FREEDOM PRIMER

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{ . The Convention Challenge

and

The Freedom Vote

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THE CHALLENGE AT THE DEMOCRATIC NA'l1 IONAL CONVENTION

What Was The Democratic National Convention?

The Democratic National Convention was a big meeting

helC. by the National Democratic Party at Atlantic City in

Augusta People who represent the Pa.rty came to the

Convention from every state in the conntryo They came to

decide who would bki"-che candidates of the Democratic

Party fo.r Pre sident and Vice-Pres 5.dent of the United States

in the election this yee.r on .November 3rd. 'J'hey also came

to decide what the P:latform o:r."' the Nati.onal Democratic

Party would be. The Platform is a paper that says what

the Party thinks should be done about things like Housi~g,

Education, Welfare, and Clvil Rights ..

Yfl·~ ,Did The Freedom Democratic Part;r Go To Tr:.,e_ ConvE!ntion'?

The Freedom Democratic Party (}i'DP) sent a delegation

of 68 pt::ople to the Convention. These people wanted to

repres ent you at the Convention. They said that they

should be seated at the Convention instead of the people

sent by the Regular Democratic Party of Mississippi. The

Regular Democratic Party of Miasiss1.ppi only has white .. . I

people in ft.. B'ut 'the F!'eedom Democratic Party ia open to

all people - 'Qlack and white. So the delegates fzoom the

Fr$edom Democratic Party told the Convention it was the real

representative . of all the people of · Miss.issippi.

How Was The Regular Democratic Party_pelegation Chosen?

The Regular Democratic :Piu•ty of Mississippi also sent 68

people to the Convention in Atlantic City. But

these people were not chosen by e.ll the people

of Mississippi. Negroes were not allowed to

attend the precinct, county, d1stzo1ct, and

state meetings where these delegates were

chosen. Members of the Freedom Democratic

Party tried to ·go to these meetings, but they were turned away

from the door because these meetings were for white people only.

But even most white people could not go to tli~se meetings. The .

Regular Democratic Par•ty of Mississippi is not controlled by

all the white people, but only by a few powerful people - like

James Eastland in Sunflower County and Gus and Billy Noble in

Canton., They do not we.nt to share their power.. So they do

not let most of the white people come to the meetings of the

Regular Democratic Party either.

Delegation Chosen?

\\!hen the · Regular Democratic Party of

Mississippi told Negroes they could not come

to its meet1ngs 1 the Negroes held their own

meetings. They called their party the

Freedom Democratic Party. They held precinct,

county s distr·ict 1 .s.nd state mee-tings just like

the Regular Democratic Party. But the Freedom Democratic

Party m~etings were open to anyone, black or white. At t,heir

meetings the Freedom Democ:r-atic Party also chose delegates to

the National Convention in Atlantic city. Most'of the

delegates were Negroes. But some white people were chosen too.

Who Deci_qe~d If '.rhe Freedom Democratic :Party Could Sit At Atlantic City?

At Atlantic City tlil~ delegates from the Preedcm Democratic

Party went to a Committee that decided who could sit end vote

in the Convention.. This Committee was made up of two delesates

from each state. The ResJlar Democratic Party asked the Cc~~itt)e

to let them sit .and vote in the seats for Mississippi. Eut the

Freedom Democ:s:>atic Party se.id that they should be allowed to ait

and vote for Mississippi.. People lik€ .Mrs. Fannie Lou

Hamer and Dr. Aaron H7.nt>.y told about the things that -._.-~

happened to them in Mississippi, how they had been

arrested and beaten and how their homes had been shot

into. They told how badly all the Negro people in

Mississippi are treated. And they told how they had

tried to go to the meetings of the Regular Democratic

· :i?arty. They told too how they had held meetings open

to everyone to chose the· · Freedom Democratic Party Delegation to

AtL&ntic City. They were on television, and many people every ­

wh.are in America saw them.. Many people in W!ississippi sa.w them too.

What Did The Committee Decide?

The Cormnittee made it.s decision by a vote. It voted that

the Regular Democratic Party in Mississippi should represent

Mississippi at the Convention.. This means that the Regular

Democratic Party would sit in the Mississippi seats at the

Convention and cast all the votes for Mississippi. The Committee

said that the Preedom Democratic Party could not 1represent - -,

Mississippi at the Convention. The Committee said that only

Dr. Aaron Henry and Rev. Edwin King from the Freedom Democratic

Farty could sit and vote in the Convention. But Dr. Henry and

Rev. King would not be allowed to sit in the Mississippi seats

or ce.st the votes for Mississippi. The Committee did not say

who" Dr .• fienry and Rev. King wou ld represent. The Committee also

said thst tho members of tbe Regular Democratic Party of

IHssissippi would have to promise to support President Jobnson

and his vice-president in the election Novr;;;-;::Jer 3 .. - If the

delegates f't'om th:! Reguls.r Democratic Party refLtsed to promise

this -, th<~ y would not be allowed to sit and vote in the Convention.

vvhy Did The Committee M.sl{e This Decisi..£!:!1

Many members of the Committee were afraid. Many of.' them

wantGd to support tha l"reedom Dernocratic I'arty. but they were

afrair'l th8y would lose t~eir jobs in v1ashington or tack home in

the state where they llved~ In other parts of the United States

it is o .'ten just likr; in Mississippi. You can lose your job if

you stand up and say V'lh at you believe in.

President Johnson supported the all-white Regular Democratic

Fsrty.. Br:> wanted the Regular Party to be the only official

party back here in Mississippi. President Johnson was a.trald,

too. Freedom Democratic Party delegate Hartman Turnbow of

Holnws County said the President was afraid he would lose h1a

job too if he stood up and said what he believed in.

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L'•nc~on Jor.nson wants to be elected President again thiso

}~o,,;;;nhF.Jr~ He wants to get as many votes as possible i:r::t as

many states as possible. Pr~sident Johnson was afraid that

if :1e san"'o·!'ted the Fl'aedom Demoettatic Party, the Republican_ . ,. • • f

cendid4te ~arry Goldwater would get most of the votes in ~he

$O ·.l.thern states and then President Johnson wouln lose his . jqb ··

f.s Prdsioent. .., . . : '~

Pr')sident Johnson knows that in the Southei'n State.s .•i::;h~r::e ..

are m~n~r, 1nany Negroes. Eut very 11 very few of tham are a;l.loweo

t.o "lOti~. ')o most or the voters in the Southern, states are

wi·.Jt. e. '!'hr; ProsirJant knew that if he. supnorted the f'reedora.

:): · ,ihJ•~!'G''.:· lC Party he mi.?:;ht loso white friends in the South, and

t.:-'l~~ n he woul.; n'~~::·win the election in tho southern ste.tes.

!)Pt~si~ent .ro~mson was also afraid of- the Regular Democratic Pe.pty-

- ........... . ,~.~~~tt.,ni. l!e knows that thn whitte pclittcians from

itlisoi .c;si~pi are very strong in the national government in

Nnsh).~J i,:ton. Hl!l ln1owe that they do not likE) Civil Hights, or

1\l<i to 8ducationJI or more M..:;dical Care.. He is afraid that the

r:~·l ito TH'li. ticlans f:t'Om !,l1ss1ssippi like Jemes ~a.stland, Jamie

~.hitten, and Joh!l Bell Williams will stop tl1ese programs in

".;; !~Z;): . .,..~;;ton.. So Pre~ident Johnson is afraid or these man.

l::lit Prasi~ent Johnson had a lot · of power at the Convex1tion.

:O.J;:; ·;;.-)nld tell rt~B.ny of the1nembers of that Committee how to vot~.

T'1r., Pr·,;sident can make many people jurlges o.r put them in o1;her

lmpnrth.nt: !'Os1t1on.s. Since many members of the Committee want

to 'be ,juoges or important offici-als, when the President told

t ':<•1m to votG against the ~·reedom Democratic l'arty, that ie what

they dido

What Did Th~ __ preedom ~~m.ocratic Part.z.. 'Qo'?

The Freedom Democratic Part;.r did not accept the decision

of the Committee. They said that all the people at

the Convention should be able to vote on who should

have the seats for Mississippi. They knew that most

of' the nelega.tes at the Convention., and :oeople all

over the country, believed what the Freedom Democratic Party

said about Mississippi.. They knew these people wanted to

vote at the Convention, just as Negroes .from Mississippi

wanted to vote at the Convention.

The President did not want a.ll the delegates to vote at

the Convention. He knew that if all the delegt:.:..::.:-'8 voted he

might lose, and the Freedom Democratic Party would be seated.

He wanted to tell the delegates what to do.

But the ~reedom Democratic Party stood toeether. And

when p3ople stand together they become strong. When you are

strong you have some power, too. So President Johnson was not

the only one at the Convention with powar. The Freedom

Democratic Party 1 s power came from standing up ano talking

about what it believed in. People believed what Mrs. Ramer

and Dr. Penry said, and they wanted to support t~e :.1l"eedom

~emocratic Party.. For thre•e days, the Freedom Democratic Party

and its friends were strong enough to keep the Presirlent of the

United States from doing what he wanted. B1.1t the Prt>sident

used all the pressure that he could, and finally he was able to

stop all the d~leg~ted, from voting about li'dssissippi.

Why ~id The Freedom Democratho Party Reject The Committee's Decision?

T·he Committee offered two token seats to the Freedom

Damocr~tio Partyo And t~~ Committee chose the two people to

sit in them, Dr. He11ry and Rev. King. The Comm,ittee said this

offer was the best they COI.lld do,

The Freedom Democratic Party delegation also voted. They

voted whether or not to accept the decision of the Committee.

·They voted NOT to accept the decision or the Committee. The

::;'reedom Democratic Party delegation said the offer was not good

enough. They insisted that the Co~~ittee had to do betters

The F:x>eedom Democratic Party said it was tired of tokens •.

It .wanted 68 vote:a, 110t two· votes. It wanted to vote for

Mississippi. And it wanted to choose its own lsa.dere - it cUd

not want the Committee to say who could vote from the Freedc•m

Democratic Party. The Freedom Democratic Party wanted its

d<! legation to sit and vote wli th Democrats from all the other•

states in the country.

So the Freedom Democratic Party delegation said "Nol" t;o

the Cor11mittee. The delegation talked about the offer for ma,ny

hours and voted several t i mes.. Bach time the deleg2tion sa:i.d 1

"No 111 .. President Johnson and · Hubert Humphrey could not unde:r­

stand Vfhy ~he Preadom Democratic Party would not give in. And

many oi' our Negro and white friends could not understand either:,

Very tew peopl8 in the country understand what it means to say

11 No1 11 to what is wrong and to sa.y 11 Yesl 11 to what you believe in.

· , Most people think that you have to give in a.t soma point

so that other "People will not be mad~ They think that yo'U are

supposed to accept what you are o.f'fered by powerful people

· because that is the \~ay thin;2s are none in this country. That I

is the way things have been done in Mississippi~ too, fo~ a

long time. ·.

It takes courage to stand up for.what you believe in.

That is why the ~reedom Democratic Party was started. So that . .

:p0ople could stand up for what they believe in in Mississippi.

But because the Freedom Democratic Party stood up for what it

believed in i.p. Mississippi, it knew it had to do this everywhere.

So when the President €n d the Committc:.e said 11Nol" to the

Freedom Democratic Party in Atlantic City 1 the Freedom Democratic

Party continued to say nYesl 11 to what it believed in.

hha.t Did The Regular P1:1rtv of Mississippi Do?

The Regular Party of Mississip-pi di't-Y10t like the Committee 1 ~

decision either. They were mad because Dr. Henry and Rev. King

had been able to 5et seats in the Convention. They were mad too

because they did not went to promise tha.~ they would work f '.or

President Johnson snd Hubert Humphrey in the election. So Gov.

Johnson of Mississippi told tr~ Regular Democratic ~arty

delegation to come home. And that is what they did, all el:cept 0

four of them who said they would support President Johnson and

Hubert Humphrey.

·what H~ned To The Mississippi Seats At The Convention?

The four delegates from the Regular Democratic Party of

Mississippi who promised to support President Johnson took

their seats at the Convention, · But the Freedom Democratic Party

delegation also tried to take the Mississippi seatse When the

Freedom dele~ates walked in, the four delegates from the Regular

!"'emo~rt1.tic Pal"ty walked out. Then they went home too. So the

Preedo~ Damocratic Party delegRtiori sat in some of the seats

fl~Oi'1 Mis;_;.;issipni. ·:<'or .four days they k£:pt comin~ to the

Convent:i on. ;In this way · the:r showeci that the:r .felt thE:;r should

be. a nart of the Co~ve~tion, and that they wanted to supnort

thG national Democpf;tic Party.

T::Oe '"ref!r'iO!!! TJc·; ;ocre.tic Pa.rty 1'iill keep v;orkir.,:f ano spree.c:Hr·b

El l O't·T·;r !· : issis~if'})i. It \r~ants aJor-~: ~end n~ore. ?s.~.rv~s in ·~.

until it is st~:·one;cr t 1·1an t:·:e Fs;~::.ls.r Dcmccrc:.tic Party o:~

),t~ "'~ • " 81' p· ·i . --~- · .. '"~~ . P-.

President Jor.nson snd !:\l'bert ~:;,,;.r:;nh:r·ey in the No vember electiori.

Tho "'reedom :8er10<;rstic Party is s urmortlne Johnson and Eumpl:reJ

~veh thougl.-1 J o~nson and :-'um.p\:re::~ ~t:p!)orted the· Be[.ule.r Democratic

F&.rt~ tJt Missi~s-~f'pi at ' ~1-ant:.c City. Tl1e reason is that the

:Regular ncmocpatic Patty is ~ighti.r~g hard to get the Fepublic1a.p

candifate E.ar!'y Goldwater and his conserveitive program i nto the

Whi t'e ~ouse. To s upport ,Johnson in Heiss is sippi., therefore 1 is

to bclp fl!~ ht the Regnlar Der.1ocra.tic :!-'arty of Mississippi and

the conse·rva.ti ve pPogN;.m it sunports.

The Freedom Democratic Perty will also support other

cs..ndida_tes in ~iovember. Dr. Aaron Henry is running for Senator

fran il1ississi,ppi 1 and u;rs. Panni;;, Lou Eamer_, Mr·s. Victorifi

Gray 1 !:irs." Annie Devir-:ce 1 and Mr. Ha!'Old Roby are runnine; for·

the House of Representatives. They are running as Independents~

but they will have the support of the Freedom Democra.tic Party.

The Freedom Democratic Party wants ev·eryone who is registered' to

vote for Lyndon Johnson, Hubert HumprJ.X>ey,. Mrs. Ha.mer 1 Mrs. Gray,

Mrs. Devine, and Mr ~ Roby in November. But for those people

who are not registered there will be another vote - the FRBEDOM

VOTE.

What Is 'l'he Frewdom Vote?

The Freedom Vote is a special vote for all people,

Neg,_, ._:-; u.r'· W!.\ite who ere at least 21 years old and live

in Mississippi. This y-ee.r the Freedom Vote will be

October 31 and Noveru.ber 1 and 2e The same candidates. will be

on the F'reedo:n Vote as are in the Regular Election on November J•

People can F'REEDOJ·n R;•:GIST'&.:R anytime to vote in the -F1;eedom Vote.

The I<'reedom Democratic Pa!'ty will try to get more vote:;c in

the Freedom Vote than thare are in the regular election. 'l'his

will show that Negroes warit to vote and would vote if they were

allowe a to. It will also s~ow that if Negroes were allowed to

vote in Mississippi., there would be different people :representing

Mississippi.

The Ro::::ular De:nocrs.tic Pe.rty does not like tbe !;·r~~.edom Vote.

cut tbe Negroes of !·iississippi want to stand up and be COX:!ted.

rr•~:ey know t!:at if tt:ey vote in the Freedom Vote tt.eir· voic8s will

be heard. Ancl thGy know that if they vote for Pres id"; nt .:ohr·son,

he will have to listen.