MFDP Chapter 11
MEETING: AUG. 16, 1965
Meeting
Fdp meeting
—August
16 in Batesville, Miss.
VI:
I didn't know that.
V2:
Yeah.
0321
on 0320
and 0391
cont'd,
He got about ten plantations.
¥1 : I didn't know that.
day, huh?
You mean he corks
both the night and
Noise.
Ain't it the truth? He don't have to be true about that (?).
Well, fact he is true (?). He... he just rides high. That's
V2:
Vl j
Does he have a lot of machinery on his farm?
V2:
Sure he does.
He has two tractors.
.. (inaudible)
VI: He's not a member of the CO-OP though, huh.
let him In like that?
Laughter.
Would they
Noise drowns out voices.
V3:
What's wrong with this one?
V4:
Inaudible statement.
..
He s been. he s been training Eugene all summer
had a training course in how to fix cars.
V 5:
'
'
.
Gene s ( ? )
'
V4:
Well he... let me tell tou one think; he seemed like he
liked it.
V5:
I think so.
V4:
...what you like
V5:
Yeah, 'cause he spends all day out there sometimes working
on our car, and I always...
V4:
Good day? (?)
...you know, and I'll say to him,... he must really like
doing it.
I don't know, someone has to do it. You wouldn't
spend all day out there
V5:
...
V3:
Yeah.
V4:
Ain't it the truth?
V3:
Did you teach yourself how to do it?
Well, I like it
V4: Yes sir, I did. I started off workin' on a model A. The
first time, I worked on a busted tooth: a tooth that was busted
0321-2
...
in the steer in' wheel. I drove it all the way back out there to
( inaudible name ) ,
Note: this speaker seems to be in a rocking chair and to be
rocking towards and away from the microphone.
When he is away
from the microphone, the speech is to soft to be made out.
V6:
Hello.
V5:
Hi, how are you?
V4: ...charged him
V6:
forty dollars for
a tooth.
.
That's why Gene does his own work.
V4:
And so next time, I was... l was workin' on the house (?)
and it busted on me comin' up that road, and I went on to her
house. And that night I stayed all night. .seven o'clock
come.
.
..
Section of tape too soft to be audible.
V4:
V7:
Well,
I will tell you, yes.
(Makes statement, but is too soft to be heard.)
V4:
What I'm tryin' to d0...
V7«
(inaudible statment).
V4:
Yeah.
Inaudible section.
V4:
Uh-huh.
Inaudible section.
V6:
See, someday we's goin' to go back and (inaudible).
wants to spend a day or two there....
.
.He
V4:
I'll tell you guys this: I out and out don't expect to
folks...
V6:
I understand.
V4:
You just caint.
V6:
You just caint.
go back to hep these
1...
You just caint. Now, I got a bad time on that (inaudible),
for one reason. And for ana ther reason, I suppose that...
would be on the program for tonight.
V4:
V 6:
Uh-huh.
0321-3
V4:
And I just couldn't, you know..
V6:
I understand.
V4:
Get off with the program.
V6:
Wood Eye, (?) Willy's boy?
Wood Eye.
..
(?)
V4: That's right. That's right. And I'd like to do...but I
promised Woody. But I'll tell you guys...
.
V6:
.
Yeah, but Joseph. .He's. .he used to come in.
stout... l didn't know if he was goin' or not.
V4:
I would say.
He's real
..
Inaudible section.
V6:
I wouldn't even want you to go with them.
V4: Yeah. If it wasn't for that... l was broke. I didn't have
dime... to have a blow out of town (?), or you don't.
Voices drowned out by microphone noise.
.
V6:
I know what you talkin' about, (inaudible). .lt was hot
luck (?).
V4:
(inaudible name)
V6:
Uh-huh.
V5:
If he could spell even.
I'd get him. (?).
Laughter.
V 6:
Learn to spell him
V4:
Hotter than blazes (?).
him.
. ..
Well, I caint.
I caint be like
Break in tape.
V4:
...ride around two times, have another two liquors, hep
thosepeople.
That's like it is. (?) Good luck to you.
Another break in the tape.
I want you to tell me again the story about how your
mother quit me smokin'.
V7:
Laughter.
V4:
You want me to tell you how my mama caught me smokin',
a
0321-4
heh? Ah, mama.
I was buyin' that ol'... let's see, what that's
black name? Oh, that ol» Golden Grain (?). And, you know,
you can leave it out a t night, and it'll swell up.
You have a
little sack o' back (?) In the mornin'. And I get out of the
ditch, you know, and roll my cigarette and set that thing a
smokin', and she walk up that ditch anyway. And she run us
out of there. That ol' lady could hit harder than any man
could hit. ..That's where you get it through there?
.
V5:
Uh-huh.
V4:
That's the microphone? What it goes through?
V5:
Uh-huh.
That's called the Microphone.
Uh-huh.
V4: Well, sir, ain't that somethin'? A person can be talkin'...
you can have It held up; he can be say in' somethin* 'bout it,
doin' somethin' to you; and you can get it off of that down there
V5: Exactly. That's why they like to have little ones that
you keep in your pocket, so that when you... they were just at
a Klan rally.
V4:
That's right. Well, what about them, when you in jail,
that they put up the side wall the house?
V3:
Yeah, they do that.
V4:
Don't they? Ain't that the same kind of thing thy use?
V5:
Uh-huh.
But these girls down in Hattiesburg were testing a State
Park there, and they went into... they had it in their handbag
V3:
V4:
That's right.
V3:
...the whole tape recorder and everything...
V4:
That's right.
That's right.
V3: ...and the white people walked right before them, and they
told them that they... that there aren't any more. ..there's no
more room for you on the beach.
V4:
And they didn't know that they had them in there, and they
caught them.
V5:
Exactly.
V4:
That a fact?
Caught the whole thing
0321-5
V5: These boys were just down In Brandon. They went to a
Ku Klux Klan rally and recorded the whole thing.
V4:
Well, I declare. Caught them. Well, you know, that's
That's good. That's very good. You kn0w. ..1 don't
know, there may be some Ku Kluk here. Right in here.
good.
V5:
What makes you think that?
V4:
I just...they got me worried about now.
Vss; Uh-huh.
V4:
here.
Near as I can hear in the paper, and they might got some
I'd like to know, so I could dodge it.
V3:
Did you find any signs?
V4:
Find any signs?
V3:
I want aKu Klux Klan sign to take home with me
V4:
Well now, we'll see can I find one
V3:
Yeah.
V4:
No kiddin', I think I maybe can locate you one.
Laughter.
..
(inaudible)
V5:
Who do you think that can.
V4:
I don't know.
V3:
What about the one that runs fastest (?).
V4:
.
.
That's right. Well, I don't. .there's no tellin', there
could be some, sure 'nuff
I wonder.
Break in tape.
Tape stops and then starts again
Singing.
Al: Let's bow our heads in prayer. Oh God our heavenly Father,
we pray that thou wiliest look into our hearts this evening,
that we have come on this most important occasion to pray that
you will touch us with the divine finger of Inspiration. That
many of us are on the verge of exercising a privilege that
many in our community have suffered in order for us to have this
opportunity to exercise this privilege; the privelege of partici
pating in our government. We pray as we come tonight that thou
wiliest hep us first of all to bethankful that we have come thus
0321-6
far. And hep us to be thankful that we have made the progress
that we have. And in the words of the prophets of old and
words recorded in Holy Writ : "May we remember that had it not
been for the Lord, who was on our side, when the enemies rose
up against us, that we would have been crushed, and we would not
have had this opportunity to hep us to realize that it has
only been because Thou art our God, that Thou wast fighting
our battles in many arenas and areasAnd it is because of Your
great and divine working that we are here tonight on this
occasion.
Voice from congregation: Oh Lord, Oh Lord
Al :
We pray thy blessings on the leaders in this movement.
Those who have put their lives on the alter.
Voice: Amen.
Al : Those who have suffered persecution. Those who have been
imprisoned. Those who have been jailed unjustly. Those who
have been fined. Those who have been humiliated. Those whose
names have been hung on the highways. Those who had to bear
the burden of living in a community which is hostile to them.
Those who had the burden of tryin' to be good citizens in the
midst of tryin' times. We pray that Thou wiliest hep us to
be thankful on this occasion. There are still those of us who
have still not cast off the shackles of fear. We're still
droppin' in the darkness of fear. And in the words of Jesus
who said: "Why are you fearful, oh you of little faith." Hep
us to know that their fear is over. That their beln' afraid
is over. Hep us to know that this is the day of courage. This
is the day of militancy. That we may be able to come into
possession of those rights for which so many have given even
their lives. Bless this meeting and its purpose. In the name
of Jesus Christ, our Lord, we pray. Amen.
Singing.
A2: Thank you, choir, for selectin' that there hymn there. We
have a splendid congregation tonight, and as the Lord said to
Joshua, we want to be courageous in this undertaking. And now,
Mr. President, I'm turning the meeting over into your hands.
A3:
.
Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen of FDP, (inaudible
section).
.
. ...
Many people were concerned about the health problem,
c Fall term ( ? )
the
people asked him for $406 on their housing here at the school.
It was not agreed (?). The project of the cost was... they
raised the amount to seven hundred dollars. This left a total
left of two hundred and two dollars. It was agreed to continue
this project until enough money for the (inaudible word) and
purchases.
We have now raised more than five hundred eighty
thirty
and
dollars
cents. It was motioned to draw four dollars
(inaudible
name) trip to Jackson. The motion
changes
in
for
denyin 1 to raise the criterion for,t
0321-7
.
to adjourn until the monday night after the third Sunday,
(inaudible). .at the last meeting, ninety-nine dollars and fiftythree cents. Rev. Booker T. Wilson (?), president; Mr. Edward
Thomas, treasurer; yours truly, secretary.
A4:
That was the reading of the minutes by your treasurer.
A5:
Mr. President, I move we adopt some of them minutes
A6:
I second that there motion.
A4:
It's been motioned and seconded that the minutes of the
It there a question?
previous meeting be adopted.
Several voices:
A4:
There's a question
OK, then the same question. may be known by saying "I".
Chorus of Is.
A4:
An' afraid (?), no.
Silence.
A4:
Then the «I«s« have it.
We'll, go
Mr. President, we don't
on.
have any unfinished business in
many
our
But I'm sure
men here comin' tonight are
(?).
And that is concerned the
visitors over to newvbusiness
referendum of the (inaudible word), and many other projects
that we have talked about in the last few weeks. I'm quite
sure that you came thinkin' the referendum over, and that is
what we will decide tonight, and what we will do tomorrow.
There are... a couple there are who have been used to hepln'
out in our different elections and showin' the people how to
vote. We look up tonight (?), and this is this person. I'm
sure that he has the ballots. And if he doesn't have th»
ballots, I'm seem' him for no reason, just like other people.
And he will show up tonight. .just who and what candidate is
runnin', and we will have to make our minds 'bout who we gonna
vote for tomorrow. I'm quite sure that we will make fche right
decision when we leave here. When we leave here, we goin' to
say the whole league (?( voted for a certain candidate. And
when the voters say vote for a certain candidate, that means
that you vote for that particular candidate. Now, a lot of think
that when we retishered, that was all of it. That's not yet
the case, that's not the half of it. This is the part, tomorrow,
which brings ua in. When you cast your vote for a particular
candidate
when we pool our ovtes together, that's what we
mean about power. That we have about aproximate two thousand
retishered voters. If all these two thousand retishered voters
are gonna come and pool their votes together and vote for one
person, he couldn't hep but to win.
A7:
register.
.
...
0321-8
V8:
That's right.
A? :
And this person is you.
Last week we, some of us, called some of the candidates
and asked them if they would come to our meeting tonight. Some
of 'em agreed, said he would come. .one of 'em agreed, said he
would come in time and with friends (?), but that was Thursday.
And Thursday night, they had a rally ( lnaudible ).. .Thursday night
they had a rally with folks (?). Thursday night, they had a
rally at (inaudible). And the first candidate and the second
I believe Mr Powell (?) got
candidate. .the first candidate
on the phone and said, (inaudible). Said he was invited to a
Voter's meeting.. .regional voters meeting, and if he had of
come to this meeting, we would have been invited to the other
one,(?). He said, now, he would come, if he didn't attend
this meeting. People around here told (inaudible) to tell him
(inaudible). But I've always said that you caint fight wjth
the law (?). That's country life (?). He was issued (inaudible)
reports of the (inaudible). .that meeting, he was trying to leave
for Washington, and then wanted you to (inaudible). Now, I'm
waiting for the day to call me to the (inaudible). .because I
told Hawkes (?) (inaudible). .concernin' that the people not
runnin' the candidate, and we were not properly to pick a
candidate. ( inaudible )... to pick a candidate, because the two
candidates they're pickin' (?) all-white rules against this
particular candidate that we will run. So maybe, after tonight,
they're goin' to start rules themselves with regards to (inaudible )
candidate. Before the occupancy (inaudible). .the ballot, before
( inaudible )... and I want to
they know, really, who we runnin'.
tell you (inaudible). .of appeal. Tonight when she called me,
from now on, we goin' to run our own candidate. We hope to
hare some Negroes runnin' in every election, in every race, from
Sheriff to the road supervisor, to every man, we!re goin' to
start now runnin' our own candidates. Because it seems like
we don't never have none. And if you go, you know, to Dallas (?),
because (inaudible), who was runnin' from the South district, and
I know many of you saw through him (?). He said that he was
not concerned at all... (break in tape). .l'm sure you won't
vote for him. If he don't want our vote, we don't want to cast
it. The same thing goes for Cecil Davis (?), if you are inter(inaudible). I'd like to say, before we (inaudible)...
ested,
the school, ( inaudible )... last night. I'd like to see you vote
by raisin' your hand. How many of you read that (inaudible).
Seems like everybody and his brother is like to read it. Thank
you.
A9:
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Applause
I'm sure there are many many more who didn't come, who would have
liked to come, under some circumstances. Maybe some of you could
but you know, we got three classes of people. We got one class
0321-9
no reason at all.
( inaudible )... the only reason. Then we got one class that we
call the middle class, that will participate in it, and do all
they can. And we got one class that runs itself out there
and gets on that ol' bandwagon.
that will not participate in this, for
Laughter
V8: Now, we goin* to bring up the bill, and we goin' to try to
gat this whole thing down, and let him craw for ballot, as to
how we goin' to cast our vote in the election. Anybody that
would like to hep me get this vote open... the quickest we can
get this vote open where everybody can see what is to be done.
Quiet talking in background.
I guess we'll have to pick on Mrs. Casey (?)... (inaudible)
A6:
A 10: ...goin' to be a Civil Sights meeting
There's goin' to
young
people
Auxiliary
lot
out
the
Ladies
be a fine a
of
of
(?).
get
I
feel
children
would
Band
the
out of the side, and
legs
like
Indians,
down,
maybe adults could
cross their
ans sit
you
please?
that
Down
have seats. Would
do
in Savannan or
gets
New
folks
York,
you
big,
in
before it
too
sit down. So
get
you
kids
out of there and sit down. And. (inaudible )
lets...
and sit down.
Let's don't keep askin', please.
..
on down there.
All:
Sit
Al2:
No, we'll turn him 'round if you get that chiar around
here.
V8:
I doubt that they can see that far from the audience
Al2:
We'll turn him 'round.
Al3:
Good evening.
..
They bbl' me that the supervisors needed
somebody to demonstrate that these whole proceeds tomorrow.
and they usually are. And then you will find that (inaudible)
...retishered, and he didn't know how to put our names on the
books. There was about ten of '/em. (inaudible section)...
Mary Lou Jordans (?), anybody know her? Mary Lou Jordans.
..
Al4:
She's out of town right now.
She's out of town now
Al3:
She's out of town?
Al4:
Yeah.
Al5:
Sen's (inaudible word) a school teacher.
Al4:
She's in Wisconsin right now
Al3:
Well,
A schoolteacher
She's out of
town now.
she's (inaudible).
Is Carl Adams Harrison (?)?
0321-10
Much noise and confusion.
Al3:
V8:
Al3:
V8:
off?
Al3:
Carl Adams Harrison.
Can you folks hear him back there?
Carl Adams Harrison.
Do you know the person of this name that he's readin'
Philip Forbes (?), that's all I want to know (?).
V8:
The namesthat Reverend Milton is reading... he says the
some information. He wants to know are these
people are living before he can put their name on the books
so that they be elegible to vote. The last name he called was
what?
register wants
Al3:
V8:
Brian N. Harrison
Brian N. Harrison.
Anybody know Brian N. Harrison?
End of Side one.
...right along. But this legislature showin' it... of
V8:
course, they showin' it in the fact that the Federal Government,
they say, is goin' to show it any way. But they're showin' it.
Now we are to endorse what they did. The fact that we are to
vote on the Bhortehedi form
or against the shortened form.
If we vote against the shortened form, for the (inaudible word)
we will go back, as far as Mississippi is concerned, to that
long retishration list.
I don't know how long the wait to
retisher is. Of course the courts would work on it, but inthe
mean time, anybody that retishered would have to go through this,
in the intermittent time. Now, it looks like to me... now, what
I'm saying, this is personal. I'm not dictating to anybody,
but it looks like to me, we would vote for the change. That's
the way it looks to me.
A10:
Vote for what?
V8:
for the (inaudible word) legislation; for the shortened
form of the registration requirement. That plain now to ever 'body?
Voices:
V8:
Yeah.
All right.
Al3: Can all you folks see this, what he's (inaudible word)?
Can you see it now? People in the far back, can you see it?
You all in the back seats, raise your hands if you can see it.
Good. What about over here? Can you see it over here, please?
Now what Professor Bell was talkin' about; when we use the word
0321-11
referendum, he say it just a word... just in the way of English;
give it to the people.
In other words, what the legislature
did here some fow weeks ago when they's makin' that special
session; they brought up a law where people could be able to
vote... or retisher rather with just six questions. Here before
we been havin' twenty-one. And then the injunction came into
Penolla (?) county, and that gave it nineteen. We still was
passin' on that nineteen question, or on the injunction that
we had for the past year. Then they made it alittle bit easier
for us, by givin' us the six question. The six question was
easier than the nineteen question. You follow me? Now I like
It's because
to tell you why they gave you that six question.
they knew we's gonna have a easier test when the U. S. reveses
Mississippi, because when the U. S. reverses Mississippi, they
will send federal troops or federal retishers in to retisher
people that cain't even read or write. And thats is what is
goin' on now in some counties. Then, we say tomorrow we'll
You
go to the courthouse, or whereever your precinct wil be.
easy
for
this
test.
goin'
we
we
to
vote
say
go there, and
He'll give us thi s easy test because he wants to do so. But
he gave it to us because he had no other choice. He knew that
somethln' was goin'... was behind him, and forcin 'him to give
us this easy test. He could point out in his own way, say:
"look, I'm doin' somethin' for my niggers. See, I got somethin'
easy for 'em, and all of 'em can pass." But what we would
rather see, we'd rather see some retishers in here to give
those people a chance to vote... or to retisher, who cain't
read and write, because nine times out of ten, they are the
cause that you cain't read and write. Because he place his
school, your school, five or six miles from you, and he didn't
give you any transporta tion. And he kep you from gettin'
that education. Then he's the cause of it. Now he got to do
somethin' for his wrongdoin's. Now, when the Fifth Circuit
Court reverses Mr. Duke (?), we found that in that court that
there were people, or white people, that couldn't read and write
either. (inaudible name), or the United States says, well,
there white people has registered without. .cain't read and write,
then surely Negroes can retisher that cain't read and write.
That's the reason they sent these federal troops in these different places. But we abide what they've done. We abide this
easy teat. We'll go to the courthouse tomorrow and vote for
I
it, becuase It's so easy til most of you can pass it.
pass
will
it.
If
enough,
believe all you that interested
you don't pass it the first time, go home and study it a little
bit, come out to our classes and our meetings, nd we will
hep you study to pass it. You know, sometime when you work
for somethin', you learn how to appreciate it better. If it's
so easy, just given to you so easy, on a si'ver spoon, you soon
So that's what Professor Bell was talkin' to
forget it anyway.
he goin' to explain it.
Senators,
me for. Now, for
.
Now, ever 'body realize that these (inaudible word) here,
crude as it is done... mark an Xby your choice, you see. that's
you vote there. Now as for the names. The forst on the list
V8:
0321-12
calle_d a young lawyer named Ed Sythes (?).
I don't kn or
him, I never heard of him before he got (inaudible). But I've
been told that he specifically warned you that your favors
would be... would go unappreciated. That he doesn't care
anything about you. So we shouldn't intrude on him by givin'
him our vote, (laughter.) Now, next on this list, is Mrs.
Logan. Now, I must say in the beginning that she's my favorite
of the candidates, and been, ever since (inaudible word) because
of the fact that Mr. Logan was an outstanding senator, and he
never... l noticed h s record all along... he never said one
word, in an official capacity, that was anti-^Negro. Nor did
I ever heard or read about it. He was generous, kind, and all
that. .still, that doesn't qualify Mrs. Logan. But, Mrs. Logan..
I believe in the principle of assimilation from association.
That is, If you're around a person a 10t... if you're aronnd
'em and associate with 'em constantly, you're going to assimilate
some of their ways; some of their principles, some of their
thoughts. Now, Mrs. Logan, I understand, was very close to Mr.
Logan in official capacities, and she would often learn from him
the workings of government. Somebody points out, well, she's
Somebody says, we don't see women in politics. And
a woman.
now... I believe that young man there trough t my attention* the
other day to the fact that the United States Senate (inaudible)
from the state of Oregon. .Oregon, died a few years ago, and
the people elected his widow. And she made good. They re-elected
her again and again. In Maine, they have a lady United States
senator right in there. And in the present legislature of
Mississippi, they have three of four lady representatives, in
the legislature right now. Not many weeks ago, one Mr. Ordin
Phillips (?) of Notubi (?) County, died. And at once, Notubi (?)
County elevated his widow... or whose his widow, to fill his
place. And she's donw it very credibally down there in the
State Legislature. And surely Nora (?) County, at least our
part of it, might not be so ungrateful, or so unsympathetic
as to vote against that lady. Mr. Powell.
.
.
VI 4:
V8:
Professor Bell, I'd like to have a word on that
All right.
...
VI4: As he point out, this lady from Oregon I beleive he
said
V8:
Vl4:
V8:
Vl4:
Mrs. Newberg (?), yessir.
Would this be... This Edith Green?
Mrs Green is from Oregon too.
Uh-huh.
V8: But this Is Mrs.... Mrs. Green is in the House of Representa
tives, and see. ..see, I remember she pulled for us out...
Vl4:
Yeah, that's just what I wanted to say how ladies
are.
0321-13
When they see into athing, they more easier see them men people
from. Now, Mrs. Edith Green was one of our main support in
the Freedom Democratic Party in Atlantic City last year.
She did all she could for us. And now, maybe if this woman
was elected too, maybe she could take some places that Mrs.
Edith Green did. When the Freedom Democratic Party left
Atlantic City, she wrote a check for one hundred dollars to give
it to the Freedom Democratic Party. That was Mrs' Edith Green,
and I know her personally.
V8: Many ladies have filled in responsible positions in
government in Mississippi and in other places.
Now back...
I refer this last time to Mr. Logan. Now, I understand th t he
just flatly refused to join the Citizen's Council, evennthough
many of us here (?). Mr. Powell, some of these other men, know
him better than I do. He's the cotton behind the businessman (?)
Vl5:
Mr. Bell.
Have you had a conversation with Mrs. Logan?
V8: I haven't had a conversation with her, but she wouldn't
know me if she would walk in here now because she has never
seen me.
..
Vl5:
V8:
I mean lately, since the passin' of her husband.
Yessir.
VI S:
I had two or three with her over Chesnow (?).
But have you had a heart to heart talk with her?
V8: I have not. I haven't tried for two or three weeks.
One reason; I been talkin' to her friends about Mrs. Logan.
I f I go too strong on her. ..l'm going to hear, what is he
getting out of it? I'm not getting a fifth of whiskey in my
hand. Not a thing. Fact is, the lady's never seen me.
Vl5: The reason I asked you; I was informed that someone called
Mrs. Logan concernin' this, and she didn't give no answer.
V8: Well, I talked to her a time or two over the phone, and
that was very, very personal.
I perceive that your conversation with her concernin'...
concernin' her as runnin' for senate, and that you was leggin'
for her.
Vl5:
.
V8: Well, that's. .that's about right. But the conversation
was over the phone, And... and as you said, leggin* for her...
I would support her... lt wasn't, in other words. .there was no
promise to it, no string tied, because the lady wouldn't know
me. She's never seen me. I saw her once out at Dickson (?),
but personally, I have never spoken to her face.
Vl5:
her
.
Well then, have you made any contact with her son?
s n is representin' her...
I think
0321-14
I have not seen him. I don't know him. But Ido hear,
I have been told, that the son has been out to see several of
our people.
V8:
V 16:
V8:
Now, what has been happenin' here?
(says something inaudible )... Are there any other questions?
Any other questions?
Inaudible voice.
V7:
We can't hear you.
Vl7: Some of these names... l called them all, but after you
get through with all of 'em, then I'll know who to vote, or
what they have to talk about all this shit (?). It lkin' about
all that shit all you talkin' about.
V8:
.
Mr. Powell, four years. .well, not quite four years
ago...
he ran for the State House of Representatives, and he came out,
I don't know, about tenth or twelfth or somewhere way down there.
Mr. Smith has been in the legislature on two different occasions,
but he finally was defeated, and hasn't gone back in. I'll start
(inaudible)
off by askin' you, if I could, to mark your X by.
..
.
Now, I know some ofyou have never registered. .l mean, have
never voted, and, as a matter of fact, the schoolin' you have
to vote. .because, if you've never done a thing, it's still
offered to you. Now I 'noticed in tha last election, when
we were voting for... those men that were on the Agricultural
Committee, I was there, and I saw some ballots marked, and they
had to throw away some of 'em, because they really didn't know
juat what the person meant... when he voted. Some of 'em voted
for every one was on there. No, he didn't want to do it. He
just didn't know...
V9:
V 18:
.
The first
thing a young
man knows, was vote for one
When they go to vote, they
Yeah, but they don't see that.
get
court
house
as
quick as they can, and
out of that
want to
mark
all
of
those ballots. Hold
get
pencil
a
and
they just
Now,
you
again.
going
if
are
to vote for Mr.
that up there
over
there, and don't
you
X
that
column
(?),
Carr
mark an
in
where
it says for
get
down
here
you
mark no other X's until
mark
one Kin there.
you
change.
Then
change
against
or
the
the
two. Now
get
only
you've
X
marked
is
through,
When you
the
all,
if you're
but,
simple,
after
simple.
It is
this might seem
two
or
three
X's.
go
down
and
mark
told,
probably
you'll
not
you're
If
only
mark
two
X's.
tomorrow,
you
go
down
But when
in favor of the change. .now, it might be written like this...
If you're in favor of the change, that means you're in favor of
the six questions. See, then you mark that X. Then It says,
if you not in favor of the change, that means you go.v.back
to the nineteen question. .maybe to the twenty-one question.
V9:
.
.
0321-15
Then you mark X there.
Now, I know you not going to do that.
Now, just a word.
Just a word. We got some heaters
around here, some gas heaters. And we don't want anybody sitting
on these heaters.
Vl9:
V9:
hurt
They're not goin' to hurt them.
4 em.
They're not goin 1 to
Much noise and talking at once
Vl9: I want to say right here, you that have registered since
April 17 t you won't be eligible to vote.
What we are askin' you; if you don't have one poll tax,
go down and try to vote anyway. If you don't have no poll tax,
go down and try to vote anyway.
And if you are refused,
report that to us Monday night. We want to find out how many
people were refused, because they're the cause you're not registered
to vote. See, we want to have this complaint.
V9:
Vl2: I believe that Rev. Middleton (?) said that people who
have registered after April 17 can't vote. But I think it
stands the same way. Mrs Leard (?) down In Toogaloo (?) a
few weeks ago said that even people who registered since
April 17 should try to vote for the same reason that Mr.
Marvin (?) just said. That is, that they didn't allow you to
register easily before that. They were keeping you from registering before then. And that's their responsibility that they
did that. And you should also try to vote, even if you have
registered since April 17.
V9: Now we goin' to find out just how these people goin' to
vote tomorrow.
V 20:
V9:
May I?
Someone asked me to explain.
May I?
Yes, please.
V2O: Last week when we (inaudible about one sentence ) , the
headlines was In ther that Joe Public was invited to a
big political rally, with barbeque and all the trimmin's.
To start off I called Manolia (?) and asking 'em did that mean
us? And let them know that we thought that we were part of the
general public. And even the ladies in the office, you could
almost feel the tremble in their voice. You could almost hear
that Ihose ladies were very uneasy. We talked with Mrs.... We
talked with Mrs. Logan, Mr. Powell, and Mr. Carr. Mr. Carr,
we told him who we were; I told him my name and that I'm with
the Freedom Democratic Party, representin' Penola (?) County,
and we noticed... we told him that we noticed that there was a
political rally where we could hear him speak Thursday night
And if we weren't allowed to that meeting, would they come to
us here? Well, Mr. Carr, or whatever his name is, he didn't
0321-16
even let us finish. He said, is that the Voters' League? I
said Yessir. He said, I'm not interested. I don't want to talk
to you today. Mrs. Powell said she wasn't sure, she would
think about it. Mrs. Logan, and let us know that she talked
very nice, and say yes. She did say it in a very nice way.
Mr. Powell said he'd be glad to come to us just any place,
as if that was the most delightful thing he could do, and yet,
you know from the paper about it, we asked, could we come
down there. That's all. We asked (inaudible). And also
we can only know (?) that when something is printed for the
general public, that we would be thinking that that means us,
and that we could come down there. That's the report, because we
did not contact Mr. Smith, because the telephone operator
and the. .information, couldn't give us his number, and they
didn't know the nunber, and they said they didn't think he had
a phone, that's... so we didn't get in contact with Mr. Smith.
But that's the quotes each one of 'em gave. Mr. Powell said
he would be glad to come to talke with us anywhere and anytime.
Mrs. Logan said she would think about it, but she...her other
committments might not allow her to. But she spoke very cordially
And Mr. Logan... l mean Mr. Carr, said he did not (inaudible).
.
V2l : Which one of those men said this morning that they voted
for... he talked, in his speech, if you listen to the radio.
Yes, and his was broadcast, and he stated his platform, and
he talked about this (inaudible) that he had. He said that
he voted for Senator Barry Goldwater. That is fact.
Much noise and confusion.
V2l : He said that he voted for Senator Barry Goldwater, and
he was proud that ninety per cent of the people... l believe
that's the way he put it, in Mississippi, voted for him.
These very Negroes and other good-thinkers (?) ninety per cent
that voted for Mr. ...Mr. Goldwater. And I said them, I will not
vote for you. And I heard Mrs. Gross' (?) son. I (inaudible
rest of sentence). But I didn't hear the other two. But I
did hear the Carr and Mrs. Logan. I've made my decision. I
(laughter.)
wouldn't vote for him if he was in my family.
Her platform seems to be reasonable, and no one place has
stated that she wasn't tied down to any one political group,
you know,. that had any strength or (inaudible word) that she
wouldn't be able to exercise her free, you know, privileges
in anything, and I wasn't goin' to say it. And then she said
also that she would do her best to serve all the people.
I
course,
told
And,
spots
speech.
they
noticed those
in her
of
about her educational status and occupation in our county, and
how long she'd been here, and if she married, and all this, to
point, and then when her husbend passed, she decided to
rum. And I thought that she had a very fair platform. She
always includes all the people of the state.
0321-17
I'd just like to make one other announcement
V8:
...to me, very important. But, I w0u1d... 1 w0u1d... 1
w0u1d... 1 really go for that, because I want to hear all of the
Vl7:
speakers, because, how you know who to vote for if you don't
know his platform? You just be doin» it do be doin' somethin'.
I would like to add also that the Logan... the men out
there, I happen to be a lady. But he told us that he would
give us the name of a person that was on that committee. And
we called that person, and he said no, I'm not workin' on the
riot (?). Would you give me the name of a person who is on that
committee? He said, "well, what do you want with him?" I
said, "I want to know if we're invited to the meeting tonight."
The Negroes of Penola County. The Negro voters of Penola County
would like to know if we're invited." He said, "well, it's a
recreational affair." I said, "oH, it's all white." He said,
"Oh, I wouldn't say that it was all white." He went on. He
said, "Well, it has been up until now, but I guess we just
wouldn't know if you are invited or not, but we sure could
V2l:
understand that we (inaudible)/ But I should also add that
You know, they
Mrs, Logan, from the time that I housed them.
quite
Ice
Cream
Parlor
for
some time
have been there in that
people,
very
generous
poor
with
aidin'
they
were
now. And
white and colored, who had been in a disaster, with both the
Lions Club, who heped to get the chilrun glasses, and hepped
the little, feeble-minded boys with the examination and
pacitation (?). and things like that. They alsoworked with
the poor people of both races, and have been doin' so for
quite some time.
I just want to announce now, that tomorrow is voting
may. .tomorrow's the election. The voting may still not decide
the race, simply. Now, there are four persons runnin'.
If no one person get a majority of the vote, that's half of
So, for
'em, the two highest will run again two weeks later.
.suppose
there
is four
instance, if there is a hundred votes.
get
twenty,
one
get
and another
of 'em. Suppose one feller
get
twenty
fifty,
one
get
and another
thirty, and another one
Now, we may
nd he's got to get aore than fifty to be chosen.
again
two
weeks
from
Logan
get... we may have to vote for Mrs.
Or
between
not, if...have to decide between her and one more.
some two. So. let's be ready so in case we be called upon to
vote in a run-off... (voice trails off).
V8:
.
.
V9:
So far, so good.
I believe the best way to do this
V22: I would like to say something about this fellow
The paper says he was the first one on the platform.
the first one to speak. And he was the guy that said
we were invited to the Penola County Voter's Meeting,
if we didn't come here.
V23:
I saw it.
Powell.
He was
that
providin'
0321-18
saw it too?
V22:
You
V23:
I saw it.
Several people say: I saw it.
V22: That's providin' we didn't come. here. See, he's throwin'
a brick behind his head. And he said he's (inaudible word)
and he's not. This lady says she's for all the people. That's
I didn't hear him say it.
Talking and arguing in the audience.
V22: ...live out in the neighborhood out where Mrs. Betty Smith
live, he said he would n't vote for him if he was stayin' in his
house. So I guess he knows him.
Several voices talking at once.
V25:
.
.
A young lady that lives... that formerly oived in our
community. .she lives in Memphis now, was (intereupted. .voice
not under standable )... and she told me that... to ld me and some
others, that I understand that Mrs. Billie Logen(?) joined the
(inaudible word), so I sure hope she'll get elected, 'cause she's
a me woman.
I worked for her for years. And she and Mr. Logan
are the finest people I've ever worked for.
This your opportune to vote whoever you want to vote for
Even if you want to vote for Mr. Carr. That's all right.
V9:
.. (inaudible)
V26:
I'd like to have a word to sazy about.
V27:
Mr. Carr, he fill up that retishration.
.
V9: Now, what we goin' to have to do, si to get rid of this
prattlin' (?).
(inaudible). .is to cast your vote tonight,
so we all can say the Voters' League voted this way. And then
you vote like the Voters' League voted.
Even if I don't like
Mr. Powell, and the Voters' League vote for Mr. Powell, I'm
gonna vote jest like you vote.
We're gonna pool our votes
together. Even if you vote for Mr. Carr, and I know I don't lik
him, I'll vote like you vote. And that's the way we want you to
vote. This is what we call poolin' our votes, and this is where
we find our strenth.
V2B:
That's right.
Now, I believe the first thing for us to do, is to vote
here by standing, or by holding your hand, about who you want.
There's no harm to do that. But we can't tell you who to vote
for. It's against the law to do that. But we can say how the
Voters' League voted. So, maybe we'd say: all in favor of voting
for Mr. Carr, will you hold your hand up, til we count 'em.
V9:
0321-19
got any friends here? All right; I see that he has
Thank you very much. (laughter). All in favor to vote
for Mrs. Logan, as you've heard, I guess her campaign speech
from her friends, (laughter) will you stand until you counted?
All in favor of votin' for the lady, Mrs. Logan, will you stand...
Mr. Carr
none.
END OF TAPE.
Meeting
0320
Continued from 0321
Batesville, Mississippi
FDP
—
there were just thousands of people
....up in Atlantic City
there, and when you went to vote he said the ayes have it.
How in the world can you cont all those eyes? We couldn't
count all of you then. It would take too much time, but we're
going to see how many people are going to vote for Mr. Power.
All in favor of voting for Mr. Power will you stand? (laughter)
This was the way they counted. All right now Mr. Smith might
have some friends that might cast some votes for him. So Mr.
Smith don't have any friends. Now, all in favor of voting for
the change. You know what I said about ta change?
Audience:
Yeah, yeah.
What did I say?
A:
For the sixth question.
For the sixth question when you
for the change.
A:
see the word change, youvote
inaudible
Now, there might be some people that are really against the
change. If so we want to give you a chance too.
But if you
are against the change will you stand. Nobody is against the
change !
audience noise
A 2:
Now, I don't know whether everybody knnws it but
Mr
he was arrested down in Jackson and also my mother an
they said they were going down to vote against whatever the
legislation was going for
Now, you wouldn't go down there and cast a vote against those
six questions because when you do that that puts you in favor
of them adding 21 questions.
A2:
Yes, but that's the
0320-2
Now, in this
Wait a minute. Let me finish.
of politics
you've got to be ......not to let your emotions run you because this was the thin; that was ruinig the state so long.
You've got to vote by reason and common sense.
A:
That's right.
—
That's what we're asking that you use that
an not let your
emotions in
That's what most people in California are
doing now
that naturally a vote against this
now my understanding of it is that they were protesting the
legislature because the legislaturors were elected without
even the Negroes participating in the election. #nd that's what
they were protesting there. They didn't protest the fact that
they wanted change; they were protesting the fact that the Negroes weren't given the right to vote. That's what the trou-
ble was.
A3:
inaudible
A2:
Talk louder, Mr. Wilson.
We can't hear you.
The people peacefully assembled and protested, not talked
about, what they think is not right. And tbse peple that are
in jail down there they went to peacefully protest against the
unjust laws that had been passed by the state of Mississippi.
And then it was unjust of them to pass a law that they would
have to get a permit to even peacefully assemble.
A3:
A2:
That's right.
When the constitution of the government and the state of
Mississippi were behind thatlaw. That gives every citizen the
right to peacefully assemble and protest against what they
thought wasn't right
.because they didn't want the Negro
just
enough
protest
against the
to
that were hanto have
ded down to us.
applause
A3:
......
A4: I would also like to say that we have
what we have
is the six point question which is unconstitutional
and then we have the injunction which is an 18 pomt question.
And with all of this we still say that we want we want the vote
the six point question which the federal registrars
is coming in and if theys coming in they
then we do have a
preference of whatever we do want. But if he votes for this
you can vote if you want to but you
six point question
don't have to. And so that's your point. And it's my point to
—
0320-3
tell the way I
applause
see it.
A£;....1 advocate that we Negroes vote one way. (applause) I'll
repeat what I said and vote one way. ( inaudible) ....they legislated against Negroes down here in the South. And what gives
them the strength? They pool their votes. They all go in together. And then if we want to be a power here in Mississippi we
Negroes have to get together and pool our votes too. (applause)
how do you think the attitude of the white people of
Q:
Mississippi or in the South will be?
Somebody said well
....I don't think they are going to do anything. I think they
are going to be quiet. I wouldn't put no argument because I'm
poor at arguing.
That's what I
The Ku Klux and the white
citizens council is too closely knited together for us to come
down here
without doing anything to ......Now, all over the
South they are getting together to out smart us. The best brains
are getting together. These are the ones who an saying that the
Negro is satisfied
and we want to register and prove to
the people that we are not satisfied.
(applause) Whnn I was
at
the
night
there
on
hood
that
....out
of
old jeep waiting for
brother Myers and brother
to come down here. And I was unsatisfied. And I was thinking if some white citizen's council
come in I was thinking which way can I run? (laughter) I wasn't
( inaudbile portion)
satisfied then, and I'm not satisfied now
actually about three months
about something to keep us
from going to the ballot.
I held that thing up in church. There
were teachers and preachers there. And some of them turned their
heads and wouldn't even look at It.
I'm telling you the naked
my
my
paid
exemption
truth. I had
and
full tax and have here
Deacons
who
were
doin; so much talking
my
and some of the
laid down on the benches. And I couldn't get a man
I couldn't
get a man to get a form
forexemption for full tax
""
I wanted to go up to the white school and enroll my children but
they was afriad to go up there. And listen, listen people. This
movement is on. A while ago there were three classes of people.
Do you know the class of people that's putting this movement
over? It's we .....folks.
We ....folks went down in our pocmoney.
got
got
kets and
And
a woman to file an affidavit against
Mississippi
so that the NAACP could come in..
the school boards of
And when that was on file
that affidavit
then comes in to
We ....folks went down in our pockets and got up
him a
some money to finance that law suit against the state of Mississippi for the teachers to get better salaries and to put
school busses on the road to haul our children back and forth
—
—
—
0320-4
like ...........) (applause) I went down to Jackson
and we
went down to a state convention and Mrs. Holloway she taken us
in. We went there one night and she taken us in. And she was
a widow woman and she had a governess job and she had a nice car
she could drive around in. And she told me that when I got some
uh, supporting the workers and taking them
of the workers here
in my home
a big shot school teacher was living right next
door to her ....and she would come out and they would speak and
they'd talk. And she said when I got out there working ....that
(inaudible portion)
teacher stopped speakig to me
I'm asking you
I'm asking you
I don't know how to speak.
""
But I do know some tricks....
—
—
—
—
inaudible portion
And I'm waking up here and I hope the time will come when
Conty will sit down
our black men and our black women from
congressional
on
the
from
Mississippi.
there
seat
And that's
the height of my ambition. That's why I'm out now. I didn't
feel like coming out tonight but the meeting was on. The meeting was on.
The meeting was on
inudible portion
All this will be erased. When you go to your court house
you go to your ballot you will given a ballot
when
or
a little
strip of paper. There will just be the names on it and then you
go into your booth to mark your ballot. Then you only mark two
marks. This is what we say we do tonight. You put an X here
and you vote for the change and you put an X here.
Then before
then you fold your ballot and put it in the box and come out
and that's all there is to it. Now, be sure that....
—
—
A:
I'm going to be voting for the first time (inaudible)
Tomorrow, you put that ballot in the box yourself. Don't
let some mister say let me do your ballot
don't you hand
your ballot to nobody. You put it in the box yoursjfe&f
And if
you give it to somebody else and they get around and drop it on
the floor and what-not you haven't voted. So we want you to put
your ballot in the box yourself.
.
A3:
inaudible
we really sponser a candidate, but they don't know we
and in our next election we hope to sponsponser a candidate
0320-5
ser a candidate and we hope that this candidate will be a Negro. What he was talking about was very necessary. Also, what
Reverend Nilsen was talking about is very necessary. Don't give
nobody your ballot. Put in it your box yourself. Okay, any
questions?
Aii
How do you fold it?
Well, you can fold it anyway, but you fold it so that the names
are on the inside. The white people don't have no special way
just
to fold it. But it might be correct if you fold it where
you
have
quiet.
Any
questions?
Maylike
do a letter.
Lets
it
be these questions will do you some good too. Now, what is the
—
question?
A:
inaudible
Yes.
A4:
He said we's going to vote for this change. If we don't
vote for this change .....he said a lot of white people will not
be able to vote ......because they will have to go the long way
around. And so we are goig to let them vote for this change the
short way so they will conduct the white people in last and
they will vote like they always have
Any other question that we have about this?
ess that we would like to take care of.
" ...A7:
..you've
voting.
ing
We have more busin-
You vote because you want to vote. This is democracy..
got to find out what you're voting for and how you're
You don't vote just because there are other people vot(inaudible)
And the June election is coming around and let us encourage somebody
some Negro man or some Negro woamn to get in
the general election and run for office.
You know I'm constantly
telling you
they pay millions of dollars to keep our folks
Now, in the next election I heard a man ....say that he
was going to run for supervisor of his district. Somebody said
well he's not qualified and so forth and so on. Did you not know
that there is a white man holding office that's not qualified?
Some men were holding offices and couldn't answer questions when
—
0320-6
They sit in judgment on us and when you
they couldn't answer them them
questions
come to ask them some
to
selves we want
answer them.
a question is asked.
Aud. :
Yeah.
All right.
And listen too. There is more white folks in Mississippi who
can't read and write than there are black folks who can't. So,
tape side ends.
...
and some didn't know what nationality they were. Some couldn't
(inaudime)
read and write.
There are some more things that we would like to attend to while
we are here. We're wondering if you think there should be a committed to see Mr. Schenkle. Now, you know Mr. Schenkle's office
...I don't say he's doing it, but he has refused to register
a few people
a lot of people maybe
And we shomld^form a
committee and go see him and let him know about this. The ques=
tion is now I hear there are some people who go to his assistant
been refused and they go right back to Mr. Schenkle and
pay. Whether she ....this is a way of intimidation and it's a
way of just refusing
will discourage some people from going
back. Maybe some people won't have enough encouragement to go
back. And I think and maybe you would think that we need a committee to go to him and inform him of this. Do you think so?
And we already talked about the poll
and we can't talk about
this tonight because the night is getting old. But one more
thing we would like to talk about maybe is protection for the
children in school or on the school busses. Maybe some of you
would go to the superindendent of education and ask him what kind
of protection would our children have or would our child have on
these white busses? I think it's very important that we have a
committee to do that. I feel that maybe some of you would volunteer for this purpose. Maybe some little child will come- some
the only
Negro child will come from somewhere out in the
child on that bus ....and if he don't have any protection, the
white kids are going to harass them to death. That will sometimes cause a child to lose his mind or something. And if he
has the protection ....I think it's very important. Now, one more
thing.
Don't say that Reverend Myers told you how to vofee!
(laughter) Cause I know that's what you're going to do
you're
(laughter)
going to say Reverend Myers told us how to vote.
—
—
—
.... —
—
A4:
If you have a write-in candidate or anybody like that?
I
0320-7
?
Well, that's everybody's privelage. If you don't see a candidate that you want on the ballot, you can write in any candidate that you want. That's your privelage. But now I'm somewhat
like Reverend Nilsen. I think you should exercize your power.
We've been wanting to vote for a long time
But one thing
impresses
people
that
me ...that he is for all the
.....not because what Reverend Nilsen said but because of what he said in
the paper. He is for all the people.
Yeah.
That's right.
Now, I know that ....wasn't for us and I know that Goldwater
wasn't for us, but president Johnson was our next best friend.
is our next best
And we had to vote for him. Maybe Mrs
friend. She's not for us altogether. We're just doing this until we get somewhere. When we get somewhere we're going to get
our own friends. Now, I feel that we should have
Now, can we have volunteers? People to go to
Mr. Schenkle?
Mr. Schenkle:
I'll go with somebody.
I'll volunteer to go.
I'll go.
Make it three.
Q: Now, if you can get a committee from your community
where you can get together ....we'd appreciate that. We feel
that it's easier to gettogether and it works better that way.
Now, do we have a committee that's going to go see the superintendent?
A: ...for the parents of children who are going to go to white
schools. The parents should be concerned about this.
A4:
I can't hear him.
Q: She's talking about tn superintendent going from door to door
talking to the parents of the children who are going to the
school to find out what bus they are catching.
A4:
inaudible
0320-8
inaudible portion
......
Q: Now, the next committee is the committee that is going to
be concerned with the protection of the children on the busses.
and myself will go to see the superNow, Mrs
and Mr.
intendent, right? Can we get some more?
a4:
inaudible
Q: Well, maybe we better get three for the South side and three
for the North side.
inaudible portion
A9:
Q:
Uh, Mr. ....may I get a word in?
Yes.
Don't walk out.
We need some money.
A9: ......and
everything went on real nice until last week and
then
Armstrong
so
Mr.
came to my house and asked me what
enroll him a white school for?
or what did he want to
why
he
said
the
he wanted to know why
So,
know it for.
reason
for
my
I enrolled
child
didn't I think she would be more happy and we are real close to Greenhill
much closer than we are
to
So, he said didn't I think she would be more happy
over there with with those nigger teachers and those nigger child
ren than with all those white children? I told him no
and so he says those folks don't have any business over there.
keep on listening to those Northern white folks and he said
we ain't going to have no schools to send our kids to. So I told
he said we'll probably have to close it down. I told him
him
—
—
—
—
that would be better
let's close it all down and let's everybody get together.
(laughter and applase) Because I know that
if we close ours, they've got to close theirs. So, I asked him
I said well Mr. Armstrong, why is it tat you are so interested
in Barbara
? And he said I'm not concerned with the others. He said I don't have anything to do withthem. Their grand
mother don't work for me. Yousee, Barbara's grandmother worked
well, grandmother didn't do this.
for him. And so I told him
I did. I did it myself. I did. He asked me where did I get
my information from? Did I get it from
That's my husband.
I told him no
in Jackson and he know
and don't be home
until every other week-end. So, hesaid well who gave you the information to do it? I told him
I did it myself. So he told
telling me what to say.
me you do
He said yousay yes and
I'll go over there and withdraw Barbara. I said no. No, sir.
—
—
0320-9
I put her in there myself. If I see fit she can't go I'll get
her out myself. (applause) And I will get her out if it's necessary but
But he said
tlere were 32 others
he don't
think he had anything to do with them, but he do because Barbara's grandmother worked for him. And so she only gets $3*oo
a day, and she works six days wth a day and a half off. And
that's just $18.00 a week. So, I don't tnnk she's obligated at
I did that myself.
She didn't
all with him. And Barbar's
anything
get
to
do
when
out,
have
withit. And
I
I'm going to
get out myself
anything wrong
do
going
because I'm not
to
he
to
for
hope.
says
I
And so
make it more better
me and for
Barbara and for the white and colored kids is to take her out.
And I'm not going to do it.
—
—
A4:
I wanted to ask that question to my ....because it came
to my ears that somebody was fired for that. The grandmother was
registered
fired because the daughter-in-law put her child
your
Armstrong
her child in that school. Did Mr.
fire
mother-
—
in-law?
He's not at home at the present. I haven't seen
him since he came to my house. She hasn't seen him since Friday. But his wife picked her up Saturday morning and he picked
her up this morning. And so they sai he's away
in the army
for two weeks. But she hasn't seen him. But she did work today.
A9:
No, mam.
—
A4:
Well, now that's what I wanted to straighten out because
that's because this lady rgistered her child there..
A9:
Well, he really did.
A4:
Well, he didn't fire here.
others.
He didn't haveanything to do with the
That's the
thing I wanted to
get straight.
A9:
No, mam, he didn't.
A4:
inaudible
but the very day he picked
and then he carried her to his house
That was last Monday. He definately
know anything about that he had been
A9:
her up. He picked her up
and came back to my house.
did that. And she didn't
there until she got off work
0320-10
and I was telling her about it. He never did tell her that he
came back. He sure didn't. He didn't do that.
A:
inaudible
but I don't think it's possible for us to find out,
but I'll tell you one thing. We need some FBI to find these
(laughter) Something ought to be done about it
A9:
Q: Now, don't forget wh& I said. We will be forming tonight and
we're still going to leave here in the morning. Don't forget.
And I'd like to say this again. We havea lot of children registered in the white schools, and we'd like to serve notice on
our people. Please cooperate. We have some information that we
don't want to coberate. But we are asking you to please cooperate. Now, we will ask the questions to the superintendent
will there be any transport of the white children to the colored
school? And he'll say no. We'll ask him the question will there
be any white teachers transported to the colored school and any
colored teachers transported to the white school. He said no.
But he did say that he did t&nk that they would have a interracial meeting at some late date. Now, we .....I've asked both
superintendents about as many questions as you could ask and that
we could think of. And I'd just like to say that the one question I asked for the citizens of
was
.and he grabbed
saying
the telephone trembling
inaudime
So, he gave the paper to Mrs. Robinson and she said I don't believe this and she handed it to me. Now, I want to say this.
Our teachers, please cooperate.
You're not going to lose your
jobs. We believe that there will be some falling away on one
side because when some of these blacks go walking in these white
) (inaudible)
schools some of them will walk out.
and anybody who's got over 3 2 he needs another teacher.
I told him
that some had forty and some had fifty and along like that. Well,
when you go to add it up there's suppossed to be another teacher
coming in.
when you send that child to
Is that right?
school, keep that child in school because everything is handed
and that's your average daily attendance and
down through
even ....has gotten that way. And please keep you boy or your
girl in school, and don't forget it. Now, I'd like to say this
and then I'm going to ask you fir money
Abo* 15 of us went
to desegregate that thing, and we were challup to the
enged by the manager of that lake. And I have a letter in my
hand here from a laywer of constitutional defense
now,
don't say we was scared to goig back. We went back again alright.
0320-11
But when we go back again ain't nobody going to mess with us I
guarantee you that.
(appaluse)
inaudible
A:
now, they can accept so many and after that they are
going to be over crowded. They're going to accept enough to
say it's integrated. Now, that's my belief. That's nothing
about ....that's mine. And then they are going to hollar overcrowded because you do notice in the paper they said something
about over crowded and then you will have the privelage of carrying your child back to whatever school whether it's white or
Q:
black.
A4:
And so, I can't answer your question on that, brother.
inaudible
Now we want some money. Now, this thing cannot run without
money. Now,
ever man and eery woman that can com by and
leave a donation because you know we are going to have some
bills. We want to go places. Now, some announcements. Will
you listen totthe announcements?
Q:
A5:
I noticed at our last meeting on the second Sunday we did
You mean the Freedom Democratic Party?
Q:
A5:
This was suppossed to be taken up tonight.
No, let me explain It to you.
Q:
A5:
all right.
Q: The Freedom Democratic Party will meet next Monday and all
you that have reports, pleas c bring them next Monday. This is
butit will go the same way if the
the Voter's League
Freedom Democratic Party meets.
A5:
Q:
A:
Well, I just wanted to know.
Well, it will be next Monday night.
it and bring it in next Monday night.
inaudible
Put a little
more on
0320-12
Q:
Does anyone have an announcement?
A:
Uh, at 10:00 o'clock last Wednesday at the college we had
a discussion on the problems and on the situation inVietnam,
and we're planning to have another discussion on that this Wednesday. But, of course, as you know there have been quite a
few events up in Los Angles and in other cities In the North
and we were thinking that if perhaps if any of you wanted to talk
about this or discuss the causes and the problems of this violence and the riots in Los Angeles you mi&t be interested in
coming to a general discussion of people telling what they
think and their feelings about the problems in Los Angeles and
in the North.
And we can also talk about Vietnam and this will
be at the college this Wednesday, the night after tomorrow, at
8:00 o'clock.
A 10: I have two announcements. Some of you ladies might have
heard that the ladies in Batesville have been talking about having a maid union
a union of all the women who work for the
white folks. And they've already had two mmetings and we just
haven't had a chance to get the word out. So, tare's a meeting on Tuesday night at 8:00 o'clock at the college.
So if any
of you ladies are tired of getting $3*oo a day when you work
for the white folks, you should come to this meeting tomorrow
night and we're going to talk some more about someof the things
that people want.
And, the otherannouncement is this. We're
inviting everyone to a picnic up at Forest Lake on the 28th at
not this coming Saturday, but the Saturday after that. And
we're going to make some food, but we can't make enough food
for all of you so if all of you will come and bring along your
watermelons and chicken. And we hope you can all come an join
us. (applause)
—
—
Q:
Now, will you come by the table or do you want to pass a
plate around?