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STUDENT VOICE, INC. 6 Raymond Street, N. W. Atlanta. Georgia 30314 MFDP TO CHALLENGE CONGRESSIONAL SEATS MILESTON. MISS.-TheMiss- · . issippi Freedom Democratic Party has decided to challenge the seating of four Mississippi legislators in the U,S, Congress. The decision was made at a state-wide meeting of the MFDP here in the newly dedicated l Mileston Community Center Oct, 18, after Henry Reeves, MFD county chairman for Benton County made the motion. The plan was seconded by Hartman Turnbow, Holmes County leader Balloting On who called for the use of "every available legal resource" to aid Oct. 30 - Nov.2 the challenge, The MFDP decision was part JACKSON, MISS. - Lastmin ly triggered by the refusal of ute plans for a state-wide Mississippi Secretary of State "Freedom Vote" in which all Heber Ladner to accept pet Mississippians will be able to itions signed by 1000 voters ask vote are being completed here, ing that FOP candidates be plac Sponsored jointly by the Miss ed on the ballot for the Nov. 3 issippi Freedo m Democratic elections, The Freedom candi Party and the Council of Fed dates contesting the elections erated Organizations, the are ; Aaron Henry, Council of F r eedom Vote will include on Federated Organizations and its ballot the Republican and state NAACP chairman who is Democratic Party's candidates running against Sen. Stennis for fo r President and Vice- Presi the Senate, Mrs, Fannie Lou Ha dent as well as localDemocra mer, vice-chairman of the FOP tic and Freedom Democratic delegation to theDemocraticNa Party candidates for Congress, tional Convention, who is chal The election will be open to lenging Rep. Whitten for the any resident ofMississippiwho Congressional seat from r.he 2nd is over 21 and who has lived District, Mrs, Annie Devine run in the state for two years, ning in the 4th and Mrs. Victoria According to MFDP chairman Lawrence Guyot addresses the executive committee of the Miss Gray in the 5th District. Lawrence Guyot, the Freedom issippi Freedom Democratic Party, The three FOP candidates for Election "will give local Ne CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 groes and whites a chance be tween the segregationistcandi dates of the closed regular YOU CAN VOTE NEGROE~· REFUSED· Mississippi Democratic Party and a slate of MFDP candi What? When? PLACE ON BALLOT dates. It will also give the Who? Where? majority of the state' s voting JACKSON, MISS,- The Miss Who can vote in the Freedom Vote? Anyone, white or Negro, who issippi State Election Commis age Negroes a chance to par is 21 year s old and who has lived in Mississippi for two years, ticipate in the election process sion has refused to place the Where do you cast your Freedom Vote? At a school, church, names of three Negroes on the for the first tim e since Re in a "Votemobile'~ Check with your local COFO office or with November 3 general election construction.' ' members of- the Freedom Democratic Party, ballot. All are candidates of COFO official s announced that Who can you vote for in the Freedom Vote? For President L.B . the Freedom Democratic Party over SO volunteers had already at-rived in the state to assist Johnson, a Democrat, or for Barry Goldwater, a Republican. You (FOP). can also vote for the Freedom Vote candidates, who could not get The commission - composed voter registration workers on on the ballot in the general election. of Governor Paul Johnson, At the 20 COFO projects and that When can you vote in the Freedom Vote? On Oct. 21, Nov. l torney General Joe Patterson " at least 75 more ar e expect and Nov. 2. If you are a registered voter, you can also vote in and Secretary of State Heber ed this week." the general' election, Nov, 3. CONTINUED 0 !\ P,\GE 4 CONTINUED ON P .-\ GJ::: 4 OCTOBER 28 , 1964 STUDENT VOICE FREEDOM VOTE CANDIDATES
MRS. F;\NN!c LUU HAMER MRS. ANNIE DEVINE AARON HENRY MRS. VICTORIA GRAY The Freedom Democratic Mrs. Annie Devine was born Aaron Henry, 46-year-old Mrs, Victoria Gray, the 37- Party candidate for the 2nd Dis - in Mobile, Ala,, and moved Clarksdale, Miss. druggist, is year""old Freedom Democratic trict seat is Mrs. F annie Lou to Canton, Miss. when she the Mississippi Freedom Demo Party candidate for Representa Hamer of Ruleville, Mrs . Ha- was two-years-old. She has two cratic Party candidate for the tive of the 5th District in Miss mer is 46 years old and lives years of university credit from Senate against incumbent John issippi, lives with her and three with her husb::md and adopted Tougaloo College. Mrs. Devine Stennis. Chairman of the Council . children in Hattiesburg, children in Sunflower Colll1ty, served as a teacher in Madison of Federated Organizations and Mrs, Gray, who opposes De site of Senator james 0. East- County for 8 years, She has the Mississippi NAACP, Mr, mocratic incumbent William land's plantation. also worked as debit manager Henry is married and has a Colmer for the 5th District seat Mrs. Hamer filed an applica- for a life insurance company. daughter in Clarksdale. was educated at Wilberforce Uni tion ro register to vote on Au- In june 1964, Mrs, Devine, long "Doc" Henry, as he is af versity (now Central College) in gust 31, 1962 and was dismiss- a leader in her community, join fectionately known to Negroes all Wilburforce, Ohio, She was a ed that same day from her job ed the staff of COFO in a full over the state, has been active school teacher and business wo as timekeeper on a cotton plan- time capacity, Mrs. Devine be ly engaged in the civil rights man state supervisor of the Sou ration, a job she had held for lieves in the need for "vigorous movement in Mississippi for thern Christian LeadershipCon 18 years. Ten days later 16 local participation in politics if many years. In December of ference' s citizenship program shots were fired into the house Negroes are to receive their 1961 he was arrested for organi and is a member of the SCLG in which she was staying. rights in Mississippi." zing a boycott against Clarks •board of directors. She also Mrs, Hamer has worked full- "The real keys to freedom dale stores which refused to use serves on the General Board of time in the citizenship-teaching are organization ·and education. courtesy titles in dealing with Education of the Methodist Chur programs of the Student Nonvio- We have registered 500 Negroes Negro patrons. In June of 1963, ch and is director of COFO's lent Coordinating Committee and in Madison County but there are along with 70 persons he picket intensified voter registration the Southern Christian Leader- more than 10,000 qualified to ed every segregated church in program in Hattiesburg. ship Conference. While return- vote. The reason the White Citi- Clarksdale, On July 8 he was Mrs, Gray began attempts to ing from a SNCC workshop on zeus Councils are so powerful enjoined from participating in register to vote in Forrest Coun June 13, 1963 Mrs. Hamer was in this state is because they are "all meetings and congrega ty in 1959, It required four arrested on a charge of dis- so well organized. It is time tions." He was arrested three years and the agency of a three orderly conduct and severely that the forces of justice and em weeks later and served one week judge panel of the Fifth Circuit beaten while in jail. She ha s ancipation become as well or on a chain gang for "parading Court of Appeals before she was identified the officers of the ganized, as the forces of injus without a permit." finally registered in July of 1963. Miss_issippi HighwayS tate Patrol tice and oppression," Because of his outspoken ad National Committeewoman for who were responsible for her "And just as important, we vocacy of Negro civil rights, the MFDP, Mrs. Gray was one beating, The beating aggravated must become better educated. "Doc" Henry is reputed to be of the first people to house work a childhood disorder leaving one This means political education high on the assasination lists of ers from the Student Nonviolent leg partially paralyzed and she and citizenship training for a local hate organizations, His Coordinating Committee (SNCC) has never fully r ecovered from dults, and it means long, hard home in Clarksdale has had to be when they first set up projects its effects, hours of studying by our young- guarded by armed men because of in Hattiesburg in 1961. In the Her opponent in the 2nd Dis- er generation. We want free repeated threats against his life regular Democratic primary trier is Rep. Jamie Whitten, dam, not only for our children, and family. held June 2 of this year, Mrs. chairman of the House Appro- but for ourselves, now." Gray opposed John Stennis for priations Subcommittee of the "But if we are to participate In 1963 Henry ran for Gover nomination to the seat once held Committee on Agriculture, The in our society as equals, and nor of Mississippi on a Free by arch- racist Theodore Bilbo. district has a Negrc , jJOpulation even to advance a~ individuals, dom ticket on which the Rev. comprising 59% of the total but we must concentrate on educa Edwin King ran for Lt. Gover Anthony Gray, husband of the only a small fraction of voting tion with all the effort and all or and Mrs. Fannie Lou Ha candidate is by . profession a age Negroes are registered. the determination with which we mer for the U.S. Senate , Mr. plumber who cannot work at his In a recent campaign speech, _ s_e_e_k_ o_u_t _f_r _e_e_d_o_m_._·.· ------1 Henry was elected chairman of trade because Hattiesburg will Mrs. Hamer summed up the po the delegation sent by the Free not license Negro plumbers. Be have little industry and few dom Democratic Party to the na fore last June he had worked litical needs of her district: towns. The dominant economic "Politically this district re tional convention in Atlantic City for the Department of Water system is sharecropping and we Ia st August. Works in the city of Hattiesburg mains isolated from the main have the lowest family income but was dismissed from his job stream of American life. Con level in the nation. And we know, ditions currently prevailing in He received his degree in when .it was learned that Mrs. in our hearts, we wam to chang~ pharmacy .at Xavier University. Gray was entering the primary. Mississippi are horrible. We these conditions." STUDENT VOICE OCTOBER 28, 1964
Workers Arrested On Illiterates Vote, I Syndicalism Charge Negroes B'arred I BELZONI, MISS. - Four men GREENVILLE, MISS. - Some including two field secretaries white people who can't read or from the Atlanta-based Student write are registered voters in Nonviolent Coordinating Com- Sunflower County, Federal court mittee (SNCC) - are being held testimony revealed last week. under $1,000 bail each on charg- One white voter testified that e s of "crimina! syndicalism" here. .although his name is on the rolls he didn't "know how it got The four were jailed Oct.lS as there." Another white voter said they were walking down a street he'd never seen a registration in Belzoni's Negro neighborhood, f d h 'd h 'd orm, an anot er sa1 e re They are William Ware, from ceived help from Sunflower Minneapolis, Minn.; Robert County registrars. Bass, Ellis Jackson and Joe Sunflower county is the home Louis Stigler, of Sen. James 0. Eastland (D.-- The "criminal syndicalism" Miss.). Only 114 Negroes from statute was passed by the state an eligible total of 13,524 are legislature last spring shortly voters , wh1·re ove r sow o f th e 'before a state-wide Mississippi 10 elig.ible whites are registered. Mileston Opens Cc•mmunity Center Summer Project began. The law Four Negro witnesses testified MILESTON, MISS.-Anover their white friends were build 'prohibits anyone teaching or ad- th y h d f ·1 d th t t h'l e a a1 e e es , w 1 e flow crowd of 300 people crowd ing two community centers," vacating "the commission of one white woman, who has pas seC: ed into and around the audi Another community center was crime, violence or force as a testified .she couldn't define the means of accomplishing or in , torium of a newlyerectedcom built this summer in Carthage word "imprisonment, ' even munity center to hear speeches in Leake County. affecting a change in agriculture though she lived at Parchman, or industrial ownership or con- from leaders of the Holmes A sheroff also said that the site of the state prison. trol or in affecting any politi- County Movement and candidat work of the center was just The testimony came at a non cal or social change," es of the Mississippi Freedom beginning, "It can be the free jury trial that began Oct. 12, The new law has been used Democratic Party speak in the dom center of Holmes county. The U.S. Department of Justice only twice, in Belzoni and in opening ceremonies of the new It can be regarded as an of is seeking an injunction against structure, The community cen fering from friends in Califor McComb, where 15 Negroes are Sunflower County circuit clerk ter, a result of the Mississippi nia who as long as Negro are still behind bars following their d g· t C ·1 C b 11 an re lS rar ec1 .amp e 21 Summer Project of COFO, is held in bondage in Mississippi, arrest Sept. • forbidding him from discrimina- the brainchild of Californians are held in shame and guilt.'' Witnesses said the four youths ting against Negro voting appli Abe Asheroff and Jim Boebel. Boebel told the crowd that were approached by a Belzoni cants, Asheroff and Boebel, Los An he hoped the building would policeman who told them they The Atlanra-basedStudentNon geles carpenters, decided to serve as a reminder that all were wanted a police headquart- violent Coordinating Committe'e work with a Delta community white people were not oppress ers. When they refused to enter (SNCC) has been conducting avo in the erection of a COJTlmunity ors, referring directly to the the car, they were placed under ter registration drive in Sun- center as a part of the Summer State Patrol cars which were .,_,;;a;.rr;.;;,e;;:.st~,:...------_, flower County for two years, Project. Funds for materials cruising on the highway out- In its suit, the government of the center were contributed side, · Four Whites Held For maintains that Negroes are gen by residents ofLosAngelesand Hartman Tornbow of Tchula, erally required to fulfill voter the center was built by Asher chairman of the Holmes County Attacks On Workers requirements specified by state off and Roebel with the help of Movement told the crowd that law while whites are generally the local community, the building would be used in NATCHEZ, MISS. - State and required to meet either less The modern one story wooden the struggle to secure justice Federal authorities are holding stringent requirements or no re frame building is set on the edge for Negroes in Mississippi. He four white men on charges of quirements at all. of a soy bean field on land urged the crowd to participate "assault and battery with intent leased to the community by a in the Freedom elections be to kill" two civil rights work- lzations. COFO is sponsoring local Negro farmer. cause if "If we seek first the ers. a similar campaign this fall. Rev. ]. ]. Russell of Miles ballot boxes then all will add The four are charged with The four whites, all Natchez ton performed the ceremony, ed to us. It is time for us to shooting at and beating George men, are being held in Jackson dedicating the building to the join together to help ourselves Greene, a Negro worker for the following their arrest here Oct. work for freedom in Holmes as we joined together to build Student Nonviolent Coordinating '112•2•,•••••••••••••IIIII County (Negro population 87, this center.'' Turnbow said. Committee (SNCC), and Bruce • 000), using the Biblical text Mrs. Victoria Gray from Payne, a white volunteer work WASHINGTON, D.C.-The Fed "I have surely built a house for Hattiesburg, called the er from Arlington, Va, eral government has given the you, and a habitation for you to building "a labor of love, not They are charged with beating city of Philadelphia, Miss, - dwell in forever." merely a building but a dream Payne, a graduatestudentatYale scene of the murder of three made reality, a reo.lity above university, in a PortGibson ser civil rights workers this past Abe A sheroff, the white Cali price.'' She urged the pe•Yple vice station on Oct. 31, 1963, and summer - $33,400 in Federal fornia carpenter, who with Mrs. of Holmes County to spreHd out with firing three shots at a car funds. A sheroff and Jim Boebel rais into neighboring counti.e~ in carrying Greene and Payne near The money , which will help ed the money for the center, support of the rv\ F D candidates Fayette, Miss. One shot lodged construct an airport and related and directed the work said; and voter registratiou. in the car, but neither man was facilities, was awarded by the ' 'What I hope will be said of The white wooden f r ~.·co·c injured. Federal Aviation Agency under this center is that in the sum building contains a large ;_: ~,. ~..:i- Payne was in Mississippi last the FederalAidAirportProgram mer of 1964 when white folks toriu!Tl, two bathl'o')n ~., .: kit· fall to work on a mock guber and is part of $626,502whichhas in Mississippi were burning chen and library --:_-r;:na.i.nlng natorial election sponsored by just been awarded to seven Miss down some 30 chLtrc:hes, the 7000 volumes ,;on.~~-=·j by the Council of Federated Organ- issippi cities. Negro folk::: uf Mississippi and friends in the Nor·th. OCTOBER 28, 1964 STUDENT VOICE ln the June 2 Democratic MISS. BALLOT primary Mrs, Hamer ran a FREEDOM VOTE gainst Rep. Jamie Whitten of CONTINUED FROM PAGE l CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Mississippi's 2nd Congres Ladner - said Oct. 6 the three sional District, Mrs, Gray fac The volunteers will join with did not have the required num ed Sen, John Stennis, Rev, John local FOP precinct and county ber of signatures of register Cameron of Hattiesburg faced organizations in manning poll ed voters on their petitions. Rep. William Colmer of the ing places and mobile "Vote Actually, the petitions con 5th District and James W. mobiles" in an effort to give tained more than the needed Houston faced Rep. John B. significant numbers of Miss number of signatures, but many Williams of the 3rd District, issippi's voteless Negro pop county registrars refused to Dr. Henry - who is state ulation a chance to c<.st a ballot. certify them, Also many re NAACP head - ran for Gover-. The Freedom Ballot will carry gistrars acknowledged neither nor in a Freedom Vote- cam the names of four MFDP can the U.S. 24th ·Amendment nor paign in November, 1963, with didates who have been exclud state laws passed last spring Rev, Edwin King, -white chap ed from the regular ballot, to implement that amendment, lain of Tougaloo College - as "We intend to show that the They demanded prior payment capchdate for Lieutenant Qov- people presently alleged to be of poll taxes as a requirement ernor. They polled 90,000 representing Mississippi in LAWRENCE GUYOT for certification. votes cast by the state's disen Washington are only represent A tty. Gen. Patterson called franchised Negroes in church ing a small minority of the dom Elec.tion in which Aaron Henry and the Rev, Edwin the three petitions "ridicu es, schools, poolrooms and population," FOP chairman lous.'' The three candidates votemobiles over a three-day Guyot said, King ran for Governor and Lt. are Mrs, Fannie Lou Hamer of period. Henry had tried to qual "We are particularlyhopeful Governor, The Freedom Can Ruleville, Or, Aaron Henry of ify as an independent against in the 2nd District where vot didates got over 90,000 Free ing-age Negroes are in the ma Clarksdale and Mrs. Annie De Sen. Stennis but Gov. Patter dom Votes from Mississippi's vine of Canton. son and the election commis jority," he added. "A large voteless Negro population, They and two otherNegroes sion disqualified him. Earlier vote will show that more people Guyot, a native Mississippian there will vote for Mrs. Hamer Mrs. Victoria Gray of Hatties th.:" election commission had and field worker fortheStudent than the white Democratic can burg and Harold Roby of Can ruled that neither Mrs. Hamer Nonviolent Coordinating Com didate, Rep, Jamie Whitten, and ton - will run against white nor Mrs. Gray could participate mittee (SNCC), said the first opposition in a Freedom Vote in both the Democratic primary that if these people were a!-. 50 workers were dispatched to lowed to vote, Mrs. Hamer and Oct, 31 through Nov, 2, and the general election, 17 Council of Federated Or not Rep. Whitten would be the The Freedom Vote will be a Mrs, Devine will face Rep. ganizations projects ranging Representative in Washington:• supplement to the regular na:. Arthur Winstead in the state's from Holly Springs in northern tiona! election -- the only dif 4th District. The MFDP said voting will Mississippi to Biloxi and Gulf be done Oct, 30 through Nov. ference being that all residents All of the candidates have port in southern Mississippi. 2 "in churches, schools, com will be eligible to vote regard been enjoined by the state from The volunteers, mostly white munity centers, barbershops, less of color. Civil rights participating in the affairs of male college students, come cottonfields, in fact, anywhere leaders hope that this will bring the FOP. from Princeton, Stanford, that people are." attention to the gross inequalit Brande:s, Tulane, andSouthern The FOP also plans to legal ies of the Mississippi elec Illinois Universities, and Ober toral system, SEATS CHALLENGED ly challenge the seating of lin, Dartmouth, Sarah Lawren CONTINUED FROM PAGE l Mississippi' s Congressional Mrs, Hamer was vice-chair the House have been carhpaign- ce at'ld St. Elizabeth's Colleges, delegation in Washington next man of the Mississippi Demo ing despite attempts by state Last year's "Freedom Vote," January, man of the Mississippi FOP officials to enjoin them from offered Mississippi citizens - In 1963, COFO staged a Free- delegation which tried unsuc any further participation in the and the state' s 325,000 unreg cessfully at the Democratic affairs of the Freedom Demo dation and other repressive mea istered Negroes who are eligi National Convention to take the cratic Party. sures. Since our candidates have ble to vote - a choice between seats held by the all-white re Lawrence Guyot, MFD chair been denied the ballot we shall 3egregationist Democratic and gular Mississippi Democratic man told the meeting that steps conduct a separate election in Republican candidates and Party, The Freedom Demo would be taken to implement the which ;;very qualified Mississ an integrated slate of "Free crats - who pledged loyalty to resolution, "We will prove to the ippian will be allowed to vote," dom Vote" candidates running the national party -were offer nation and to Congress that the Guyot said that the "freedom for Governor and Lieutenant ed a two-seat compromise, regular Mississippi Congress election" would prove th3t re Governor, The "Freedom Vo which they refused, All but men enjoy their high position be presentative democracy was te" slate polled 80,000 votes, two of the regular delegation cause 90% of the state'sNegroes observed in Mississippi the re This year's Freedom Vote, refused to take the loyalty pled are traditionally and systemati sults of theN ov. 3 elections would held the three days before the ge and were refused seats, cally disenfranchised by intimi- be substantially different, general election Nov. 3, will " In January," Guvot said, offer Mississippians a choice "the Mississippi Freedom De to vote for Democratic or Re publican candidates for Presi Student -mocratic Party will go to Wash dent and Vice President and Nonviolent 6 Raymond St., N .W. ington, in much the same way MFDP candidates for Federal Coordinating Atlanta, Ga, 30314 that we went to Atlantic City, to offices, Committee ask the U.S. Congress and the nation to refuse. to seat the Miss The candidates and the FOP Enclosed is my donation of $ to SNCC to continue issippi Congressmen until all will campaign actively for the the struggle for true democracy in-,th-e-=s-o-u-th,...., Americans in Mississippi who Johnson-Humphrey slate. are entitled to vote enjoy that Members of the StudentNon Name • , ...... , ••• right." violem Coordinating Committ ee (SNCC) havehelpedorganize Address • Guyot told the meeting that City • . . . . •.. , •••• , • , State , ••• , , , • , • Zip •• , • , • plans would immediately be made voter - registration drives in to file suits in ·Federal courts Mississippi since 1961, SNCC The first $3.00 of each donation goes toward a subscription in challenging the r-esult and me- staffers work closely with local civil rights leaders throughout The Student Voice, SNCC's newspaper. thods of the elections in Miss issippi. the state,