I was in Mississippi for about ten weeks in the summer of 1964, assisting work on applicable federal programs, voter registration and as a teletype operator at the Lynch street office. Some of my experiences were published in El Corneo Emplumado, a Mexico City publication. In July, 1964, I was standing at a corner to cross the street to my office when a young man pulled up next to me, hopped out of the car and slugged me.
When I first arrived in Mississip[pi I was startled by the bigotry at all levels of the dominant white society. After I got off the train in Jackson I headed to a bathroom — there was one for whites and one for blacks. There was a middle school history book of Mississippi I got from Fannie Lou Hamer. It was still in use, and its preface started with praise for the white anglo saxon race that founded and made Mississippi what it was.
Later that summer I spent time in NYC and Washington DC getting acquainted with the work of WEB Dubois and other activists there.
Back home I gave speeches to two sold out audiences in the student union building with other returnees from Mississippi. Powerful.
I've maintained my interest in public support and activism against wars and in favor of economic equality.
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