Hi,
Had a wonderful visit with Jim today. I shared our tentative plans for the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights March with him. He was thrilled. He gave me names of several people, especially his Dad, James Jackson Forman, and his sons and their finances whom we should invite.
He was in pure SNCC executive secretary form. Of coure, we reminisced about our Tuskegee, Blackbelt work in the 1960s. But, as always, he wanted to take about wht should be done to continue the struggle, esp. the hooking up African-Americans with Africans, now in his SNCC International secretary form.
It was a marvelous experience as I took notes and promised him that I will phone to let him know about the progress. Anna (the publisher of the last editions of Forman's books) was also visiting. And then, Iffy, Robert's fiance, came.
We had a joyful time as I got permission to visit an office with a computer for Jim to see the on-line archival collections that I am sepherding. He was thrilled when I type his name and up came the archival box where some of his papers are housed. He became absolutely estactic Forman style when he saw the SNCC holdings and Jamil amin (aka Rap Brown) holdings. I made certain he saw some of the pixs, and we talked about Rufus Lewis, Alabama SNCC Attorney Charles Conley (we have their collections) and others.
I believe he wore himself with exhilaration, instructing Anna to get on with me to get copies of some of the manuscripts from the archives, insisting that I be renumerating for the effort. Yes, he gets on tangents, but he is lucid and clear about his ideas, and his articulation (and vocabulary) continue to be intellectual in content. I will forever remember this vist with Jim.
I plan to make it possible for Jim to visit Lowndes County when we establish the Voting Rights/Struggle Interpretative Center on the "Tent City" grounds. Bob Mants and I have been on top of this development, and I think you will be proud as to how we insisted that the movements concepts be interpretated with truth, honesty and integrity. Jim as a veteran can get a plane from to DC to take him to Montgomery. I did such an arrangement for my grand-uncle, WWI veteran, to leave Montgomery to visit with his grand, great-grand, etc. in Michigan. I will follow-up on this when I return home.
I know that whenever you come to DC, you will visit with Jim. His phone # is (202) 686-3288. He has lunch at 12:30 PM and then takes a nap for about 2 hours. He goes to bed early. I would suggest that 9-11:00 AM is a good time to call. When the photos are developed, I will place on my email. Hopefully by that time, I will know how to do so not as an attachment.
Take care. Gwen Patton
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