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Election Day: Bench by the road #3 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi celebrates the right to vote
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Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
One Man, One Vote campaign, Freedom Summer 1964
Part 3 in "The Bench by the Road" series of articles Click to read Part 1 and Part 2
Today, November 3, 2009, is Election Day here in the United States. It is a day that occurs in our nation every Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Odd-numbered years, like 2009, are considered 'off-year elections' in that they rarely feature national, state or gubernatorial contests and instead focus on local match-ups. Occasionally, an Election Day can prove historic. Election Day 2008 saw the first African-American man elected President of the United States. It's hard to believe that less than 50 years ago African Americans were being attacked, beaten and killed simply because they wanted to exercise their right to vote.
1964 - Freedom Summer
In 1964, Freedom Summer marked the climax of intensive voter-registration activities in the Deep South that had started in 1961. COFO, the Council of Federated Organizations (a coalition of civil rights groups which included SNCC, NAACP, CORE, and SCLC) worked to focus its efforts in Mississippi because of the state's dismal voting-rights record: in 1962 only 6.7 percent of African Americans in the state were registered to vote, the lowest percentage in the country. During the summer, thousands of civil rights activists came to Mississippi to register voters and operate Freedom Schools. Until then, blacks were prevented from registering to vote through official means, such as high poll taxes and literacy tests (take this 'Literacy' Test to see if you are 'qualified' to vote). Unofficial means, such as bombings, arrests, beatings, shootings, firings, evictions, and other forms of retaliation were also used to keep blacks off the voter rolls. Civil rights workers understood the absolute importance of voter registration, believing that only through a strong voting presence could African Americans affect true social and political change. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) confronted the flawed concept of 'voter qualification' head-on, stating that all citizens have the constitutional right to vote and summing up this position in the slogan, One Man, One Vote.
Black and white activists faced threats throughout the summer: 37 black churches and 30 black homes and businesses were firebombed or burned, more than 1000 black and white volunteers were arrested, and at least 80 were beaten. The summer's most infamous act of violence was the murder of three young civil rights workers, a black volunteer, James Chaney, and his white coworkers, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner. On June 21, Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner set out to investigate a church bombing near Philadelphia, Mississippi. They were arrested that afternoon and held for several hours on alleged traffic violations. Their badly decomposed bodies were discovered six weeks later. Goodman and Schwerner had died from single gunshot wounds to the chest, and Chaney from a savage beating.
Despite these tragedies, there is no denying the effect that Freedom Summer had in Mississippi. In 1964, 6.7% of Mississippi's voting-age blacks were registered to vote, 16.3% below the national average. By 1969, that number had increased to 66.5%, 5.5% above the national average. The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party was also organized during this pivotal summer. The MFDP was an alternative grass-roots political party which registered over 80,000 black Mississippians and challenged the all-white delegation to the regular Democratic Party's Presidential nominating convention in Atlantic City in August 1964. Freedom Summer brought national attention to black disenfranchisement and ultimately helped lead to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
It seems only fitting then that the Toni Morrison Society chose Hattiesburg, Mississippi as the site for the 3rd bench in their "Bench by the Road Project." This bench was dedicated on Oct 3, 2009 on Mobile Street, along the Freedom Summer Trail, a civil rights tour that runs through Hattiesburg. During Freedom Summer, Mobile Street was home to the Hattiesburg Freedom House. This House served as headquarters for both the Council of Federated Organizations and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.
So, perhaps Election Day is not only a day to exercise our right to vote, but also to reflect on this simple, yet powerful, right we have. And to remember those who raised their own voices and risked their own lives so that each and every voice could be heard.
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