Civil Rights in Mississippi Mrs. Bailey/Coach Howell Mississippi Studies
History Most people were Sharecroppers Black Exodus -black farmers left MS & headed out West, eventually many came back Plessy v. Ferguson 1896: separate but equal facilities is okay led to Jim Crow laws which were used in the south for 50+ more years! Great Migration 1910-WWII: blacks left to go north (better working conditions), they were forced off trains, arrested & sometimes sent back to the fields
Changes Are Coming! 1946-Truman & Fair Employment Practices: prohibited racial discrimination in hiring, & desegregation of Armed Forces The same year Medgar Evers led a group of WWII vets to vote, but they were turned away at the polls by whites Brown v. Board of Edu 1954: public facilities MUST be desegregated- it over-turned Plessy! Citizens Council 1954: began in Indianola to prevent desegregation of public schools. Had 80,000 members by 1956
Beginning of the Movement in MS Murder of Emmett Till 1955: 14 yr old from Chicago was beaten & murdered in Money, MS for whistling at a white woman- gained national attention! State Sovereignty Commission 1956: developed to keep the Federal gov’t from encroaching on states’ rights. Included the gov’r, lt. gov’r, and other prominent citizens Resolution of Interposition 1956: stated that MS was sovereign, and that all public officials in MS could prohibit peacefully & lawfully the implementation of integration Ross Barnett elected 1959: promised to keep schools segregated.
Civil Rights Events Medgar Evers: Field Secretary for NAACP organized boycotts of area businesses organized boycotts of area businesses Organized voter registration efforts Organized voter registration efforts Publicized racial terrorism Publicized racial terrorism Shot & killed at his home Jun 1963
Paul B Johnson: Elected to governor in 1963 He stated “Hate, prejudice, & ignorance would not lead Mississippi.” (This was the beginning of the end of white supremacy in MS) He stated “Hate, prejudice, & ignorance would not lead Mississippi.” (This was the beginning of the end of white supremacy in MS) Freedom Summer 1964: Civil Rights activity dramatically increased that summer! Students from all over the US came to the south to: register blacks to vote! Freedom Summer 1964: Civil Rights activity dramatically increased that summer! Students from all over the US came to the south to: register blacks to vote!
Civil Rights Organizations COFO (Council of Federated Organizations) Composed of reps from various organizations: NAACP, SCLC, SNCC, & CORE Conducted “Freedom Schools”- taught blacks how to answer tricky questions asked of blacks at voter registration centers SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) founded by MLK, Jr., coordinated protest activities all over the south SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) Interracial group of students advocating non violence, supporting the Freedom Rides in 1961 & March on DC in 1963 CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) a nonviolent approach to combating racial prejudice
Freedom Summer 1964 Philadelphia Murders: 3 COFO workers, Michael Schwerner, James Chaney, & Andrew Goodman were murdered by the KKK & their bodies were found in an earthen dam Freedom Democratic Party: biracial group of Dem’s went to the DNC in NJ demanding seats at the convention. They were only given 2 seats, they got mad & left. Fannie Lou Hamer: brought nat’l attention to the way blacks were treated in MS after having spoken on nat’l t.v. at the DNC
Change at Last! Civil Rights Act of 1964: Forbid discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, & gender in public facilities or places of employment Voting Rights Act of 1965: outlawed literacy tests & poll taxes Election of 1967: 22 blacks elected to public office. John Bell Williams elected as gov’r dual public school system was abolished- this caused many white students to withdraw & go to private school dual public school system was abolished- this caused many white students to withdraw & go to private school
Jackson State University Protest