Spies of Mississippi - Timeline of the spy network and the Civil Rights movement by Kira Fleetwood
By docfleetwood
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The NAACP was Created
The NAACP is an organization that fights for African Americans to have equal rights. The NAACP played a big role in keeping the fight going and organizing the smaller individual efforts into larger and more effective group efforts. They also helped Africans Americans who were falsely accused. It is still around today. -
African Americans Began Applying to Go to White Schools
A couple of African Americans tried to get into white schools for a better education and to break the color barrier. When they got denied over and over again, it caused more African Americans to apply to white schools. This put pressure on the white schools because some were not officially segregated. So when they denied an African American student admission, they had to make up ridiculous reasons like incomplete applications. -
J. P. Coleman Became the 51st Governor of Mississippi.
He was a moderate and believed in creating peace with or without segregation. Either way he wanted to stop the fighting. This was his last term that he could run for governor. -
The Governor Signed to Make the State Sovereignty Commission.
The lawmakers who created the Commission, wanted it to continue and protect Segregation in the state of Mississippi. The Commission was allowed to keep secret files, make arrests, investigate private citizens and organizations, and force people to testify. (4-5) -
The Commission Started Gathering Many Spies.
The commission hired both black and white spies. The black spies were asked to watch people in their community. A couple of the better ones were asked to try to get into events that the NAACP was holding to report back who was involved in protesting segregation. The white spies were asked to try to get information on anyone the Commission wanted investigated. Many of the Commission's white spies were employees of the FBI or other agencies that gave them better access to information. -
Ross Barnett Became Governor of Mississippi
Ross Barnett was a Segregationist who was elected because he promised to keep Mississippi segregated. While Barnett was governor, the Commission was very unfair to African Americans. They even murdered one of the leaders of the NAACP (Medgar Evers). -
Freedom Riders Began Riding Hundreds of Buses at Once
Freedom Riders were both black and white people who wanted to end Segregation. Though they were likely to be attacked, these students and others started riding buses to different locations. Many got arrested or put in jail for riding or going to the wrong sections after they arrived. The Freedom Riders tried to overflow the jails to bring attention to Segregation. When that started happening, prisoners got sent to work in cotton fields. The bad treatment by the police brought a lot of attention. -
John F. Kennedy Proposes the Idea for a Civil Rights Bill
He pressed Congress to consider a Civil Rights Bill. The bill would make all places that serve the public integrated. -
John F. Kennedy was Assassinated
This was a shocking event to many people, but none of it stopped the civil rights bill from being passed. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was Passed.
Congress finally passed the act after an urging from President Johnson. He urged them to do it as a tribute to John F. Kennedy. -
The Commission Finally Closed.
After having only a skeleton staff remain, the Commission closed down. This shows the Commission really was for keeping Segregation. With a new national law requiring equal rights and integration, there was no purpose left for the Commission. Four years later the law that made the Commission was abolished.
