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Catalog Data

Created by:
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, American, 1960 - 1970s  Search this
Congress of Racial Equality, American, founded 1942  Search this
Subject of:
Michael Schwerner, American, 1939 - 1964  Search this
James Chaney, American, 1943 - 1964  Search this
Andrew Goodman, American, 1943 - 1964  Search this
Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, American, founded 1964  Search this
Medium:
ink on paper
Dimensions:
H x W: 14 x 8 1/2 in. (35.6 x 21.6 cm)
Type:
fliers (printed matter)
Place used:
New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
Place depicted:
Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi, United States, North and Central America
Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
Date:
June 21, 1965
Caption:
This flier, from a collection of documents related to the Boston chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), provides insight into the Northern reaction to the violence against African Americans in the American South.
On August 28, 1955, 14-year-old Emmett Till was brutally lynched in Drew, Mississippi. The murder and subsequent acquittal of the perpetrators were catalysts for a new determination among African Americans in the fight for civil rights. Emmett’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley said, "The murder of my son has shown me that what happens to any of us, anywhere in the world, had better be the business of us all!!!"
In the same year, Lamar Smith, a farmer and World War I veteran, was shot and killed on the courthouse steps of Brookhaven, Mississippi, and George W. Lee, a grocery store owner and director of the local NAACP branch, was murdered in Belzoni, Mississippi, both in retaliation for encouraging Blacks to register to vote. The violence shocked the nation and inspired new action in the Civil Rights Movement across the country.
Description:
A flier announcing a mass demonstration in New York City at the FBI Headquarters at 69th Street and 3rd Avenue on June 21st, 1965. The mimeographed flier is printed on one side in black ink, from a handwritten original. At the top is written [A YEAR AGO - / Michael Schwerner, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman were KILLED in MISSISSIPPI], followed by a paragraph detailing how civil rights workers are being arrested, beaten, jailed and denied medical treatment in Jackson, Mississippi and fifteen members of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party were jailed in Washington, DC. Below this is the details of the demonstration [MASS DEMONSTRATION/ MONDAY, JUNE 21st 4:30 - 7:00 pm / FBI office 69th Street & 3rd Avenue / TO DEMAND / 1. Strong federal protection for civil rights workers in the South / 2. Immediate release, without bail, or those in jail now.]. At the lower left is the address for SNCC and at the lower right is the address for CORE. There are no prints, marks, or inscriptions on the back.
Topic:
African American  Search this
Activism  Search this
Civil Rights  Search this
Violence  Search this
Credit Line:
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number:
2012.46.34.27
Restrictions & Rights:
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
See more items in:
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification:
Memorabilia and Ephemera-Political and Activist Ephemera
Movement:
Civil Rights Movement
Data Source:
National Museum of African American History and Culture
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5442449cd-04ae-43f6-bf49-a85abfe5984f
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmaahc_2012.46.34.27