July 17^th 1964

 

Diary of Mike Willsbury

 

 

 

Diary of Mike Willsbury

 

 

 

Thousands of civil rights activists came running into the city [Mississippi] today; many of them white college students from the north about my age.  They came down, according to what I heard, to end the long-time voting disenfranchisement of myself and other African Americans in the South.  I couldn’t believe it.  Was it possible that I might be able to exercise my voting right?  I ran up to a White and asked what was going on.  He told me exactly what I wanted to hear.  I thought to my self, “Literary taxes are unfair.  They’re too hard for even educated African Americans to pass.”  But why would they choose Mississippi out of all the others to help?  I had to know.  I asked the nearest person.  She said it was because of the state's particularly low voting-rights record.  Two years ago only 6.7 percent of the blacks in the state were registered to vote, apparently, the lowest percentage in the country. 

 

 

 

July 20^th 1964

 

Mike Willsbury

 

 

 

I recently found out that there was an organization called The Mississippi Freedom Party (MFDP,) and it was a major focus of this, which I’ve heard being called “Freedom Summer”.  I immediately joined the organization, along with over 80,000 white and black Mississippians.

 

 

 

July 22^nd 1964

 

Mike Willsbury

 

 

 

I went to school today.  Everything seemed the same.  I got my books and got ready for my first class.  While I was walking into history, usually taught by Mrs. Gransfield, a new white male teacher was there.  I found out that his name was Mr. Morrison and that the MFDP had established what were called “Freedom Schools,” and had asked Mr. Morrison to substitute for Mrs. Gransfield.  Mr. Morrison turned out to be a great teacher.  He came to Mississippi from South Dakota.

 

 

 

July 23^rd 1964

 

Willsbury

 

 

 

Today is Sunday.  I always go to church on Sunday.  When I was taking my seat in the middle row, I noticed a white police officer.  I recognized him from the news on TV.  He was convicted for the murder of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner.  James, Andrew, and Michael were all civil rights activists.  The trial lasted for a week. Along with many others, the case, went unsolved.  The police officer looked kind of suspicious, as if up to something.  The priest continued on with his church service until in the middle of his speech, someone in the back yelled, “There’s a bomb, everyone out!”  There were shreaks and screams everywhere.  To this, the whole building ran and jostled their way out the door.  My good friend’s mother lost her life.

 

 

 

July 24^th 1964

 

Mike Willsbury

 

 

 

 

 

I realized today that the incident yesterday was just the beginning.  From that point on, I couldn’t go anywhere safe.  I especially had to be careful in lots of big public buildings like churches due to riots and bombing or burnings done by racist police officers and white mobs.

 

 

 

August 4^h 1964

 

Mike Willsbury

 

 

 

I heard on the news today, that a total of 37 black churches and 30 black-owned homes and businesses were firebombed or burned in the last couple of weeks, and mostly all of the cases are unsolved. More than 1000 black and white MFDP volunteers were arrested, and at least 80 were beaten by white mobs or racist police officers.

 

 

 

One Year Later (August 6^th 1965)

Mike Willsbury

 

despite all of the blood and gore that I experienced a year ago,  I realized today that Freedom Summer broughtus the Voting Rights Act of 1965.  I now can vote!

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