The Freedom Summer: The Mississippi Democratic Freedom Party

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In a nation where literacy tests used to determine voter eligibility were ran by “registrars who could not read or write”, a statement made by a Civil Rights activist in the film Mississippi is this America?, unfair racial practices were running rampant, especially in the South. The year was 1964, and while many positive changes had occurred in the nation thanks to the work of Civil Rights workers, such as integrated interstate travel and integrated schools, much work still had to be done to ensure equality for all races in the United States. Through the exploration of the Freedom Summer, the Mississippi Democratic Freedom Party (which emerged from the Freedom Summer), and the actions that occurred in Selma, Alabama in the name of voting rights …show more content…

Because of this, and the frustrations arising from the Freedom Summer, the Mississippi Democratic Freedom Party (MDFP) was created. In addition to trying to get African American Mississippians to register to vote, the volunteers of the Freedom Summer added the new task of inspiring these people to join their new political party. The goal of this new political party was to give a voice to those who were oppressed and politically voiceless in the Mississippi. According to the film, Mississippi is this America?, 60,000 people joined the MDFP. The National Democratic Convention was going to occur in July 1964, and the MDFP was determined to have representation there. Led by Fannie Lou Hamer, representatives from the MDFP rode the bus to New Jersey to the convention, and came prepared with the necessary paperwork to appeal to the Credentials Committee. Fannie Lou Hamer spoke at the convention, drawing national attention; President Johnson intervened by cutting off her coverage. Unfortunately, this would not work out well for Johnson because as explained in the film, Freedom Summer, Hamer’s message would be replayed multiple times for those who had missed it due to the President’s intervention. The presence of the MDFP would bother not only the regular Mississippi Democrats, but other Southern Democrats as well. Fearing exposure of party-division Johnson …show more content…

He went from fearing the loss of the Southern Democrats, to being so inspired by the actions of the Civil Rights activists, particularly those in Selma (and probably publically pressured) to outwardly supporting the Voting Rights Bill of 1965. According to a speech he gave prior to presentation of the bill to congress, he described the bill as “a law designed to eliminate illegal barriers to the right to vote” (350). He appealed to the nation with statements about equality, and how the right to vote falls under “human rights” rather than “states rights or national rights” (351). Political equality for African Americans would finally be in

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