Category Archives: Uncategorized

“In May of 1966, on a hot Sunday afternoon, we attended a Ku Klux Klan rally on the grounds of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Clubhouse. Russell, Carol Franklin of the Commonwealth and I drove out to the site where a … Continue reading →

“Many of those who had taken part in the activities in Greenwood were active in the MFDP (Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party) and in newspaper reports which have included some of the activities of the Sovereignty Commission during the ’60s it … Continue reading →

“The Negro Voters’ League, led by a school teacher, David Jordan, as much a racist as De La, became more and more active after the blacks started voting in large numbers, and white candidates soon realized they would have to … Continue reading →

“One of the complications which arose from the addition of thousands of illiterates to the voting rolls was the time required to select a competent jury. Many who were called for jury duty had to be excused because they could … Continue reading →

“When the first election was held after all the new voters had been added, the Justice Department attorney John Doar set up an office for several days in Greenwood to direct federal observers who had been sent here to watch … Continue reading →

“On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Voting Rights Act. We did  not fully realize how much this would affect our city and county and state in the years to come. After the Voting Rights Act … Continue reading →

“The summer of ’64 was finally over, and the rest of the year was fairly quiet. All of the college students went back to their schools, and we really never knew whether they felt that had accomplished anything or not, … Continue reading →

“The Greyhound Bus Station was another target when they did away with their segregated waiting rooms. The station, across the street from City Hall, had paint splattered on it in the dark of night, and on some occasions spray paint … Continue reading →

“The hate sheets continued to be circulated in the night, and various individuals and businesses were the object of their venom. In one, Davis’s a ladies’ dress shop on Howard Street, was attacked in one of the sheets, which said … Continue reading →

“The FBI flocked into Greenwood after the Civil Rights Act was signed, and at one point there were nine agents here. They would observe the action at the theater and attempts made by Negroes to enter restaurants, but they were … Continue reading →