Collection Details:

Collection Name and Number: Madison County Civil Rights Movement Papers (Z/2430).
Creator/Collector: Madison County Movement, Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Canton Public Schools, Council of Federated Organizations (COFO).
Date(s): 1964.
Size: 1.25 cubic feet.
Language(s): English.
Processed by: Miranda Vaughn, 2026.
Provenance: Gift of James G. Thomas, Jr., of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, University, MS, on May 23, 2018; Z/U/2018.032.
Repository: Archives & Records Services Division, Mississippi Department of Archives & History.

 

Rights and Access:

Access restrictions: Collection is open for research.

Publication rights: Copyright assigned to the MDAH. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to Reference Services. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the MDAH as the owner of the physical items and as the owner of the copyright in items created by the donor. Although the copyright was transferred by the donor, the respective creator may still hold copyright in some items in the collection. For further information, contact Reference Services.

Copyright notice: This material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code).

Preferred citation: Madison County Civil Rights Movement Papers, Z/2430, Mississippi Department of Archives & History.

 

History:

The Madison County Movement, comprised of local and national civil rights organizers, organized multiple voter registration drives in Madison County in 1964. The goal was to get as many African American citizens as possible registered to vote before the presidential primary election that summer. According to The Greenwood Commonwealth, only 152 of 10,366 African Americans in Madison County were registered to vote prior to the first voter registration drive in February 1964. 

Registrants met some resistance from local law enforcement and from L. Foote Campbell, circuit clerk and voting registrar for the county. They recalled attempts by law enforcement to block registration efforts, and several petitioners were arrested. 

In addition to the voter registration drives, the Movement promoted Freedom Schools and organized school walkouts, rallies, and other protest events related to African American civil rights in Madison County.

 

Scope and Content Note:

This collection consists of correspondence, photographs, legal documents, newsletters, flyers, news clippings, financial documents, instruction manuals and pamphlets for weaponry, and lists of names of law enforcement, demonstrators, and Freedom Summer staff. The collection focuses on voter registration and civil rights campaigns in Madison County in 1964. 

Notable people and organizations include the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), Council of Federated Organizations (COFO), Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), National Council of Churches, L. Foote Campbell (circuit clerk and voting registrar, Madison County), Jack S. Cauthen (sheriff, Madison County), Edward Hollander (CORE field secretary from Baltimore).

LOC Subject Headings: Voter registration; Civil rights – United States; Madison County (Miss.); Canton (Miss.)

 

Series Identification:

Series 1: Correspondence, 1964; n.d..
The correspondence series contains a wide range of communication.  Of particular interest will be the letters from key leaders in the Madison County Movement such as Wilbert Robinson and George Raymond, Jr. writing to Canton Mayor L.S. Matthews and Madison County Sheriff Jack S. Cauthen.  Also included are several bundles of reports from an informant who had infiltrated the Madison County Movement; Her copied reports were sent from the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission’s Director Erle Johnston, Jr. to Sheriff Jack S. Cauthen. A copied flier identifies the informant as female but does not provide her name.  Also of particular interest will be the handwritten copies of letters received by Edward S. Hollander while he was held in jail June 1964; The copies are mostly in the same handwriting which leads one to believe they were copied before the original letters were delivered to Hollander.

Box 1, folders 1-11
 

Series 2: Madison County Movement, 1964-1965; n.d.
This series includes information collected by the Madison County Sheriff Department as they observed the activities of the Madison County Movement.  Of particular interest will be the other Madison County Movement campaigns taking place in 1964, including a protest in February, a boycott of businesses in March, a freedom rally in May, and fliers for mass meetings. Also included are some newsletters such as The Canton Liberator, The Madison County Citizen, and NOW! The Voice of Freedom.  Folder titles in quotes are the same folder titles used in the original sheriff department files. 

Box 1, folders 12-37

 

Series 3: Photographs, 1964.
There are 92 photographs in total in this collection; 91 of the photographs are 8x10 black-and-white prints and one 4x5 black-and-white print.  Most images were taken during a voter registration drive at the Madison County Courthouse in Canton, Mississippi, on February 28-29, 1964.  Many photographs include a duplicate with writing on the surface identifying individuals and some photographs have writing on the verso with identifications.  Most depict African Americans standing in line waiting to enter the courthouse along with sheriff officials or policemen inquiring participants, guarding the line, or waiting on the courthouse steps. The duplicates are behind a divider in Box 2.

Box 2

 

Box List:

Box 1
Folder 1: Mississippi Sovereignty Commission, 1964.

Folder 2: Senator Daniel B. Brewster to Sheriff Jack S. Cauthen, February 11, 1964.

Folder 3: George Raymond, Jr., to Sheriff Jack S. Cauthen and Dan C. Thompson, February 21, 1964.

Folder 4: Ministers of Madison County to Mayor L.S. Matthews, March 10, 1964.

Folder 5: Herbert R. Davis to Deputy Sheriff William “Billy” Noble, May 13, 1964.

Folder 6: Madison County Movement to Registrar L. Foote Campbell, May 26, 1964.

Folder 7: National Council of Churches to Mayor L.S. Matthews, May 28, 1964.

Folder 8: Edward S. Hollander, handwritten copies, June 1964.

Folder 9: William P. Davis to Sheriff Jack S. Cauthen, July 15 1964.

Folder 10: Wilbert Robinson to unidentified addressee, July 2, 1964.

Folder 11: Madison County Movement to Sheriff, Mayor, and Chamber of Commerce, n.d.

Folder 12: “Civil Rights Agitators.”

Folder 13: Invoice and receipts, Sheriff Jack S. Cauthen, 1964.

Folder 14: “Operation Canton – Steadfast.”

Folder 15: “Riot Equipment.”

Folder 16: “Tickets.” n.d.

Folder 17: Permission to retain an attorney if arrested, blank form, n.d.

Folder 18: Mississippi Justice: Canton City Court, February 3, 1964.

Folder 19: Absentee List, Canton Public Schools, February 3, 1964.

Folder 20: Report on Canton, Madison County, MS, February 26, 1964, by Edward S. Hollander for CORE to COFO.

Folder 21: Selective Buying Campaign, March 1964.

Folder 22: Madison County Freedom Rally, May 23, 1964.

Folder 23: “T.B. Birdsong” May 26, 1964.

Folder 24: Permission slip for students to join protest, May 29, 1964.

Folder 25: Mississippi Freedom Summer, 1964.

Folder 26: Citizen Education Project (Mississippi), SCLC, n.d.

Folder 27: Prospectus for the Summer, COFO, 1964.

Folder 28: Petition for Removal, Leon Luckett vs. State of Mississippi, June 8, 1964.

Folder 29: “Canton in Crisis: The Winds of Change in Mississippi.” n.d.

Folder 30: Madison County Movement fliers, 1964.

Folder 31: Newspaper clippings, photocopies and originals, 1964-1965.

Folder 32: The Canton Liberator, newsletter, n.d.

Folder 33: The Madison County Citizen, newsletter, March 1964.

Folder 34: The Madison County Citizen, newsletter, April 1964.

Folder 35: The Madison County Citizen, newsletter, March 1965.

Folder 36: NOW! The Voice of Freedom, newsletter, May 25, 1964.

Folder 37: Envelopes which originally contained photographs, n.d.

 

Box 2

  1. View of Madison County Courthouse grounds through tree limbs. (2)
  2. Women walking toward Madison County Courthouse with Ben Franklin storefront in background. (1)
  3. Women walking toward Madison County Courthouse with Perlinsky’s storefront in background; Willie Ford identified. (1)
  4. Men walking toward  Madison County Courthouse with Perlinsky’s storefront in background. (1)
  5. Women walking toward Madison County Courthouse with Canton Bakery in background. (2)
  6. Man with basket walking on sidewalk by Dr. James Grace optometrist office. (2)
  7. Lee Ernest Jones and George Raymond, Jr. walking on sidewalk outside of Dr. James Grace optometrist office. (2)
  8. Reverend B. Elton Cox of North Carolina in middle; Representative of United Church Press on left. (2)
  9. Sidewalk view of man walking past men looking toward Madison County Courthouse. (2)
  10. Men on sidewalk, including Art Richardson and George Raymond, Jr. (2)
  11. Three men stand outside Dr. James Grace optometrist office with Citizens’ Council sticker in window. (3)
  12. Edward Hollander outside Dr. James Grace optometrist office with recording device. (1)
  13. George Raymond, Jr. beside car. (1)
  14. George Raymond, Jr. with sheriff officials. (2)
  15. View looking down from Madison County Courthouse at line of people waiting to register to vote. (2)
  16. Wilbert Robinson, Marian Robinson, Louella Goodloe, Charlie Scott, James Thompson. (2)
  17. Tommy Lou Anderson, C.O. Chinn, Jr., Wilbert Robinson. (2)
  18. Wilbert Robinson, Marian Robinson, Robert L. Jefferson, Louella Goodloe, Lillie Thompson, Charlie Scott, Lillie Murphy, Mani Jackson, Lissie Luckett, Tommy Lou Anderson, Clarence Profit, C.O. Chinn, Jr., Sue Austin, Ida Jackson. (2)
  19. Line of voters on Madison County Courthouse sidewalk with a sheriff official looking at camera. (2)
  20. Martha Jane Jones standing in line facing camera while sheriff officials write on clipboard. Sylvester Palmer also in photograph. (2)
  21. Martha Jane Jones and Sylvester Palmer standing in line at Madison County Courthouse. (2)
  22. Willie and Lucille Galloway, Lester Perry, James Bennett, Lenora Thurmond, Anthony Macks, James Fleming in line at Madison County Courthouse. (2)
  23. George Luckett’s wife and Fannie Harper in line at Madison County Courthouse. (2)
  24. Barney Smoot. (2)
  25. Women in line on sidewalk at Madison County Courthouse. (1)
  26. People, including Sylvester Palmer, in line on sidewalk at Madison County Courthouse. (1)
  27. People in line on sidewalk at Madison County Courthouse. (2)
  28. Madison Nichols, Johnny Nichols, and George Luckett in line on sidewalk at Madison County Courthouse. (2)
  29. Madison Nichols and Johnny Nichols in line on sidewalk at Madison County Courthouse. (2)
  30. Tommie Shaw, Willie Tyler, Harvey Parker, George Luckett, and Bell McClendon’s daughter in line on sidewalk at Madison County Courthouse. (2)
  31. Caleb Anthony, George Luckett, Frank Washington, Issac McGee, Dorothy Ree Minister, and Bud Garner in line on sidewalk at Madison County Courthouse. (2)
  32. Lilly Handy Murphy, Ida Jackson, Curtis Ford, Arthur Thompson, Clarence Hart, Lewis Sutherland, Caleb Anthony, Rev. Winston, Cliff Bingham at Madison County Courthouse. (2)
  33. Johnny Nichols and George Luckett at Madison County Courthouse. (2)
  34. Maggie Dearon, Robey Luckett, Margaret Glover, Niezhes Myles in line on sidewalk at Madison County Courthouse. (2)
  35. Earl Smith, Maggie Smith, and Sylvester Palmer in line on sidewalk at Madison County Courthouse. (2)
  36. Men standing along sidewalk under a tree at Madison County Courthouse. (2)
  37. Maggie Smith, Lenora Thurmond (Lexington). (2)
  38. W.E.L. [McCollough?] (2)
  39. John Newman. (2)
  40. Woman at desk in Madison County Circuit Clerk’s office with Canton Exchange Bank calendar in background, February 1964. (2)
  41. Percy Harkins, Ella Mae Nichols, Madison Nichols, Frank Langford, and Wallace Pugh. (2)
  42. Reverend B. Elton Cox, Presbyterian preacher from North Carolina, Ida Barnes, and Tommy Lou Anderson. (2)
  43. Peter Boatman and John Douglas, preacher in Sharon, Mississippi, exiting Madison County Courthouse grounds. (2)
  44. Sheriff officials on Madison County Courthouse steps; Dewey [Hurst/Hunt?] identified. (2)
  45. Sheriff officials on Madison County Courthouse steps. (1)
  46. Madison County Courthouse Circuit Clerk office door with sign: “Notice: I am in Federal Court on Summons of the Justice Department. L.F. Campbell, Circuit Clerk and Registrar.” Note the Citizens’ Council sticker partially covered by sign. (1)
  47. Woman looking at Madison County Courthouse Circuit Clerk’s office door and sign. (1)
  48. Woman looking at door in Madison County Courthouse; Identified as Sally Brown. (1)
  49. Julius M. Samstein, member of SNCC, listening to Madison County Sheriff Department officials; More identification details on back. (1)
  50. Art Vermillion, National Council of Churches (1)
  51. John Due [in background], Kenneth Thompson [wearing glasses], Virgil Gant [standing with sheriff’s official], National Council of Churches. (1)
  52. Two men on phone and recording device. (2)
  53. “Eric Weinbeger, Elane Weinbeger” Several addresses listed on back of photograph.
  54. “Danzinger (Justice Dept. Att.) picked up employee (Charles Robinson) at [Stockline?] 3:30 p.m., March 3, ’64.” Identification written on the back of the photograph.