Letters from Mississippi / Document
August 27, 1965:  Mayor McLean Questions For Talk With Jim Draper
Posted: 3 September 2013
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These images* (their text is shown below) are scans of one of the many documents in Mayor McLean's files at the Marion County Historical Society's museum that were made available by museum director Chris Watts to Rev. Bill McAtee for research on his book, Transformed: A White Mississippi Pastor's Journey Into Civil Rights and Beyond, and which are used here by permission.

This particular set of notes for a meeting with Jim Draper (local representative of the U.S. Community Relations Service) clearly reveals Mayor McLean's concerns about getting the situation right and whether he could trust us.

 
*  The brightness and contrast of the above images has been altered to increase the legibility of the text.
 
August 27, 1965
   Talk with Jim Draper

1. Can we have agreed "ground rules"
   in this affair?

2. Does this group want arrest?

3. Are They going to push me to
   the limit?

4. Will there be masses to follow as
   Columbia has been chasm for the
   next major area in their
   plan of publicity?

5. My responsibility to my citizens for
   I must keep their confidence
   to accomplish anything?

6. Church area?
   School area?

7. How fast do you forecast
   total integration?

8. Communities who have made the
   transition in the South?
   Relative Size?   Corinth
                    Holly Springs
 
Draper   Cont'd

 9. How Responsible are these Snick Leaders
    and can we depend on any
    agreements, etc. made with them?

10. Are they <Snick, etc.> sincere in
    their desire to peacefully
    solve this evalution as long
    as we proceed with
    efficiency & speed?   How fast?

11. "Committee of Concerned"
    Community Progress Committee
      Bi-Racial Sub Committee  Negro Committee Chairman
      Publicipty Releases      Warren Wanning

12. Three days notice to Jim Draper for
      Meeting
      150 [?]
      25 each Race on overall Committee
        Then small committees to study
          facets of community or
          Problems facing area.
        Meet with Negro area at
          the same time.

13. FBI -> Talk with local police about
           handling civil rights warns
           Women --  7:30   Primary or Elementary


          DOCUMENTS          
( summary )