Z 1867.000 Council of Federated Organizations Records

Z 1867.000 S
COUNCIL OF FEDERATED ORGANIZATIONS RECORDS

The Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) was originally formed in the spring of 1961 by Medgar Evers, Mississippi NAACP field secretary and slain civil-rights leader; Aaron Henry, Mississippi state NAACP president; Carsie Hall, a civil-rights lawyer practicing in Mississippi; and others to facilitate a meeting with Governor Ross Barnett to secure the release of incarcerated Freedom Riders. COFO became temporarily inactive after the meeting with Governor Barnett. Bob Moses of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) reactivated COFO in January 1962, because he felt that the only way to end discrimination in Mississippi was through a unified effort of all civil-rights organizations operating in the state.

COFO became a confederation of civil-rights organizations that included the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and local groups such as the Holmes County Voters League and the Ruleville Citizenship Organization. Aaron Henry, Mississippi state NAACP president, was elected COFO president; Bob Moses, Mississippi field secretary and projects director of SNCC, became COFO programs director; and Dave Dennis, Mississippi field secretary of CORE, became COFO assistant programs director.

COFO planned the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project of 1964 to assist blacks in voter-registration. Many enthusiastic college students and other volunteers dedicated to achieving the goals of COFO participated during that summer. However, COFO workers and volunteers often encountered considerable opposition from private citizens and law-enforcement officers. Many were harassed, brutalized, and/or incarcerated. Tragedy resulted when three Summer Project workers for the Meridian area, Michael Schwerner, James Chaney, and Andrew Goodman, were murdered in Neshoba County.

Although there was often internal conflict between members of the various civil-rights organizations comprising COFO, the majority of COFO-sanctioned projects had a significant impact on the black community in Mississippi. They demonstrated a nationwide concern for achieving racial equality for blacks and a commitment on the part of blacks and whites to accept the sacrifices necessary to realize this goal. However, the increased political awareness generated by the Summer Project did not immediately translate into appreciable gains for blacks at the polls or in the job market. Changes in these areas would come more gradually.

This collection contains typed and handwritten affidavits and depositions of Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) workers engaged in voter registration and other civil-rights activities during the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project of 1964. Included are note cards abstracting the affidavits and depositions and miscellaneous notes compiled by the Reverend Ed King, Jackson, concerning the affidavits and depositions. The affidavits and depositions document instances of harassment, brutality, incarceration, arson, bombing, terrorism, and murder inflicted upon or witnessed by COFO workers. These acts were perpetrated by both private citizens and law-enforcement officers. The affidavits and depositions were used as exhibits in the United States District Court, Southern District of Mississippi, Jackson Division, case, Council of Federated Organizations, et al. v. L. A. Rainey, et al., Civil Action No. 3599 (J) (M), which was later appealed to the United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. Many of the affidavits and depositions were also edited and published in Mississippi Black Paper, 1965.

1. Affidavits and Depositions. 1964. 204 items.

The affidavits and depositions are arranged alphabetically by county and thereunder alphabetically by last name of individual.

Box 1, folder 1: Adams County (9 items).

            folder 2: Amite County (3 items).

            folder 3: Coahoma County (22 items).

            folder 4: Forrest County (13 items).

            folder 5: Harrison County (5 items).

            folder 6: Hinds County (40 items).

            folder 7: Holmes County (1 item).

            folder 8: Humphreys County (3 items).

            folder 9: Jackson County (1 item).

            folder 10: Jones County (4 items).

            folder 11: Lauderdale County (8 items).

            folder 12: Leflore County (18 items).

            folder 13: Lowndes County (7 items).

            folder 14: Madison County (18 items).

            folder 15: Montgomery County (5 items).

            folder 16: Neshoba County (9 items).

            folder 17: Panola County (5 items).

            folder 18: Pike County (13 items).

            folder 19: Quitman County (1 item).

            folder 20: Sharkey County (1 item).

            folder 21: Sunflower County (4 items).

            folder 22: Tallahatchie County (4 items).

            folder 23: Warren County (5 items).

            folder 24: Washington County (1 item).

            folder 25: Summary (2 items).

Reference photocopies in box 3 must be used instead of originals in box 1.

2. Abstracts. n.d. 150 items.

This series contains 150 note cards abstracting the affidavits and depositions of Council of Federated Organizations Mississippi Freedom Summer Project workers. The note cards are arranged alphabetically by county and thereunder alphabetically by last name of individual.

Box 2

Reference photocopies in box 4 must be used instead of originals in box 2.

3. Notes (Miscellaneous). n.d. 26 items.

This series contains miscellaneous notes compiled by the Reverend Ed King, Jackson, concerning the affidavits and depositions of Council of Federated Organizations Mississippi Freedom Summer Project workers.

Box 2Reference photocopies in box 4 must be used instead of originals in box 2.