In the 1960s blacks made up more than 45% of mississippi's population but only 6% were registered to vote. Bob Moses, an African American civil rights activist, confronted SNCC (snick), and they worked together with other organisations for African American voting rights. Most African Americans didn’t even know much about their voting rights, but it was clear that Mississippi was struggling to let blacks vote. Black voting rights had always been a goal for civil rights activists. Freedom Summer happened because many African Americans, like Bob Moses, noticed the differences in voting for blacks and whites and decided to try and make a change. Mississippi was the main focus for Freedom Summer because it had the lowest voting rates for African Americans in America.
Activists who assisted with Black voting rights were in danger of bombing, burning, death, and many more violence. By the end of summer, 1964, 37 black churches were burned and 30 homes bombed. There were 80 civil rights workers beaten and over 1000 people were arrested. By the time that August had come around 80,000 blacks in Mississippi freedom Democratic Party to end segregation. Three civil rights activist were taken into jail without getting to call anyone. When they were released the police called the Klu Klux Klan, who shot 2 of the men and brutally beat the other. Their names were Andrew Goodman, James Earl Chaney and Michael Henry Schwerner. Three more activists disappeared which caused a lot of investigating and searching. After many years of searching the FBI got a tip on who kidnapped them and convicted the seven men of the Klu Klux Klan to ten years of jail.
Charles Cobb a member of SNCC proposed the idea of freedom schools for African Americans in 1964. Located in the south, freedom schools not only gave Americans Americans and education, but they acted as a campaign for African American voting rights. Educated whites and blacks worked in freedom schools. African Americans learned about their voting rights in freedom schools, and got the education they never had before. Really, freedom schools were a type of alternative school. Freedom schools never existed before the Mississippi summer project. The Mississippi Summer Project created around 50 freedom schools for African Americans.
There were many organizations involved in the long process of Freedom Summer. The main organizations were CORE(Congress of Racial Equality), COFO(Council of Federated Organization), and SNCC(Student nonviolent coordinating committee). A lot of people contributed to these organizations. Michael Schwerner joined CORE after becoming a social worker. He and his wife set up a library and other activities for blacks. Both were later murdered by the Ku Klux Klan. Andrew Goodman later joined CORE to fight for freedom. James Earl Chaney was an African American who got involved in CORE. All the men eventually were killed by the Ku Klux Klan. Another organization called COFO launched the campaign to gain voting rights. Robert Moses started SNCC to again help gain those voting rights. Franie Lou Hamer also worked with SNCC and lost a lot working for it. These organizations all worked to get voting rights for African Americans.
Many people contributed to Freedom Summer. Robert Moses, Lawrence Guyot, Annie Devine, Victoria Gray, Julia Bond, and Frannie Lou Hamer. All of these people had no voice but soon gained one, and led other African Americans into battle to end Segregation. Robert Moses, a key member in Freedom Summer, started Freedom summer by confronting SNCC about African American voting rights. Lawrence Guyot directed the Mississippi freedom democratic party, which was a huge part of freedom summer. Annie Devine became the first African American woman to speak for the united states house of representatives. She worked with CORE and also worked closely with Franie Lou Hamer. Both Victoria Gray and Julia Bond were influential people in freedom summer Victoria was an important member of the MFDP (mississippi freedom democratic party). Franie Lou Hamer was a huge part of MDFP and worked with SNCC. All of these people made a huge impact on freedom summer and the civil rights movement.
While freedom summer happened back in 1964 and most criticism against African Americans is gone, there are still issues with these sort of things. In Baltimore multiple blacks have been shot. Philip White, 32 was in a police car when a police said he tried to grab a gun. The thing is, White was handcuffed. Two witnesses said that after he was arrested the police punched him, kicked him and stomped on him. At one point they let a dog knock him on the ground and bite his body. White eventually became unconscious. Victor White the third, another victim in Baltimore, was claimed to have killed himself in the back of a cop car even though he was handcuffed. Victor White was only 22 years old and was killed in the cop car. How does this relate to freedom summer? When African Americans were fighting for voting rights the Klu Klux Klan would beat them whenever they tried to register to vote. They couldn't go anywhere without being attacked. Now police are beating them after their arrest.
Freedom summer was a big step for African Americans and America in general. while it may have not gotten as many blacks to vote as wanted, It accomplished freedom schools and gave voices to people who didn't have one. As Franie Lou Hamer said “Before the 1964 project there were people who wanted change, but they had not dared to come out. After 1964 people began moving. To me its one of the greatest things that ever happened in Mississippi.”