 11 after a demonstration near the jail. The nineteen also posted bond on trespassing and unlawful assembly charges. Hosea Williams, president of the Chatham County Crusade for Voters, called the action in court a "mockery of justice." "When I told them (to sign)," he said, "I knew I was doing wrong." , ,<-

NEWS RELEASE STUDENT NOl'-1-vIOIENT COORDINATING COOlITTEE 6 Ju\vmond Street, N.W. Atlanta 14, Georgia, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 'lel: 688-0331 SEP'lfflBM, 1963

WF-trTE MINJS 'IER PN D WITTE STUDENT GIVEN 18 MONTH3 AND $1000 FINE

ATIANTA, GEOIDIA, Sept. 4--A white minister and white student were each sen-

tenced to six months in the common jail, one year on the work gang, and fined

$1000 for integrati on activities here ..

Rev. Ashton Bryan Jones, a 67-year-old minister fran San Gabriel, Cal.,

was convf'.cted of disturbing a dt vine worship, a misdemeanor, and given the

maximum sentence. 'lhe incident took place on June JO at the First Baptist

Church of Atlanta, which refused admittance to Jones because he was accomp­

anied by a Negro companion.

Jones was accused of "shouting, screaming, and lying down," in front

of tre church.

Jones said he did not shout or scream or lie cbwn except when he was

a t tacked by an usre r or member of the hospitality capmittee who did not

want J ones to remain on the church steps after being refused admittance0

Tan 'l'olg., 23, of Lombard, Ill., am Miami University of Ohio, was convicted of "re~irtg ·· and failing to leave a place of business when asked

by the owner or manager or employee thereof." '!le statute is popularly

known as the 11 3nti- trespassing law. 11

Tolg was arrested at leb 1s Restaubant after he was refused admittance

because he was accompanied by Negroes.

Jones is still in Fulton Countu Jail in lieu of $20,000 bond. Tolg was

released after posting $5,000 bond.

-))- ,r---=,cc--- -,--,,....-.,- - .....,__,_ - --- ~ ------..

/ / NJJWS R4LBASE 1' STUDENT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE 8 l/2 Raymond Street, NW FOR IMMSDIATE R"7l,EASE Atlanta 14, Georgia SEPTllMBER, 196.3 'rel: 688-oJJl

NINm"EEN CONVICTED FOR JULY D'flMONSTRATION, AMERICUS STUDENTS GIVEN .30 DAYS OR $55 FINE

.AMERICUS, "GEORGIA, SEPT:OOER 4-while nineteen persons were convicted here yesterday in connection with July 19 demonstrations, the local Sumter

County Movement pressed economic and school boycotts to free tho~e still in jail.

Albany attorney C.B. King, counsel for the defendants, said students, whose ages ranged from seventeen to nineteen years, were sentenced to 30 days in jail or $5.5 fine each. They had been arrested in connection with demon- strations to desegregate a local movie theater. King said the convictions would be appealed, but that there will be difficulty raising the $110 bond for each of the defendants. The nineteen youths were tried by Judge Leseuer in Recorder's Court.

More than 120 persons are still in jail, the attorney said, some as

much as seven weeks. The cumulative effect of the release bonds which have been set, he said, have proved an effective weapon against the movement.

BOYCOTTS G~T COMMUiHTY SUPPORT

John L. Barnum, Jr., Treasurer or the Sumter County Movement, said

yesterday that a public school ~oycott has gotten almost 100% backi~ by the two thousand Negro students in Americus. The boycott is in protest against the jailing and brutal treatment of other school children who t-iere or are now being held in Leesburg, Dawson and Americus, a Movement leaflet stated. Thirty-two children were arrested on the first day of the boycott while conducting a protest march around Staley Junior High. "Our boys and girls from the first through the twelfth grades will ~------

AMERICUS, CONT •. FOR IMMEDIATE REL SASE P• 2 SEPT_., 1963

stay out of school until every child who is in jail is free to go to school;'' the leaflet stated. Court costs, in addition to the bonds, are an important obstacle to the release of the children,. Barnum said. '.Ihe board of aldermen and the

mayor passed an ordinance Aug. j requiring that each person arrested pay a

fee of $23.50, plus $2 per day·far board The school boycott is in protest against these harassments of the local citizens.

An economic boycott has also been instituted to supnort the demand for release of the students. Barnum said local Negro citizens are buying only the necessities, . drugs and groceries, at a single store downto1'm, refusing to patronize any of the others. The boycotts will continue until some results are achieved, Barnum said. FOUR STILL HELD ON CAPITAL CHARGE, ATTORNEY FILES MOTIONS FOR BOND

Three Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee field workers and one Congress of Racial Equality staff member are still charged 1'Jith attempt to incite insurrection, a _capital offense in Georgia. Under Georgia law no bond need be set because they face a possible death sentence. Attorney C.B. King said yesterday he has presented motions to Sumter County Judge James w• .'Smith "to admit them to bond." Hearings on the motions will not be held until a date is set which is "mutually agreeagle" to the court, the prosecution and the defense, King said. SNCC field workers Don Harris, Ralph Allen and John Perdew, all 2~ years old, ~ere beaten and arrested Aug. 8. during a singing demonstration in front of a Negro cafe here. CORE field worker Zev Aloony was arrested Aug. 17 on the way to a AMF....RICUS, CONT. FOR IMMEDIATE RF-1/ ''ASE P• 3 SEPT .. , 1963

demonstration during which 35 others were jailed.

In addition to the capital charges, Harris, Allen and Perdew have been charged with eight peace bonds each, totaling $40,000 each. Also, the three SNCC workers were charged with unlawful rioti ng, unlawful assembly and obstruction of a lawful arrest on Aug. 8. Harris and Allen were also charged with assault and battery. The court has refused to set bond for these charges, Attorney King said, on the grounds that there was no need to do so at that time.

The SNCC staffers are expected to come t o trial before the Sumter County Supreme Court during November. Unless bond i s set they will be incarcer a.ted at least until the trial. If the capital charges are dropped, they still must post $40,000 bond each f or the peace warrants. If the peace warrants are dropped, bond for the additional charges would have to be set and then pos ted, in order to obtain their release. KING'S CAR SEARED WITH ACID WHILE HE TALKED WI TH JUDGE

Attorney King announced Sept. 3 that the driver's seat of his car was burned with acid while he was talking with Judge James W. Smith about the capital charges against SNCC and CORE staff members. He said his car had been parked in front of the Sheriff's ~office while he was in the Sumter County Court House. King was forced to leave his car in Americus when he returned to Albany.

CHILDREN UNDER 12 RELEASED, DESCRIBE ABOMINABLE JAIL CONDITIONS

On Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, thirteen children under 12 years of age were released in the custody of their parents from the Leesburg jail where they had been detained.

A Sumter County Movement report stated that more than 100 juveniJ.as, AMERICUS, CONT. FOR IMMEDIATE REL F.ASE p. 4 SEPT., 1963

are without mattresses, sheets, or covers. They must sleep in their

clothes on the filthy concrete floor, the report stated. "The only drinking water available to them," it states, "is that from a filthy shower which all of them refuse to use for baths. They hold their hands in cup-like fasion and drink the water from this shower. The toilets are stopped up and the smell is unbearable," the report in:licated. The food ration is four cold hamburgers served each morning, the report stated. That is their only meal. Girl .juveniles who were arrested are being held in a room without windo;,.1s and without ventilation, although they were arrested during the summer months. Male juveniles are also being detained in Americus, in an old abandoned ne1,;spaper building.

SNCC BXEDUTIVE COJvll ITTEE WILL METIT TO PLOT AMEIUCUS ACTION

SNCC Executive Secretary James Forman said today that the executive

committee will meet the weekend of Sept. 6-8 to discuss future action in the Americus situation. SNCC Chairman John Lewis sent a telegram today to Georgia Governor Carl Sanders protesting the vicious police and state trooper brutality during the arrests of more than 200 per sons here. H~ also protes ted the exhorbitant cumulative bonds assesed t hose arres ted

und called for an effort by the governor to get Americus of ficials to break their rigid segregation policies. NEWS RELEASE STUDENT NONVIOIENT COORDINA '.IING CCMMIT!EE 6 Raymond Street, N.W. FOR HEMA 'IE RELF.ASE Atlm ta 14, Georgia SEP'rnMBER, 1963 Tel: 688-o331

THREE SNCC STAFFERS CITED FOR CCNTEMPT .SERi7!NG 10 DAYS WI'IHOUT APPF.AL

Tl\MVILLE, VIIDINIA, Sept. 5-'lhree Student Novniolent COQE'dinating Canmi ttee field workers were sentenc.ed here yesterday to ten days in j ai. l for contempt or court.

Matthew Jones, Samuel Giles and Anna Pearl Avery are now serving their _ tenns, no appeal permitted. '.lhey had come to the courtrocin on Sept. 3 to hear tooir cases, regarding Violation of tha city picketing ordinance, placed on the docket. 'Ihe courtroom was crowded, SNCC field worker 'lhanas Holt said, and not all

the defendants could get in. Hot1ever, many local whites who were not defendants we~e able to enter. Ttie three SNCC workers besan singing outside the courtroom, Holt said, and were then brought into the courtroom by police.· 'Ihey were asked by the judge to . show cause why they should not be held in contempt of court, he said. They went . limp .and failed to an&wer any of the questions put to them by the judge, Holt said. . -30-

SNCC HEAD " RO'IES 'IS AMERICUS SITU\ TION TO ATTORNEY GENERAL AND GOVERNOR ATIAN'D\, GEORGIA, Seot. $--Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee chairman John lewis sent telegrans yesterday to Attorney General .l:\obert Kenedy and Georgia Governor Carl Sanders protesting police state terror in Americus, Georgia.

'lhe chairman said that tre defense of first amendment freedoms for the people is the responsibility of the Justice Department and. the state governor.

'Ihe telegrams emphasized the role of state troopers in sq,pre:ssing local Negro ·J :.'o~est action. -30- NEWS RELEASE STUDENT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE 6 Raymond Street Atlanta 14, Georgia FOR IMMEDIATE-RELEASE 688-0331 September,1963 SNCC WORKER RESIGNS POST TO HEAD PINE BLUFF GROUP

PINE BLUFF I ARKANSAS I September 9 • The Pine Bluff Movement announced t Jday the election of the Reverend Benjamin Grinnage as Chairman or the Mo-:r0ment. Movement officials said Robert Whitfield• former Movement head, resigned to continue his education. Grinnage, formerly a field worker for the Atlahta-based Student Nonviolent Coord.i~ating Committee, resigned his post with SNCC to accept the chairmanship. Grinnage came here in January with SNCC field secretary Bill Han• sen to organize the Pine Bluff Movement. Whitfield and five other Pine Bluff students - suspended from

Arkansas Ao M. &: N. College after they participated in sit-in demonstra• tions - will attend other schools this fall on scholarships given them '"' by sNcc.

SNCC EXF.r:UTIVE COMMITTEE PLANS FUTURE

ATLANTA, GEORGIA, Sept. 11--·Ine Executive Committee of the Student Nonviolent Coord­

ir1ating Commi ttee met the weekend of Sept. 8-9 to plan the year's activities. SNCC decided to give 'Prime emphasis to a "one man., one vote" drive throughout Li .:: sissippi.

SNCC also laid plans for publicizing the problems in Americus, Ga • ., where

there is vicious police brutality, heinous jail conditions, and where three SNCC

field secretaries face possible death sentences.

SNCC also drew up plans for continuing and improving the projects in Virginia.;'

Southwest Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Haryland, and for new projects in North

and South Carolina and Texas. -Jo-

[3i.] (

NEWS RELEASE STUDENT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE 6 Raymond Sti-eet FOR IMMEDIATE :RELEASE Atlanta 14. Georgia September, 1963 688-0331 MOTION FILED TO FREE THREE SNCC WORKERS

.AMERICUS, GEORGIA, September 11 - A hearing is expected within ten ~s on a mation seeking the release of three w:>rkers from the Student Non­ violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) held here without ~ail since August 8 on charges of attempting to incite insurreo~ion. The charge carries the death penalty in Georgia. A motion to admit the three to bond was filed here yesterday by Albany attor ney C• B,. Kinge The three are: Ralph Allen, of Melrose, MassachusettsJ Donald Harris, of New York City; and John Perdew, of Denver, Colorado. The 21-year-old Perdew's case was brought to the attention of Attorney General Robert Kennedy by three Colorado legis).ators. SNCC Chairman John Lewis said he received a telegram yesterday from Colora­ do congressmen Allott, Dominick and Rogers saying they had a~ked the Justice Department to investigate the charges against Perdew. In addition to the insurrection charge, the three SNCC workers are charged with unlawful assembly, rioting, and obstructing a lawful arrest Harris and Allen have also been charged with assault and battery. The three have eight peace bonds against each of them, totaling $40,000. SNCC Chairman Lewis said a similar appeal had been sent to urn achusetts legislators in Allen• s behalf. He said New York Congress•

mc.,:1 Jacob Javits and William Fitts Ryan had already asked for a Justice Department investigation in Harris•s case.

A fourth youth, Zev Aleony6 is also being held on the insurrection charge. Aleony, a field secretary for the Congress of Racial Equality• was arrested August 17. Witnesses at the August 8 aITest of the three SNCC workers said Allen and Harris were beaten by Americus police. ~ws 11E!,EASE STUDENT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE 6 RAYMOND Street FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Atlanta 14, Georgia September, 1963 -688-0331 SNCC PRODUCES PEOTOGRAPHS AND AFFADAVITS TO DOCUI·JENT CHARGES OF POLICE BRUTALITY AND HEINOUS JAI L CONDITIONS I N AMERICUS, GA. ATLANTA, GAo, SEPT. 11--The Student Nonviolent Coordi.r)t;l..ting -. Committee brought 14 Americus residents to Atlanta yesterday to tell newsmen of incredible jail conditions and police brutality in Americus

Ga 0 SNCC centered their charges of brutality around the case of James Williams, a 28-year-old Negro resident of Americus, who said that two state patrolmen and a city policeman in Americus smashed his left leg the night of Aug. 9. His leg will be in a cast at least six months, Williams told newsmen. TJilliams and two witnesses presented affadavi ts to substantiate 'l)illiams's charges. Although the witnesses and Williams talked with the FBI, the Justice Department announced that FBI investigations showed no evidence of police brutality in Americus. SNCC produced photographs of jail conditions in Leesburg stockade, where as many as 36 young girls were kept in a single room with no beds, no mattresses no sheets, no pillows, and no blankets. The youns sters,.two~no ·older than 11 years, told of the overflowing toilets and the fact that they had to use cardboard boxes in which their food was brought, to take care of waste materials. The youngsters and parents of some of those who have been jailed t old newsmen those in jail are fed only four stale, half-cooked ~amburges once a day. ..- 30 --

[ 3"1] ------NEWS RELEASE STUDENT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE 6 Raymond Street FOR IM?-EDIATE REIEASE Atlm ta, Georgia September, 1963 688-0331 KENNEDY ASKED TO PROSECUTE MISSISSIPPI BRUTALITY CASES

ATLANTA, ~ IA• September 11 ""' The Chairman o:r the Student Nonviolent Coordinatir~fk,mmittee (SNCC) has asked Attorney General Robert Kennedy to "aet imr""'t,:itely to prosecute police brutality cases in Jackson and

Clarksdale., Mississippi 0 " SNCC head John Lewis told Kennedy in a telegram "one t'Jf our workers

rr ~: beaten by Jackson police officers. Another SNCC worker and a ClarkE

d:::. ·. .; citizen were beaten by Clarksdale police. When will the Federa1 Government rot to halt the rising tide of terror used to intimidate Southel:'n Negroes?" Presi• . Lewis said. he received the aff~davits from Dr. Aaron Henry, dent of the Mississippi State NAAC~G The SNCC head said the affadavi ts described beatings given by po~. lice to SNCC worker James Jones in Jackson and SNCC worke~ Lafayette

Sumey and James Atkins in Clarksda1e 0 Surney was arrested August 9 in Clarksdale. "Six officersj inelu• ding Police Chief Ben Collins, surrounded me and beat me" he saido 30-yeaco -old Atkins said in his sworn statement he was jailed for assault and battery on September 1. He said police beat him in his s toms.eh m d kicked his genitals• Jameas Jones. a SNCC worker from Jackson, said he was arrested June ... :; He said Jackson policemen Seals and Bennett drove him to an alley

r:: -:. .r the state capitol in Jackson and beat him with clubs. All three of the beaten men asked the Justice Department to "take any action necessary to prevent other Negroes .from being beaten." SNCC Chairman Lewis said he had asked Kennedy to ini'orm him ot the progress of investigations in all three caseso ..30- NEWS RELEASE from: FOR IM1\IIEDIATE RELEASE STUDENT NONVIOLLN'r COORDINATING COMMITTEE ' \ Raymond Street, N.vv. September 15, 1963 \anta 14, Georg ia 088-0331 SNCC 1J\TORIIBRS DISPATCHED TO BIRMDWHAM CALL FOR NATIONAL PRbSSURL AGA I FST HTDUSTRIAL I NTERLSTS

ATLAPTA, GA. --- Four workers for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Comm ittee (SNCC) including the Chairman, John Le wis, arrived in Birmingham on Sep to 15, it was announced here, in response to the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church earlier t hat day , in which four children were killed and 22 others injured. Bond, Danny Lyon and Sam \ $NCC workers Worth Long, Julian ' Shirah, Jr., went there, they stated , "to work for justice for the terrorized Negroes of Birmingham." Chairman John Lewis wired President Kennedy , the Justice • Departmept; and t ho Gonoi-o.1 Socre t8.ry of the United Nations: " 'Ne urge the immediate use of all possible st1·eng th b y the Justice

Department, the Fed0ral Government, and concerned bodies of the _ ~ted Nations, to end t he heinous crimes and bar barism bei ng perpetrated against the Ne gro citizens of BirminghaY11 ."

ATLANTA, GA • ..;, __ In a reque st sent from SNCC headquarte rs here, Northern Coordinator , Sandra Hayden, c alled for i mmed iate

res 9onse from "all friends of justice and supporters of SNCC. 11 "We are asking that you use every possible "'.neans to exert pressure on the corporation executives who con trol much of Birmingham 's economic and racial policies. These industrialists, by their

silence and inaction, are supporting t he killing of innocent ch ildrer In a special mailing , the names and addresses of directors of t en corporati ons which employ ove r one -third of Birmingham' s manu- facturing workers were listed . The appeal also called for demonstrators by supporters , "to prote st the failure of Birmingham

officials to a pprehend those responsible for the 20 some bomb ings ·· ':' a racial nature which have occurred there in the past few months.'~ # NBWS RELLASE from: STUDI~:NT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING CO MMITTEE 8} Raym.ond Streett- N. W. Atlanta 14, Georgia FOR rm.1EDIATE RELEASE 688-0~331

SNCC WORKER ORDERED OFF ALABA JViA CA~1PUS BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, September 16., 1963 -- SNCC worker Sam Shirah, Jr. 1 was ordered off the campus of Birmingham Southern College today, while trying to bring together a group of students from the all-white Metho­ dist college to register protest of the killings of six Negro children in Birmingham on Sept. 15.

Shirah, a 20 year old white native of Alabama, attended Birmingham 3outhern last fall. Dean Ralph Jolly of the college stated here that, 'the policy of the school is that he should leave the campus and never

,., ,. - .. •n I! - \...,. - J.. •• #

250 MOURN BIRMINGHAM IN DANVILLE DANVILLE, VIRGINIA, September 16, 1963 -~ 250 high school students ~arched to the steps of the federal post office in Danville today to hold a demonstration, "rr'lurning the deaths of the six Birmingham youths on Sept. 15," according to Avon Rollins, Executive Committee member of SNCC 4 who is directing SNCC's Virginia project.

During the 15 minute prayer vigil, the students sang"freedom songs" written by SNCC field secretary Matthew Jones, about the recent deaths of Medgar Evers, William Moore, and the Birmingham children. SNCC workers in Danville wired the Secretary General of the United ations, U Thant, to request that Birmingham be placed on the agenda f the General Assembly. Another telegram to U.S. Secretary of Commerce 0 ~. '."' s, urged an embargo on dynamite and explosives going to Alabama. -30-

{3 7) NEWS RELEASE from: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE · ?UDENT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE ·. Haymond Street, N.w. , ,:,l anta 14, Georgia 688-0331 September 16, 1963 90 NEGROES ARRESTED IN SELMA, ALA. PROTEST DEMONSTRATION SELMA, ALA,, --- Over 90 Negroes were arrested here today during a protest demonstration. They were protesting the arrests of five high school students who had staged sit-in demonstrations earlier, and the beatings of two Negro youths. The demonstrators also protested segregation policies in the city. The 90 persons were walking two abreast and · ten feet apart in' the direction of downtown Selma. They were arrested by city and county police, aided by members of a specially deputized posse. Among the arrested was Worth Long, Sta.ff Coordinator and member of the Executive Committee of SNCC. They were loaded into two buses, one belonging to the YMCA, and c: ) a school bus, and taken to jail. The five students were arrested while sitting-in at the lunch counter of Pilcher-McBride's Drugs and Tim's Cafe. The student~, from Austin High School, also demonstrated at seven other lunch counters. More than 500 students are reported to be boycotting the Selma schools in protest of segregation. An affidavit received from Lula Brown, 15, stated that she was knocked from a lunch stool in the Carter-Walgreen Drug Store by the manager, Mr. Carter, and was "temporarily stunned and unconscious." While on the floor, witnesses stated, she was shocked with an electric cattle prodder and hit by a man believed to be a member of the special posse. She was not arrested. A 19 year old Negro was hit from behind and later required seven stitches in his scalp. Witnesses stated that he was hit by a member c f the posse. No arrests were made. SELMA, ALA., Cont. -2""'. September 16, 1963 The charges for the arrests of the 90 persons appear to be "parading without a permit." A recently passed City Council ordinance here defined a parade as "any gathering of three or more people." John Lewis, Chairman of SNCC wired the Justice Department urging immediate investigation of'~he officially organized violence and sup­ pression of the First Amendmentn in Selma. SPECIAL WHITE POSSE FORMED About 300 men dressed in old army fatigues, and armed with pistols rifles and shotguns, are reported to make up a newly deputized posse.

Tr ::- only requirement, according to SNCC worker Julian Bond, appears. to

1: c': ·uhat they be white men over 21. About 30 members of the posse along •. . with county police blocked off the Sylvan Street exit of the Brown Chapel A.MaE. Church today where the demonstration originated. Prior to his arrest, Worth Long conferred with Colonel Ault, Commander of Craig Air Force Base in Selma to request that the city be placed off-limits for Air Force personnel. He also asked for a special Commander's committee to negotiate with the city on its segregation policies. "Both of these moves are provided for under Secretary of Defense McNamara's recent order to defense bases in this country,n wired John Lewis, Chairman of SNCC, to Colonel Ault. Another telegram requested Secretary of Defense McNamara to imme­ diately investigate the rigid segregation policies of Selma and the refusal of the Commander to place the city off-limits. Accord~ng to Bond, only local reporters are present in Selma at

·;t · : time.

-30- NEWS RELEASE from: ~: TUDE }TT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE r_\ Raymond Street, N.w. A~ ~anta 14, Georgia FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE t'. - _'-· 0331 SNCC WORKER CONVICTION UPHELD IN MISSISSIPPI; GETS 90 DAYS AND $100 FINE GREENVILLE, MISS., Septo 16, 1963 -- The conviction of a Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee field worker on the charge of "creat­ ing a disturbance" was upheld here today by Judge Price in the Washing­ ton County Court.

Charles McLaurin, a Negro voter registration worker for SNCC, was also convicted of resisting arrest in connection with a July incident and sentenced to 90 days and $100 fine. He had been standing on the steps of the municipal courthouse after the trial of two fellow workers when he was arrested~ . He had been talking wlth several persons about ~he trial.

He is under $500 appearance bond and $500 appeal bond for each con- 7iction. He was orig:i.nally convicted during July, along with SNCC t~:-c :_d worker Charles Cobb, in the Greenville Municipal Court. # NEGRO RUNS FOR MAYOR OF ALBANY, GEORGIA

ALBANY, GA., Sept. 141 1963 -- ~-,1r., Slater King., Acting President of the Albany Movement, announced here on September 14, that he had quaJi- fied as a candidate to run for Mayor of this city in the October 15, 1963 election.

Mr. King, a Negro, stated that, "In spite of the many instances of police brutality against the Negroes of Albany, I still have faith in this city where I have lived all my life, and believe that there are many people Vlho desire for there to be a better amd more humane city '.'"': Overnment." -" On July 23, 1962, Mrs. Slater King, wife of the candidate, was ~dcked dovm o.nd knocked unconscious while she was in the seventh m onth of pregnancy. Her baby ·was stillborn one month later. -30- IMMEDIATE RELEASE SPECIAL MAILING from: STUDENT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE September 24, 1963 Bl Raymond Street, N.,1JI ! . Atlanta, Georsia 30314 688-0331 AMERICUS, GEORGIA Americus, Georgia is located deep in the Black Belt, in Sumter County. Negroes make up more than 50% of the rural county's population Many people know of Americus only because of the city's long history of violence against Koinonia (Greek: friendship) Farm, a small coopera­ tive farm which does not close its doors to a man because of bis race. Field workers for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Com.mi ttee have been here since January 1963. They have been helping the Sumter -. County M0 vement register voters and aiding attempts by local NeP-roes to use the front door of a movie house instead of the rear balcony en trance.

In the course of this past summer more than 200 Americus Nerroeb have been arrested for participating in voter registration drives, peaceful demonstrations and attempts to use the movie house front door. On April 25, Ralph tUlen, a SNCC worker, was beaten on the ,_;+;,...eet after be had taken a Negro woman to vote at the Sumter County cbouse. SNCC WORKERS ARRESTED ON CAPITAL CHARGES On the night of August 8, police and state patrolmen dispersed 250 Negroes singing in front of a Negro cafe by shooting into the a.ir and brandishing billy clubs. They slugged their way through the group to 21 year old SNCC worker Don Harris, arrested him and dragged him to the police car, but not until they had beaten him in the street. The Negroes scattered to defend themselves .. SNCC workers Ralph Allen and John Perdew, along with local youth Thomas McDaniel, were trampled by police and beaten. Another locru youth, Sallie Mae Durham, was punched severrutimes by police officers. The four were arrested. The three SNCC workers were charged with "inciting to insurrect­ ion,n a capital felony which carries the death penalty (Georgia Code 26-902) ... All of the five have been charged (in addition to the insurrection charge for the SNCC workers) with unlawful assembly, unlawful rioting, and obstruction of a lawful a.rrest. All but Perdew were charged with assault and battery. McDaniels and Durham are in jail now with bonds of $20,000 each. However, the judge refused to set bonds for the SNCC workers, and further eight peace bonds totalling $120,000 were lodged. MORE ARR T;STED - JAIL TREATMENT 175 Negroes started walking toward the police station the next ,t, August 9, to protest the arrests and beatings of the previous 2 ~~J ht. As they wal~ d by two's across a lot {to avoid blocking side­ Jv .. ' 0 ), police, armed with guns; clubs and battery-operated electric c ~ ~. l e prods appeared. The Clty Marshall and Police Chambliss asked if t ;-1ey had a parade permit.. Before t hey could answer, "the officers started bludgeoning groups of boys and girls with clubs and t he cattle prodders, which give a severe s hock and leave burn marks on the flesh," according to John L. Barnum, Jr., Treasurer of the Sumter County M0 vement Milton Wilkerson, 19, Emanuel Mcclendon, 67, Thomas Dou glas, 16, and Johnny Boynton, 16, all required stitches to close the wounds on their beadsit Most of the persons in that group were arrested. Tlle story of t heir treatment in jail was presented when the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee brought several witnesses to Atlanta for a press conference on September 9. Photographs taken by SNCC staff me mber Danny Lyon at t he Le e sburg , Ga. stockade were exhibited. 20 girls, 9-13 years old were held there for as long as one month in a cell 8txl0'x30'. Also s hown were the two commodes which were broken and clogged up so t hat t here was no disposal. (T:1e girls vver.e fed only four hamburgers daily. They had no beds, springs or mattresse: Complaints about t hese conditions to t he Americus Board of Health and t he Georgia Board of Health brought no investigation.

BY-STANDER' S LEG BROKEN BY PO'LICE James Williams, wearing a cast on his leg , was also presented 1t the press conference. He had not been in a demonstration. The ;,cllowing is an excerpt from his notarized affidavit: started across the street ~o t he cafe~ A polideman shouted, 1 dalt.' and we were scared and stoppede Then Gene Mann tan awaj. I talked with t he policemen on Lee Street facing As hby. Then a panel truck with two state patrolman ma de a big knot on my bead behind my left ear with his billy club. He didn't say anything to me bef ore he did it. I fell down and t he two state patrolmen started hitting me up side t he head t hey hit me with something like a baseball bat. I can't describe the pain. But my wh ole head felt swollen and t he blood was gushing down my face. I told t hem I couldn't get up ••• Tbe policemen with t hem said, 'Let me have hi m,' and he stomped me on t he leg . They kept asking me to get up. Then t he state patrol man pulled out a 'hot s hot', a long silver loo~ing stick run by batteries and burned me in t he right rib sectiono •• They took me to jail. Then t hey laid me down by one of t he cells and went out ••• About a half hour later t hey took me out by t he concrete steps ••• Wh en they got me out on t he steps t hey said, ''Wh o do you work for, boy?' I told t hem • •• Then t hey said, 1We better carry this son of a bitch to t he car and get him to t he hospital. t On August 17, 35 more were arrested when t hey went to pray at t !1e police station. Among them was CORR worker zev Aelony. He was c :J arged wi t h "inciting to insurrection. " He had been following t he 7: r oup at some dista.nce. 3 At this date 59 local people remain in jail, "farmed out" to jails and workcamps surrounding Americus. Tbeir bonds are about $200 each but must be posted in cash which is not avrul.able here. On August 13, t he early edition of the Atlanta Constitution carried an announcement by t he Justice Department t hat-FBI investfgation~ in Americus revealed no evidence of police brutality~ BOUND OVF.R TO NOV'8'1BER COURT In an August 20 hearing before Justice of the Peace Bradley, Solicitor Stephen Pace represented the state; Attorney C. B. Ying , of Albany, Ga., represented t he defendants8 They were bound over to t he Superior Court which does not convene until Novembero

For t hree weeks no visits to t he prisoners were allowed. The four held under insurrection c harges are still being h eld incommunicado , Attorney King has been continually harrassed while representing t he young men. On September 3 t he driver's seat of bis car was burned with acid while he talked with Judge James 1J\' . Smith. Mrs. Theresa Wiggins Shields, Secretary of the Sumter County ~ovement, saf d Ne groes hoped for t he establishment of a bi-racial commission. Mayor T. Griffin Walker and City Engineer Charles Wheatley ,vould not agree to t he formation of such a commit;tee. The mayor said 1e had no authority nor any plans to bring the issue before the City ~ouncil.

Newspaper reporters have been intimidated. Police Chief 0 1, ,- ,- 1l iss forced Atlanta Journal reporter Vl' al ter Ru gaber from t he C L ::ai tment bearing on Augus-t ~Oo Chambliss overruled t he judge in forcing him from the hearing, required to be open to the public by law. REMAIN IN JAIL Don Harris, graduate of Rutgers University; Ralph Allen, on leave from Trinity College; and John Perdew, student at Harvar d College--are still in jail., SNCC workers have estimated t hat t hey may :1ave to stay in jail for two years before all legal proceedings are completed. Local people remain also, unable to post t heir bonds.

FA CTS C01\1IPILED FROM:

1. The report of SNCC reporter Mike Sayer, after six days spent gather­ ing data in Americus. 2. Tape recordings ma de in Americus (after t he release on probation of some of t he local people arrested d uring August) by Alan Ribback, Pres i dent of Ptolemaic Enterpri ses, Inc., Audio Productions. 3. El even (11 ) sworn notarized affidavi ts from J ames Williams, He nrietta Ful ler, El i zabeth Thoma s, Lorine Sanders, Robertina Freeman, Lorena Barnum, Emma Jean Times, Thomas Mc Grady, Lena Turner, Bobby L. Jones, citizens of Americus.,

1' '" Press conference held in Atlanta, September 9, at which witnesses spoke, and p hotographs were exhibited. Photographs by SNCC staff member Danny Lyon.

['-13] 4 The Atlanta Constitution . Attorney C. B. King'sc)ffi ce, Albany, Ga. Letters from the three SNCC workers while in :jail. P ?R OF RALPH ALLEN FROM T!fE SUMTER COUNTY JAIL. This letter, dated t ~:) ~emoer 13, was sent from the jairwbere- t he four young men are i ~carcerated. It was smuggled out, since they are not allowed to send letters nor to receive them. To Whom it May Concern: I am writing from t he Sumter County jail in Americus, Georgia, where I have been incarcerated for the past 37 days. My name is Ralph Allen and I am a w hite student on leave from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, where I completed two and one half years of study toward my BA degree. For a little over a year now I have been working with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Southwest Georgia.

On the evening of August 8, I attended a mass meeting of t he Sumter County Movement, an organization of Sumter County Negroes formed to direct long years of black discontent into channels of peaceful direct action~ At the meeting, w hich was held at a Negro church, I talked about t he importance of registering black voters il conjunction with recent waves of demonstrations wh ich h a d swep t t he city under t he auspi ces of t he movement. After t he meeting, I walked towa rd t he center of' t he Ne gro section of town with a group of black friends. We were looking f'or the SNCC car and for a fello~ SNCC worker, Don Harris of t he Bronx , New York. As we neared t he intersection above the church where t he meeting h a d been held, t here were two groups of Negroes lined up on the sidewalks on either side of t he street, and a group of police standing in and across t he intersecti on. The Negroe s began singing, so I deliberately held back, t hinking t hat I did not want to risk arrest because I was · ~pposed to transport people to the courthouse to register to vote the next day.

However, as I approached t he intersection I saw t he police arrest Don Harri s, a Negro who has been working with t he movement in Americus for many months. Wh en t he police arrested Don, he, sat down in an attitude of peaceful non-cooperation. Then, as people began to surge into t he street, I walked up to the intersection and asked some people to move back onto t he sidewalk unless t hey wanted to be arrested with Don, and to tell t hem t hat if t hey wanted to be arrested with Don, t hey s hocild sit in t he street with hi m. T hen I a ga in r etreat e d back d ow n t he s treet from t he i nter­ s ection. As I di d t wo t hings happened: a squa d car arrived to take Don to jail and someone began t hrowing what appeared to be bri cks and bottles. These missles did not come from t he demonstrators but from behind a group of buildings w hich face into t he intersectior Police t hen began to wa de into t he crowd of demonstrators with clubs dri v i ng t hem back down t he s treet with me, while someone in pla in clothes stood at t he i ntersection firing a pistol i n t he air. As people came by me, I stepped back off t he sidewalk to let t hem pass. Then t he c i ty marshall c harged me from across t he street and hit me a couple of times on t he back and s houlders with a small object before I could back away out of his range. I t hen noticed

[1.11.JJ 5 another white SNCC worker, John Perdew, as the marshall attacked him. After beating Perdew up for a few seconds, he came after me and hit me twice on t he head with a billy club before I turned awa.y a.gain.

Then he said, "Vlihen I say 'run' you'd better run, you nigger­ lovin' son of a bitch."

He then proceeded to drive Perdew a.nd me behind a. group of buildings through the parking lot and back into the intersection with repeated licks of his billy a.bout our head and s houlders. Once in the intersection I was surrounded by a group of city police. One of them was yelling at me and wanted to beat me some more., but t he others calmed him down. My bead was streaming blood. I asked one of t he police if I were under arrest and one of t hem said, 'Yes.' I asked, what for, and was told, "Disorderly conduct. · I was taken to the city jail and t hen to the hospital where my head was partly s haven and patched. The "following day Don Harris., John Perdew, Sally Mae Durham Jnd Junior MacDaniels (the latter two from Americus) a.nd I were :-.icved to the Sumter County jail.. A few days later we were told that all five of us were c harged with "assault and battery.," "rioting, 11 "unlawful assembly.," and 11 interferi ng with a lawful arrest." Don, John and I were c harged with "inciting an insurrection," a capital offense. About a. week later, we were taken to ·a hearing where our lawyer, C. B. King of A.lbany, Georgia, was consistently overruled. The hearing served to indicate only t hat t he state will continue to hold us in jail despite what appears to be utter lack of evidence. Don, John and I are being h eld without bond . Eight peace warrants have also been lodged against us., totalling $40 ,000 for each of us, or $120,000. We are scheduled to appear before the Superior Court in November., when the term opens. s/ Ralph Allen SOME FACTS ON THE BASIS FOR FEDERAL ACTION Section 242 of the U. s. Criminal Code creates a legal basis for federal prosecution of: "Whoever, under color of any law •• ,. willfully subjects ~ •• any inhabitant of any State ••• to t he deprivation of any r : ghts, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by t he Consti­ cc.. tion and laws of t he United States ••• "

A tria.l on t bis basis, not involving misdemeanors, does not even "equire indictments from a grand jury. P~osecution may ta.ke place by :be presentation of information by t he Justice Department. Within the present administrative machinery for enforci n g federal p •· , on the advice or order of t he Justice Department, t he u. s. \~L ~rney of a judicial district may f ile a civil s uit (this may also be done by a Clvil Rights Division lawyer from the Department) asking t hat the federal court issue an injunction to forbid specified parties from en ga ging in ·certain practices depriving individuals of constitutional rights.

Fts] 6

The "Albany Report, 11 by Howard Zinn (former professor at Spelman College) published by the Southern Regional Council and reported in the New York Times in 1962, notes, "In the Debs case of 1895 there was no specific legislative basis for an injunct'Ion, yet the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government could get one, saying: "Every governmente •• has a right to apply to its own courtsa in matters which t he Constitution has entrusted to the care of t he national government. The Court said: 11 The entire strength of the nation may be used to enforce in any part of the land the full and free exercise of all national powers and the security of all rights entrusted by the Constitution to its care"" In a letter to the New York Times, dated September 19, Howard Zinn, along with Murray Kempion, edftor-~o? the New Republic, and Professor r. , "t1as Pettigrew, a specialist in race relatlons at Harvard, propose t. , formation of 1'special federal force of civil rights agents -- E-''e1 - - for equality." They suggest the creation of the special force by presidential order with "several thousand federal a gents (similar to - t he T-men of t he Trea sury Department, who also have a single function), to stand permanent gua r d t hroughout t he Deep South in t be protection of t he constitutional rights of the people in that region. This force would have the authority to make arrests on the spot (unlike t he FBI, which apparently can on~ stand by and take notes while people are beaten) t he moment a move is made to violate t he Fourteenth Amendment ••• The President, at t his moment, has constitutional and statutory bas is for creat i ng such a force and giving it such authority," despite hi s insistence t hat more le gislative authorization is needed from Congress, they state. Tj e letter continues: "The olrl statute used by Eisenhower in t he Little Rock situation says t he President 'by using t he militia or t he armed force s , or both, or by any other means, s hall tak e such me a sures as he considers ne cessary' to protect t he constitutional r i ght s of a s t ate' s i n habit ants i f l oca l officials 'are unable, fail or refuse' to protect them." Attorney Arthur B. Caldwell, Assistant to Burke Marshall, Head of the Civil Rights Divi sion, Justice Department, stated: "It is t he deprivation of t hese Federally prot ected right s by a law enforcement a gent acting under color of l aw t hat calls for investi gation by t he FBI and prosecution by t he Department of Justice ••• If t he i nvestigatior indicates t hat t he law has been violated t he Civil Right s Division directs t he United States Attorney of t he appropriate district to nresent t he facts to a grand jury where an indictment may be returned . :~:· t t1 e gr a nd j ur y does not indict, t he United States Attorney _;:~0c ute s t he case in the local Feder al Dist r i ct Court." ( "The ?eder a l Gover nment and Civil Ri ght s ," released f rom t he Justice Department, July 23, 1963.)

"If t hese four young men must remain in jail for t wo- four years until t he case rea ches t he Supreme Court, it will rest on t he conscience of every American who failed to urge immediate federal prosecution of Sumter County

off,ic ia 1 s . 11 --- John Lewis, Cha irman, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Commi t tee EXC.F.RPTS FROM ELEVEN AMP,RICUS AFFIDAVITS

Lorine Sanders, being duly sworn deposes and says: I was arrested July 19 with 42 others wh ile on t h e way to t he City Hall to protest t he arrest of t he seven people t hat were arreste~ for tryine: to purc !-:ase tickets. at t he Martin Theater. Tbe group consisted of ei ghteen younr: adults and t wenty-four adults ••• Wh ile t he group was stand ing and singing, Chief Chambliss with t hree officers, Sheriff Chappell, and a number of state troopers; Chief Chambliss said: ''All right, you people are under arrest." He bad not told us to dispert All of us sat down except two other people. ~ girl, Lena Turner, stood ~ea ding a bible and a boy k nelt. Sheriff Chappell screnmed to t he boy, 'Sit down, nigger, with t he rest of t j e crowd." He t hen looked at t ~e ·i rl and said , "You sit down, too. You feel like a frog too. Jump, ~amn it." ••• I spent fifty-two days and fifty-t hree nigl1ts in t he city ·ail of Americus ••• "

)b ertina Freeman, being duly sworn deposes and says:

1. ··--am 13 years old and was in Leesburg stockade from August 21 to ·. u ~· L. st 31 ••• There were two toilets and t 11ey were stopped up wh en I got t ~, ere. They wouldn't worv:. At first t hey had to use t hem because t j ey had nothing else ••• But soon t hey were overflowing and couldn't be used anymore. Tl-:i en t 11 e girls starte~ urinating in t he draln near t he shower ••• The very next day t he guards took away our remaining beds Jecause we were singing and praying . So t hen we started sleeping on ~he floor with no mattresses, no bef s, no blankets, no s ~eets, no 1otbing . T'.1e floor was wet with the waste material from when t hey 11ad Jeen dra gging t he mattresses out of t t e cell •••

Lorena Barn~~ being duly sworn deposes and says: I am eleven years olrl ••• The only water available ca.me from t he s hower.. There were two tin cups for t he 32 c hil0. ren. T!1 e water was warm and sometimes hot. It tasted rusty and sometimes looked cloudy. r L1 e s !1ower was so filt hy where you hari to walk with your s hoes off t hat no one took s howers when I was t here ••• One late evening two of t he girls were sick. One girl ha d a bad :1eart and t he ot her a bad appendix. One girl was trembling so bad and t he other was crying an d ask ing for help so we cal led for t he guard . He ignored us for about 15 minutes and when he came, he said t hat he wouldn't come a gain until t he other white ''1 n would come home. We' called again and after several hours t he cl1 er man came. He said t here was nothing wrong with t '~·e girls. He a id "If t hey aren't dead by morning, we'll come and look at t hem again.''

)bby Lee Jones, being d uly s worn deposes and says: I am 19 years old ••• Several particular :J.ncidents occurred. Wh en v· :: e in t he City Jail of Americus one nigh t t hey brought in about 15 ~-rL; who ha ri been demonstrating . They ha d been burned by cow prods 3 n~ were sore from beinF h it. They put all t he girls in a room about 8x l2 wh ere t hey were refuse ri medical care and where t hey remained for about 2 days ••• . )

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,.. , EC I AL REPORT FROM: DIIMEDIA.TE RELF.i\ S'R --··--·- .... - . . ·- -- .. :._ :;:;lJDENT NONVIO LENT COORDI WA TING COW1H TTEE -- - 8! Raymond Street, W.W. Atlanta , Georgia 30314 September 24 , 1963 688-0331

A M ERICU S , G E OR G IA

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