Two Summers in Mississippi (The writer of this article went to Mississippi Vicksburg, and returned for the summer of 1965. with the 1964- Summer Project, stayed through Here he compares the two summers and assesses part of the winter, helped found a newspaper in the present situation in the state.) BY DAVID RILEY unprofitable it can be to resist dissatisfied: more than a handful JACKSON, Miss.—Four or five agreeing. does not mean the masses. times a day over the p.a. system, Aside from changing the atti­ "You can't talk to a person a dusky woman's voice, a white tudes of whites, the same three about the Congressional Chal­ voice, announces that the airport factors have profoundly affected lenge if he's hungry," says one limousine is departing from the the attitudes of Mississippi Ne­ FDP leader who is concerned Hotel Heidelberg, one of the old­ groes. They have been greatly about the party being too "hung est and finest hotels in Jackson. encouraged to challenge the sys­ up" on abstract issues. The fact that the Young tem more actively themselves. In the new area of economic, Democrats Convention, involv­ So the most important de­ as opposed to political, activity -Robertson Wood-SNCC Photo ing many Negroes and civil velopment in Mississippi in the in the civil rights field, there has YOUNG MISSISSIPPIANS call for democratic procedures at State rights workers, was held at the last year is the one most diffi­ been more direction by Missis- Young Democrats Convention. Freedom Democratic Party Leaders Hotel Heidelberg last August cult to define: the change in (Continued on Page 4) Robert Smith and Joyce Brown speak from floor. (See article at left.) 14 explains a lot about the attitude and atmosphere. difference between the Missis­ "The people," as one Negro sippi summers of 1964 and told me, "smell freedom." And 1965. so they are more and more ac­ Especially revealing is what tively working for it on their The Southern Vol. 23, No. 8 went on at the Convention. Here own initiative, which is the most were Mississippians—white and significant and exciting fact black, mostly black—gathering about the Mississippi civil rights October, 1965 to elect representatives who movement in 1965. would go North and ask the Na­ During the Summer Project tional Young Democrats for a of 1964 the 800 white North© charter. PATRIOT volunteers tended, quite nat­ Published by the Southern Conference Educational Fund, Inc. Here in two factions, the urally, to dominate and direct NAACP and the Freedom Demo­ activities. Too much so, SNCC cratic Party (FDP), were the and CORE felt, which is the grandchildren of slaves and the major reason a similar pro­ a€LCs The New Trends cohorts of murdered, martyred gram was not planned for the men—fighting in a fancy South­ 1965 summer. (The 1965 SCLC summer convention came too enough, suggesting he should have volunteered to ern hotel over who would repre­ This summer 150 volunteers late for the September Patriot but was one of the lead a peace delegation to Vietnam. However, the sent them up North. joined the 200 or so who stayed South's most significant meetings of the year and stand he took was strong enough to bring him over from last summer, and the A year ago there was no is reported here in retrospect.) torrents of criticism from people supporting the project was run not by COFO public split in the civil rights war in Vietnam. This criticism has continued—and (which was disbanded in July), By CAROL STEVENS movement; the enemy was far King has continued his calls for peace. hut by the FDP. FDP coun­ (Special Correspondent) too much of a threat in 1964 SCLC itself in its final resolutions implied ap­ ty executive committees, com­ BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Two significant trends to permit the luxury of a pub­ proval of King's individual peace efforts but said posed of local people, were marked the ninth annual meeting of the Southern lic showdown like the one at because of limited resources its organizational ef­ officially in charge of local proj­ Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) here. the Hotel Heidelberg last Au­ First, in the words of the Rev. Jim Bevel, forts would continue to concentrate on racial broth­ ects this summer, instead of last erhood. But the resolution continued significantly: gust. SCLC's nonviolent action director, "Ours is no year's COFO project directors. ". In the event of perilous escalation of And a year ago no white poli­ longer the narrow concern of civil rights for, In many areas, though not all, the Vietnam war, we respect the right of Dr. tician, however liberal, was pub­ Negroes but the broad concern of human rigb*= this was true in j'act as well as King and the administrative committee to alter licly courting the Negro vote as for the people." Bevel, who recently led an SCLC . in tbenru: y___ = - this course in the interest of the survival of man­ move to Chicago, appeared on a panel witn For the first time since Recon­ kind and turn the full resources of our organiza­ in August, and at the earlier Bayard Rustin, Dr. Alice Mary Hilton and Miss July meeting, held at the same struction, more than a handful of tion to the cessation of bloodshed and war." Mississippi Negroes are involved Ella Baker entitled "Visions of Things to Come." The convention brought 1000 delegates to Bir­ hotel, to form the Mississippi The Rev. Andy Young, SCLC executive director, Democratic Conference. in political activity, thanks to the mingham. The last time SCLC met here in 1962 FDP. But some FDP officials are pointed out in his keynote speech that in securing King called this the most rigidly segregated city Why this much change in a these rights we possess "a power so awesome that year? One reason is President in the U.S. Since then, those barriers have begun .... I tremble to think what might happen if it Johnson's landslide victory last to break; Negroes at this convention filled the lob­ is not organized and disciplined in the interest of November which shocked many bies of a leading downtown hotel, and King spoke School Protest positive social change. ... I think it would be pos­ white Mississippians into realiz­ in the city's civic auditorium. FORREST CITY, Ark.— sible to recruit a nonviolent army of upwards of ing that the rest of the country The theme of the convention was "Human Rights More than 200 Negroes, most 100,000 in any major city in the country." doesn't agree with them. An­ of them high school students, —Basic Issues—The Grand Alliance." There was other is federal legislation which were arrested here when they The other significant move was made by Dr. much confusion about the meaning and implica­ is forcing them to agree with the demonstrated in protest against Martin Luther King, Jr., in his keynote address in tions of it, particularly of the grand alliance which rest of the country, or rather to inadequate facilities at the which he called for a peace meeting among the was explained in various ways, depending on who act as if they do. all-Negro high school and what leaders of all sides in the Vietnam war. It was was speaking. A third is increased civil rights they consider "tokenism" in here that he announced he would write to the heads Some stressed the idea of coalition at the activity which, along with the desegregation. of state to encourage such negotiations. grass roots among the movements for social legislation, is showing them how Many here criticized King for not going far (Continued on Page 4) ?How To Avoid Another Berkeley'.... A Campus Tour BY ED HAMLETT selecting a title for his remarks our universities and colleges." of Michigan, taught in Spain, did not feel morally bound to trained for the Peace Corps, and abide by a law in the making of I didn't dream up the title for that would not upset the dean. The "beared dissenter," as the then went to Berkeley to con­ which he had had no part. Though this article. In a way it was se­ They chose: "How to Avoid An­ Nashville Banner called him, then tinue his studies. SSOC invited most students and others in our lected by a dean at Louisiana other Berkeley." proceeded to tell the students just him to make the Southern tour society do not articulate it in this State University. Steve tried to answer the what he thought the problems in line with its purpose of stimu­ way, Steve's statement s prob­ The students there were able question. were. He did the same thing at lating thought and action among ably a clue to the solution of to obtain meeting facilities for "Get rid of the conditions 27 schools in 11 Southern states. Southern students on vital issues. many of the problems facing col­ Steve Weissman of California's that spawned the movement at Steve grew up in Tampa, Fla., lege adminitrators. Free Speech Movement only by Berkeley," he said. "Clean up graduated from the University of The tour revealed something the problems that exist in all Tampa, studied at the University about the state of academic Students at Berkeley revolted, (Late last spring, Steve Weiss- freedom in the South: positive Steve explained, because they man, a leader of the Free Speech in that Steve was able to speak were not allowed to solicit funds Movement at the University of on 27 campuses, negative in for support of fellow students California in Berkeley, made a that students had to resort to working in the civil rights move­ speaking tour of Southern cam­ devices like the speech title at ment in Mississippi and else­ puses, both Negro and white, un­ LSU to get him there.