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Lessons from 1964’s Mississippi Freedom Summer

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Lessons from 1964’s Mississippi Freedom Summer


The recent arson that destroyed Beth Israel, Jackson, Miss.’s only synagogue, evokes that state’s dark legacy of violence toward those supporting racial equality — one stretching back more than 60 years.

In spring 1964, a Duke University sophomore from Connecticut, Dick Landerman, and a Harvard senior from New York, Nick Fels, joined the civil rights movement in Mississippi. As idealistic foot soldiers, they were unwittingly marching into history. 

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Landerman’s family was apolitical. His civil commitment was more interpersonal than ideological — a function of friendships made at a racially mixed YMCA summer camp and on Hartford basketball courts.

But casual campus racism repelled and incited him. What prompted his activism, he told me in an interview, was “my shame at not speaking up in response to a racist incident at the start of my freshman year.”

Fels recalled to me that his civil rights interest preceded the summer of 1964. “Among other things, growing up in New York as a rabid Brooklyn Dodgers fan, I idolized Jackie Robinson — and still do,” he said. 

So, Landerman, 19, and Fels, 21, joined the Mississippi Freedom Summer, a joint effort involving the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Council of Federated Organizations, which included the Congress of Racial Equality and Martin Luther King Jr.’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference, plus the NAACP and its Legal Defense Fund. 

In 1961, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee organizers moved into Mississippi cities and towns to register local Blacks to vote. Poll taxes and literacy tests stymied registration, as did widespread racist violence and intimidation.

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In 1963, a Liberty, Miss., politician shot and killed Herbert Lee, a Black farmer working with the the organization. A white sniper murdered NAACP state field secretary Medgar Evers, and local activist Fannie Lou Hamer and Lawrence Guyot were arrested and beaten in jail. Activists faced church bombings, house burnings and economic retaliation.

Yet the national media virtually ignored this terror and intimidation. No government protection or voting rights action came. 

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee strategist Robert Moses concluded, “It is not possible for us to register Negroes in Mississippi. … There is reason to believe that authorities in Mississippi will force a showdown over the right to vote in large numbers.”  

Moses and local leaders decided on recruiting mostly white, Northern middle-class volunteers for national media attention, and to serve as a tripwire against local white terrorism.

Like many Mississippi volunteers, Landerman and Fels are Jewish. But white and Black, Christians and Jews, the same missionary zeal fired them as embodied in the Civil War era Battle Hymn of the Republic: As Jesus “died to make us holy, let us die to make men free.”

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And so, they did, a century later. 

On June 21, 1964, Black Mississippi activist James Chaney and two white volunteers, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, disappeared while driving from Philadelphia, Miss., to Jackson. Neshoba County and Philadelphia City police officers, most Ku Klux Klan-affiliated, arrested the trio on speeding charges. After they were released, Klan and law enforcement officers followed them, beat Chaney, shot all three, and buried the bodies in an earthen dam. 

Fels recalls riding in a car with two other volunteers one night after the murders. “Our car was stopped by the local sheriff, who was notorious for harassing” civil rights organizations’ volunteers. “After directing us to get out of the car and show our IDs, he paused for a moment and then let us go. I have never forgotten the sense of panic.” 

Later, he and other volunteers saw the dam site where Schwerner, Chaney and Goodman’s bodies had been buried. “The visit brought home the depth of the hostility we faced and triggered a strong sense of anxiety, particularly because of our own recent encounter with the sheriff in Hattiesburg,” Fels said. 

The deaths galvanized the nation and influenced passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which eliminated poll taxes and literacy tests, exploding Mississippi and southern Black voter registration.

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Although the summer also deeply affected other volunteers, many remained in Mississippi, despite the trauma.

Motivated by his experience, Fels joined Friends of Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was active in the Berkeley free speech movement. After graduating from Harvard Law School, he clerked for U.S. Circuit Judge John Minor Wisdom — a staunch foe of racial segregation — and worked in legal aid. 

That December, Landerman returned to Duke, becoming active in a campus civil rights organization. He stood up to racism in late-night dorm arguments with segregationist students about sit-in arrests at local segregated restaurants. Following graduation, Landerman spent several years community organizing in a white Durham, N.C working-class neighborhood. 

At 81, he reflects on his Mississippi experience’s relevance today. 

“When Bob Moses entered Mississippi in 1961,” Landerman said, “Black people had lived for decades under a brutal and oppressive system where change seemed inconceivable, and opposition brought economic retribution, beatings, jailings, and death. Together with local Black people, a [Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee] staff of 41 built a movement capable of making Freedom Summer happen and bringing voting rights to Black people across the South.” 

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Fels, now 82, says Mississippi Freedom Summer also deeply affected him. Retired from his Washington law firm, he’s on the board of Lawyers Defending American Democracy. The group filed an amicus brief challenging President Trump’s executive order restricting the number of citizens who could register to vote in federal elections.

“The repression of rights and violence we faced in Mississippi obviously differs from what the current federal government seeks to impose today,” he says. “I think, however, that the lesson from Freedom Summer applies: Resistance is necessary and may, in the long run, succeed.” 

Mark I. Pinsky is a journalist and author based in Durham, N.C.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.



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GPS data tracks boat Mississippi teen Nolan Wells was on before he went missing

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GPS data tracks boat Mississippi teen Nolan Wells was on before he went missing


GPS data from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, obtained by CBS News, tracks the movements of the boat that carried Nolan Wells to Horn Island on July 4. Wells was found dead after going missing following an outing on the island.

The vessel left a dock at approximately 9:56 a.m. that morning and arrived at Horn Island at 11:14 a.m. CBS News has previously reported that Wells was not on the boat when it departed the island. 

According to the GPS data, the boat left Horn Island at 4:31 p.m. and returned to its original departure dock. It then traveled into Fort Bayou around 5:52 p.m. before returning to the dock at 6:06 p.m.

Later that evening, the boat went to the Fort Bayou boat launch at 7:19 p.m., according to the MSDMR report. From there, it traveled over land — presumably towed by a vehicle — to the Biloxi, Mississippi, residence of the boat’s owners. 

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The MSDMR report indicates that the boat’s owner, his mother and one other individual who was reportedly with Wells on the day of the incident have cooperated with the investigation.

The department’s report ends on July 5, following notification that the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office would take over as the lead investigative agency.

This undated photo provided by the family in July 2026 shows Nolan Xavier Wells with his mother, Christine Wonsley.

Family photo via AP

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Wells, 18, was last seen on July 4 on Horn Island, where he had taken a boat trip with friends to celebrate the holiday, officials said. Wells traveled to the island with his friends but did not return to the mainland with them that afternoon, Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter has said.

He was last seen on the island at 3 p.m., according to attorney Ben Crump’s office. His mother reported him missing later that night and a search began.

His body was discovered July 6 off the coast of the island, which is about 10 miles south of the Mississippi mainland, following a search that involved the U.S. Coast Guard, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the National Park Service.

Dental records confirmed the body was Wells, Jackson County coroner Bruce Lynd told CBS News. An autopsy took place on July 7, Lynd said, but the results were not immediately made public. Wells’ body was flown to Washington, D.C., for an independent autopsy, according to Crump. 

Wells’ parents have said they don’t believe their son would’ve stayed behind on the island by choice when his friends left by boat.

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Christine and Elmore Wonsley, the parents of Nolan Wells, spoke to “CBS Mornings” on Friday, July 10, 2026.

CBS News


“No, he wouldn’t. Nolan always stays with the group,” Elmore Wonsley, Nolan’s father, told “CBS Mornings” last week. “If you be with me, you come back with me. So that I don’t understand, and with me being a parent, if I was in that situation, I would have told them, ‘You’re going to get back on this boat with me because I don’t want to answer to your parents if something happens to you.’”

When directly asked if he believed Nolan was left behind on the island, his father responded, “Yes. I don’t believe he decided to stay on the island by himself. It just doesn’t — that’s not his character.”

Wells went to Ocean Springs High School and was a rising sophomore on Southwest Mississippi Community College’s football team. Crump said Wells was a good swimmer.

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How permanent daylight saving time would impact Mississippi

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How permanent daylight saving time would impact Mississippi


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Are Americans finally done changing the clocks twice a year? Congress moved a step closer to ending the ritual after the U.S. House passed legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent.

It hasn’t been approved by the Senate yet, but it did pass the House with broad support (308-117). If it passes the Senate, it could be signed by President Donald Trump or become law without his signature, unless he vetoes it.

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Trump has previously backed ending twice-a-year time changes.

“I am going to work very hard to see The Sunshine Protection Act signed into Law. It’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’” he wrote in a May Truth Social post.

A few versions of the Sunshine Protection Act were introduced in Congress. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Florida, introduced the one that’s gaining ground last year.

Here’s what to know about daylight saving time and the move to change it.

What is daylight saving time and why do we use it?

Daylight saving time is the practice of setting clocks forward an hour from March until November in an effort to gain more sunlight during the summer months.

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According to the Library of Congress, it was first enacted in 1918 as a fuel cost-saving measure during World War I.

Daylight saving time became federal law under the Uniform Time Act of 1966. Under the law, some states can opt to exempt themselves from daylight saving time.

Would Mississippi keep daylight saving time year-round?

In 2021, the Mississippi Legislature passed a law saying the state plans to stick with daylight saving time year-round. But that only takes effect if Congress changes the federal law to let states adopt it all the time. A bill updating the effective date died in committee in the 2026 session.

Nineteen states, including Mississippi, are ready to make daylight saving time permanent if Congress changes the law to make the twice-a-year time shift optional, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).

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How later sunrises would affect Mississippi

Sunrise and sunset times in summer would look the same.

But the period from November to March would be different. The amount of daylight would be the same, just shifted an hour later than usual.

Mississippi could expect the latest winter sunrises around 7:59 a.m. in mid-January. The earliest sunsets would shift from about 4:46 p.m. in early December to 5:46 p.m., according to timeanddate.com.

Why permanent daylight saving time failed before

Yes. Congress did drop Daylight Saving Time before.

The move failed in 1974 after parents worried about kids going to school before dawn, risking more vehicle crashes.

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Some parts of the country, like Michigan or Indiana, don’t see sunrise until after 9 a.m. with the permanent daylight saving time.

When clocks fall back in 2026

Clocks will “fall back” from 2 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, unless Congress changes the law.

Daylight saving time ends on the first Sunday in November each year, under current law. That’s when we get back that missing hour of sleep from the spring time change.

Does Mississippi change clocks twice a year?

Yes. Mississippi, which is in the Central time zone, observes daylight saving time.

What time is it in Mississippi?

Visit timeanddate.com to see the current time in Jackson.

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Which states don’t observe daylight saving time?

Most of the U.S. participates in daylight saving time except for Hawaii and most of Arizona. The Navajo Nation in the northeast corner of the state does participate.

Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with USA TODAY Network. Email her at bbolden@usatodayco.com.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on X @melinakh and Instagram @bymelinakhan.





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Mississippi teen accused of killing elderly couple had worked for them before shooting: family

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Mississippi teen accused of killing elderly couple had worked for them before shooting: family


A teenager in Mississippi knew the elderly couple he’s accused of killing before sparking a standoff with law enforcement, according to new testimony in court.

Cordarius Hobbs, 17, is charged with killing 74-year-old Billy Blair and his 71-year-old wife Virginia Carol Blair during a home break-in on June 3 in Mendenhall, Mississippi.

Family members of Hobbs testified during the Thursday preliminary hearing that he knew the couple.

Family members testified that Hobbs did work for the Blairs for things like cleaning around the house before the alleged shooting, according to WAPT.

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Billy Newsome, Hobbs’ grandfather, said he believes his grandson was called to work on the day of the alleged shooting but believes he’s innocent.

“My grandson used to work for the man, why you gone rob a man that you work for,” Newsome said. “Why you gone stay there that long and you know the police out there, and then you gone wait until everybody gets there to run, it just ain’t adding up, something just ain’t right here.”

Cordarius Hobbs, 17, is charged with killing 74-year-old Billy Blair and his 71-year-old wife Virginia Carol Blair during a home break-in on June 3 in Mendenhall, Mississippi. Rankin County Jail

On June 3, three contractors installing a generator at the Blairs’ home discovered Carol Blair’s car door open with several guns on the seats around 10 a.m., prompting them to call the Simpson County Sheriff’s Department for a welfare check at 11:30 a.m, according to a Mississippi Bureau of Investigation investigator.

By noon, the investigator said that officers arrived and were met with shots fired at them, starting a nearly two-hour-long standoff.

Hobbs was captured after trying to run away from officers, the official said, adding that the teen was unarmed when he was caught.

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Family members testified that Hobbs worked for Billy and Virginia Blair before they were found shot to death. Family Handout
Hobbs was captured after trying to run away from officers, the official said, adding that the teen was unarmed when he was caught. 16 WAPT News Jackson

Carol Blair was found in a bedroom curled in the fetal position and had three gunshots to the back of her head. Bill Blair was found lying on his back in the kitchen with three gunshot wounds to his face.

The state investigator said three firearms were found inside the home as well as 280 shell casings, all owned by Bill Blair.

Hobbs’ defense attorney, Zachary Vaugh, argued that there’s a lack of direct forensic evidence connecting the teenager to the shooting.

Hobbs is charged with two counts of capital murder and one count of burglary, in addition to 10 other charges. He was denied bond. WLBT

“There was nothing to say he’s a principal, he’s the one that pulled the trigger on these things,” Vaugh said. “One of the things alone was, one of the victims was shot twice on one side of the head and once on the other. I think that’s pretty compelling that somebody else may have been in there. There’s a lot of things that are possible, just a tremendous amount of things.”

“When you have an officer say there’s no one that can identify him at the time of the shooting, I just don’t see how that adds up,” he said.

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Hobbs is charged with two counts of capital murder and one count of burglary, in addition to 10 other charges. He was denied bond.

In a statement on Facebook, the couple’s family previously said, “We are crushed in spirit, bruised, and brokenhearted, but we are not alone.”

Jason Busby, who was friends with the couple, remembered them as being extremely selfless when speaking with WLBT.

“The man would’ve given you the shirt off his back, his wife is the same, and they’re just great people. It’s just a tragedy,” Busby said. “Everybody around here is still in shock. They were just good people.”

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