The fight for social equality is a battle still being fought today. The Freedom Summer of 1964, also known as the Mississippi Summer Project, was a continued effort to provide more rights to citizens who were previously disenfranchised and did not have the same rights as the rest of society. It was a campaign that mobilized and gathered the support of thousands in a large effort to register voters who had previously not been allowed to register to vote until the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and later, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, both of which outlawed segregation and voting discrimination. Freedom Summer also served to combat a lack of proper education, healthcare and worker rights. There were many sit-ins and “freedom rides,” which went against the system of segregated service in public places and buses. Dave Dennis, who served during the 1964 Freedom Summer, called the Freedom Summer the “Trojan Horse of the Civil Rights Movement” because of its impact in the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s.
This year is the 50th anniversary of Freedom Summer. Last week a conference called “Remembering Freedom Summer” was held on campus, hosted by Mississippi State University and the Department of African-American Studies. It served as a celebration of the past and a time to remember those who helped fight for equality in our state. This three-day event served as a time to have a healthy discussion of the past and how we can build now and into the future. When I looked around the room, I noticed people of all colors and ages came together because their interest or past involvement brought them there. I saw many who helped pave the way to more equality in Mississippi today. The audience sang songs in unison and the speakers brought smiles to the faces of many recalling how the 1964 Freedom Summer left a great impact in its wake and helped make the way of life now better for many citizens of the state of Mississippi, as well as across the South.
Many among the younger generations today have forgotten or never learned about the past, and it’s up to our generation now to come up with solutions to some of the same problems we still face today. Our generation should be more passionate about the issues we face and try to find creative ways to better our surroundings. The right to vote is a powerful tool all citizens should be able to use to their advantage. It’s a way to make voices heard and force action to occur. A lack of education leaves a larger impact on society than we think. It enables a community to become weak and devalues the quality of life. One of the days I attended the conference, NAACP state president Derrick Johnson discussed how many of the areas in our education system have inadequate funding or lack proper administration and teachers. He brought awareness to the website betterms.org, which promotes better jobs and schools in Mississippi.
The conference had a great turnout with leaders from the local community and across the state. One of the conference organizers, Stephen Middleton, said the conference solidified the progress its leaders expounded and opens doors for further progress.
“By hosting the Freedom Summer Conference with the direct involvement of Dr. Mark Keenum and his administrative staff, as well as colleges and departments, Mississippi State clearly demonstrates that we are a new Mississippi. We honored the 1964 volunteers for helping to make our state and country a better place.” Middleton said, “They did the hard part; now, it is incumbent on all people of good will to secure those gains by affirming our nation’s creed, that we are a society that offers liberty and justice for all people.”
Election day is Nov. 4. I believe this to be one place to start to make changes around us and to continue letting our voices be heard. I challenge everyone to try and make a difference.
