Personal Memories of Freedom Summer Mississippi 1964 Images of Freedom Summer

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In the summer of 1964 close to a thousand volunteers came to Mississippi in support of the Movement. Under the umbrella organization of COFO (Council of Federated Organizations) they worked on projects across the state. Led by SNCC and CORE field secretaries, they helped African-Americans try to register to vote, they taught in Freedom Schools, participated in community organizing, and endured the danger and hardship of civil rights work in the deep South.

Most — but certainly not all — were college students or recent grads.
Most — but certainly not all — were from the North.
Most — but certainly not all — were white.
Together, they were all a living witness of solidarity with the courageous communities of Mississippi who were demanding freedom and equality for all.

They were warned of the danger they would face — but they came anyway. Three were murdered by racist police and klan, others were beaten, abused, and jailed. These are their stories:

Sandra Adickes	History Lessons in Hattiesburg
Chude Pam Parker Allen	Why I Am Going to Mississippi Would You Marry One? Loneliness in the Circle of Trust Watching the Iris Grow Three Letters From a Freedom School Teacher
Jim (Harris) Boebel	Letter From Jim Boebel [PDF]
Karen Duncanwood	Remembrances of Mississippi Summer 1964
Gail Falk	Remembering Freedom Summer
Robert C. Hargreaves	Mississippi Freedom Summer 1964
Jim Kates	June & August, 1964
Karol Nelson McMahan	Fighting for Freedom in the Mississippi Sun
Fran O'Brien	Faith and Activism
Ron Ridenour	Freedom Summer Orientation On the Road to Freedom Personal Diary, Moss Point Mississippi:
Larry Rubin	A Walk in Holly Springs: 1964
Roy Torkington	Itta Bena and Elsewhere
Gren Whitman	Mississippi Summer 1964

If you were a volunteer, send us your story for posting here. You can email it to: webmaster@crmvet.org.