Freedom Summer

Freedom Summer was a civil rights campaign across Mississippi during the summer of 1964.

Freedom Day march
By 1964 only a small portion of eligible black residents in the Hattiesburg area were registered to vote, mostly due to laws designed to discourage or even prevent blacks from registering. A typical voter registration form required applicants to copy and interpret a section of the Mississippi state constitution chosen by the registrar (see a sample form below).

On January 22, 1964, a crowd of around 200 gathered in a light rain around the Forrest County courthouse. According to contemporary accounts the majority of the crowd was black, with a dozen or so white ministers from other (mostly northern) states participating as well. Four applicants were allowed inside the circuit clerk's office at a time. By noon on January 22, 16 had filled out applications. By the end of the day a total of 36 people completed registration forms. The voter registration drive and picket lines continued for the next few weeks, and over 300 people completed registration forms.