Letters from Mississippi -- Overview
Updated: 28 August 2013
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Since I can imagine the list of letters might be overwhelming, here is a brief outline of the contents of each, in case you are looking for something in particular. November 11, 1964 -- Chicago (about the Gulf Coast) Trip down Jackson Truck ride to the Coast, end in Biloxi Biloxi: street canvassing, curse blazing white house paint Beginning of Freedom Vote work Ocean Springs: vote canvassing Is simplistic jingoism better than nothing? Considering Vancleave, Poplarville, Wiggins, Picayune Votes not as important as letting communities know we are there and can help Value of going on workday (white men at work) Danger of (Uncle) Tom Negroes Vancleave -- spread out, few votes, escape from white clearing, white Goldwater voter Comedy (?!) of missing persons and cars Gulfport to Wiggins, canvass, run into the missing persons (complicated story) Heading for Picayune -- fear, hubcap hiding places, "She's Not There" Canvassing ended when White Citizens Council shows up The Dr. Mason contradiction -- Tough, not non-violent, pro-traditional Democrat, but need his support COFO knuckles, agrees to support segregationist Sen. Stennis Bitter arguments until accept inevitability, and leave Thoughts on movement leadership, commodity food June 25, 1965 -- Washington Beginning of orientation, staying 40 blocks from activity Kinoy speech on challenge to seating of traditional Democrats Finding a place by doing KP duty Inverted prejudice June 30, 1965 -- Washington Police hassles Possibly going to go to Greenwood Lobbying Congress Will be working for MFDP July 2, 1965 -- Washington Now definite I'll be going MFDP's Jackson address More lobbying -- great experience! July 3, 1965 -- from home ID's sent, want typewriter? Legal advice -- Pittsburgh COFO bail fund What to do if arrested Pittsburgh contacts Call them rather than local COFO lawyers, who may be too busy July 7, 1965 -- Hattiesburg, MS Orientation (started July 5) The racial problem of northern (clueless) whites vs (experienced) Negro grassroots Jackson (July 3-4) stay-over was nightmare -- locals breaking up office Assignments expected tomorrow, will be going to Greenwood July 11, 1965 -- from home Mother philosophizing on politics, disturbance/equilibrium re: Coleman judicial appointment Thoughts on importance of having racial antagonism in the open July 11, 1965 -- Laurel, MS Basic orientation plan 3-day Hattiesburg orientation County MFDP heads would choose volunteers Plan messed up: Volunteers coming out of jail in Jackson grabbed by project directors Only half left for orientation Resentment on part of those following the rules No attempt to adjust planned numbers, some ended up with many vols, others none My situation Invited in DC to go to Greenwood Hattiesburg: invited to Columbia/Marion County by Jake & Curt (from Biloxi 64) No FDP org there, so will be doing more COFO-style work Greenwood people left w/out me To wait in Laurel for Curt to set up in Columbia Firebombing of Greenwood car To Laurel July 9, COFO office firebombed while we were in DC Helping w/canvassing -- sometimes intense July 17, 1965 -- Laurel, MS Expect to leave for Columbia on morrow 5th Congressional District projects wracked by racial strife except for ours Volunteers came close to leaving out of concern for damaging the effort Tension with local whites, defensive measures taken List of personal supplies wanted July 21 & 27, 1965 -- from home Need a map to follow your reporting; don't assume we know what you're talking about How to deal with medical problems: Medical Committee on Human Rights August 9, 1965 -- Columbia, MS (actually written in several sittings, sent in instalments) Background on Marion County Rehash of events leading us to be here Apparently arrived July 18 Town governance, demographics and layout The House -- description, people (Sara, Ann, Sam) photos The phone calls Casing the library NOT Freedom Riders (no car :-)) Sam in the Courthouse -- photos of Courthouse Conditions -- of house, ants, rats Standing watch Bombing/shooting & aftermath (police questioning, what was left) Repairing Philosophizing about organizing and responsibility Desegregation The library (insignificant) The difference between integration and desegregation The need for confrontation, an incident Plan movie desegregation for Sunday 8/15 (independent of community consultation) Unfair trial catalyzes immediate desegregation at two cafès on Friday To warn or not warn the mayor Sunday glitches The supermarket -- hitting where it hurts -- Sat, Aug 21 Details of trial Planning meetings, outside source of morale Vignettes from picketing Violent attack on girl Who will get organized first (song verses) The really risky effort: Same day, Saturday night at cafè Plans vs. events The event The chase (w/map) Telephone song August 12, 1965 -- Columbia, MS (during the composition of 8/9 letter) Thinking about plans for returning north Most of the others going to DC for direct action Want to stay on alone -- one last chance to accomplish something, assuage guilt for leaving August 15, 1965 -- from home 8/9 letter is a cliff-hanger Fundraising for COFO Strong advice not to stay on alone August 24, 1965 -- Columbia, MS Slowing down CORE head from Duritta, LA upbraids the church congregation Canvassing for DC trip and getting people to register Have to hang the door Sam leaves [August 28, 1965] -- written in June 2013 Supermarket picketing pictures Jailing and beating Lewis, organizer from Bogalusa Reasons for thinking all this occurred on 8/28 August 28, 1965 -- from home (notes taken by my father, not a letter) COFO Bail fund Notes on how to bail me out August 30-September 1 -- notes taken at home, and recollection Trial results Departure -- luggage chicanery September 2, 1965 -- Rev. Bill McAtee Introduction and context School desegregation controversy Formation of "The six" (2 white, 4->3 black ministers) Rev. McAtee's July 20-Aug 13 absence Letter to key businessmen & arrival of civil rights ("CR") workers August 2 formation of bi-racial steering committee CR desegregation activities, Columbia non-stereotypical until shoplifting problem Leaders' Statements of Belief and editorial in newspaper August 21 commencement of grocery store picketing Ground-rule setting between mayor, ministers, CR workers August 24 school desegregation settled August 26 grocery store door-blocking August 27 start to set up meeting of 150 white leaders to meet 9/3, blacks 9/3 August 28 confrontation and arrests at grocery store reference to "outsider" leader (Louis Ashley) Ashley's request for parade permit for next day August 29 rumors of Klan rally and Deacons for Defense counter force highway patrol pulled in from Natchez only a few marchers showed up (ministers had spoken against it) pulling together list of black leaders for 9/4 meeting August 30 trial of CR arrestees September 1 "the six" coalesce, whites understand the blacks' inner strength awareness of the changing county power structure December 21, 1965 -- from home Christmas card from me to Mayor McLean Epilogue -- ongoing University of Chicago stark choice -- return to MS in fall, lose scholarship Finding Ira Grupper, Rev. Bill McAtee and Chris Watts (historical society) Bill McAtee's book Finding Sara Shumer Naomi Stauber's rabbi father's similar experience to Bill McAtee's in South Carolina