In June of 1963, the University of Mississippi must decide whether or not to block the entrance of a second black student to the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). But "so long as the Kennedy's are in power, situations like this will have to be endured..." notes an investigator for the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission. Did he know anything about the upcoming assassination? Most of the Commission's investigators had ties to the FBI, so it's a fair question.
Check out this report --
http://bit.ly/X8FIT3
http://mdah.state.ms.us/arrec/digital_archives/sovcom/result.php?image=/data/sov_commission/images/png/cd01/005634.png&otherstuff=1|75|0|12|1|1|1|5481|
The Mississippi Sovereignty Commission was a secret state police force operating from 1956 to 1977 to suppress the civil rights movement and maintain segregation. The commission kept files, harassed and branded many as communist infiltrators via agents who were retired FBI, CIA and military intelligence. No one was safe in Mississsippi. A form of the Sovereignty Commission continues today in Mississippi. Ask Haley Barbour.
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Monday, February 25, 2013
Thursday, June 09, 2011
Freedom Riders Under the Sovereignty Commission Radar
As Mississippi honored the 1961 Freedom Riders on the 50th anniversary of the movement that changed America forever, one among them returning was Thomas Armstrong, the first to join the Rides in his native Mississippi.
Armstrong led more than 30 students from Tougaloo College, Jackson State University and local high schools in going to the bus terminal in Jackson and boldly entering the white waiting room, refusing to leave. They were all arrested and jailed, as police were locking up freedom riders coming into the state.
Who were the Freedom Riders and what did they do? You can find a number of fascinating (and chilling) files kept by Mississippi's secret spy force, the Sovereignty Commission. Here are a few links to get you started ...
"Keep an eye out on him"
"Soviets Planned Freedom Rides"
"Names and Addresses"
"Beating 'Cleared'"
Of course, there are hundreds of records about this sordid part of Civil Rights history in these files. Many, truly fascinating. BTW, I have written extensively about the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission in my book, Where Rebels Roost; Mississippi Civil Rights Revisited."
Susan
Armstrong led more than 30 students from Tougaloo College, Jackson State University and local high schools in going to the bus terminal in Jackson and boldly entering the white waiting room, refusing to leave. They were all arrested and jailed, as police were locking up freedom riders coming into the state.
Who were the Freedom Riders and what did they do? You can find a number of fascinating (and chilling) files kept by Mississippi's secret spy force, the Sovereignty Commission. Here are a few links to get you started ...
"Keep an eye out on him"
"Soviets Planned Freedom Rides"
"Names and Addresses"
"Beating 'Cleared'"
Of course, there are hundreds of records about this sordid part of Civil Rights history in these files. Many, truly fascinating. BTW, I have written extensively about the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission in my book, Where Rebels Roost; Mississippi Civil Rights Revisited."
Susan
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