Virtual & In Person
Free for college students & educators
$15.00 General Admission
July 27, 2024 • 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Join us for a profound commemoration of the 60th anniversary of MS Freedom Summer and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This event honors the pivotal summer of 1964 and the enduring impact of the Civil Rights Act, a landmark in the fight for equality and justice. We will pay tribute to the brave Civil Rights Workers—James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner—whose lives were tragically lost, and celebrate the tireless efforts of COFO, SNCC, and CORE activists who spearheaded the movement.
During this hybrid event, courageous activists from the iconic Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) will share experiences of their grassroots efforts helping register African American voters in Mississippi 60 years ago. SNCC activists who will share their stories and wisdom with us are Judy Richardson, Charlie Cobb, Courtland Cox and Dorothy Zellner. This symposium will also include authors, historians, and filmmakers who will highlight events from the pivotal summer of 1964. Professor Davis Houck will present on his book “Black Bodies in the River: Searching for Freedom Summer,” which covers the deaths of two African American men who were murdered by the Ku Klux Klan and were found during the search for the three civil rights workers outside Philadelphia, Mississippi. Author Devery Anderson will speak on his book on activist, Clyde Kennard, an African American activist whose desire for education led to his martyrdom in a Mississippi penitentiary. Attendees will see the recent release of filmmaker Loki Mulholland’s documentary Dying to Vote, which tells the story of Mississippi Voting Rights activist Vernon Dahmer’s quest to register black voters in the state. Investigative His son, Dennis Dahmer will participate in a special Q&A panel following the film screening. Others including Dr. Robert Luckett at Jackson State University, and Jerry Mitchell, founder of the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting will also be present.
$15 tickets include the full day and lunch will be provided. Teachers and students may attend free of charge, but registration is still required.
David Houck, Fannie Lou Hamer Professor of Rhetorical Studies at Florida State University
Devery S. Anderson is the author of Emmett Till: The Murder that Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement
Dorothy Zeller is a veteran of the 1960s civil rights movement, was a staff member of the Atlanta-based Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee from 1962-67
Dory Lerner earned her BA in Sociology from Willamette University in Oregon and her MA in Museum Education from Tufts University in Massachusetts. For 20+ years, Dory has created engaging experiences in museums, schools, libraries, and community centers.
Journalist and author Charles Cobb Jr. is a Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) veteran who organized for voting rights in Mississippi from 1962-1967. He is a board member of the SNCC Legacy Project.
Judy Richardson was on SNCC staff in Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama (1963-66). Her experiences in SNCC continue to ground both her film and education work.
Loki Mulholland is an Emmy-winning filmmaker, author, activist, and son of civil rights icon, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland.
Robby Luckett received his BA in political science from Yale University and his PhD in history from the University of Georgia. A native Mississippian, he returned home, where he is a tenured Professor of History and Director of the Margaret Walker Center and COFO Center at Jackson State University.
Ryan Jones is the Associate Curator & Historian at the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. His responsibility requires providing the validity of museum interpretation and reviewing scholarly historical content shared by the Museum.
Jerry Mitchell has been a reporter in Mississippi since 1986. A winner of more than thirty national awards, Mitchell is the founder of the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting.
Dennis Dahmer, is the son of Vernon F. Dahmer, who was the President of the Hattiesburg NAACP. He was a vocal and influential leader in the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement and one of the leading voting rights activists during the 1950’s and 1960’s. He was killed by member of the Ku Klux Klan on January 10, 1966, in his home with his family. Dennis attended Earl Travillion High School; later was part of the group of Black students that integrated North Forrest High School in 1970, as the result of a Federal Judge court order.
Immerse yourself in the powerful stories of those who organized and participated in this momentous summer, gaining insights into their struggles and triumphs. Through these narratives, we aim to engage audiences with history in meaningful ways that resonate today, inspiring attendees to recognize their own potential as catalysts for positive social change.
Don’t miss this opportunity to reflect on the past, honor the heroes of the Civil Rights Movement, and find inspiration for the continued fight for equality and justice.