Sunflower County Civil Rights History

The Civil Rights in Sunflower County

The American Civil Rights Movement in the late 1950's and 1960's represents a improtant event in world history. The positive changes it brought to voting and civil rights continue to be felt throughout the United States and much of the world. Although this struggle for Black equality was fought on many different "battlefields" throughout the United States, many people described the state of Mississippi as the major "battlefield." In Mississippi Sunflower County stood out among many counties for fighting for freedom during the 1950' and 1960's. In Sunflower County the fight for freedom occured in many small towns and the people fighting made history.

Listed are some towns that were involved in the Civil Rights Movement:

Ruleville Civil Rights Background Information

One famous women that lived in Ruleville, Mississippi was Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer. Mrs. Hamer was born on October 6, 1917. She was the youngest of twenty children. After being married for two years she began to get involved in the Civil Rights activism. At that point she became involved with SNCC, but was fired from her regular job for making that choice. Mrs. Hamer became the a secretary for SNCC and later became a registered voter in 1963. A year after got her rights to vote she became vice chairperson of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic. With her newly position, Ms. Hamer often recieved jail beatings that left her crippled. Mrs. Hamer gave her live to God on March 18, 1977 in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, but was put to rest in her hometown, Ruleville. Mrs. Hamer will always be remembered as a strong, black, determine women who is "Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired."

Indianola Civil Rights Background Information

One of the Civil Rights workers located in Indianola was Charles McLaurin, which did not live in Indianola. Charles McLaurin moved to Sunflower County in 1962. He was invovled in SNCC, student non-violent coordinating committee. Before he moved to the Delta, Charles McLaurin lived in Jackson, Mississippi. McLaurin went around visiting the surrounding areas due to the volunteer of some white teachers who wanted to teach in Sunflower County Freedom Schools and register people to vote. McLaurin became a very important part of the Civil Rights Movement in the Delta, which continued to push to make a difference.

Drew Civil Rights Background Information

In Drew, Mississippi there was a family by the name of Matthew and Mae Bertha Carter. They were sharecoppers and had seven children that were enrolled in school. They managed to survive on eighty-five dollars a month. Matthew and Mae Bertha Carter were both involved with NAACP, since 1954. Most of the family attended meetings at nearby Cleveland, Mississippi. The carter family could not take having to walk to school everyday, while the white children rode by them on their shiny new buses. Mae Berta Carta finnaly took the stand to desegregate Drew public schools. While sending her children to an all white school they suffered beatings and other harsh treatment. The Carter family had to find another home and they also lost their jobs. All of the children graduated and earned a college degree.