WATS line summary; 1964

              WATS line summary 

Transcript Page 1


CANTON: Harry Malm arrested on charges of improper parking and improper license while in the process of backing and turning a truck loaded with books for Freedom Schools. He was held for $200.00 bond which was reduced for $50.00 after a discussion between a lawyer and the judge. Released July 12.


SHAW: Volunteers and one staff member were in the Community Center when news came from a local Negro that he had been offered $40.00 to give out addresses of where workers were staying and $400.00 to blow up the Community Center. Unmarked cars circled the Center for several hours. Some of the men wore helmets.


CANTON: A fire-bomb was thrown on the front lawn of the Canton Freedom House. No damage to building or persons. License number of the car was obtained. The same car was later seen at the Valley View Freedom House near Canton.


GREENWOOD: A local Negro girl in the company of 2 white voter registration workers was hit in the chest by the elbow of a white man. Another white man had a lead pipe so the 3 workers walked away quickly. No police cooperation in reprimanding the assailants.


CANTON: Two summer volunteers, Nancy Cooper and Michael Piore, and the Co-Head of the Parents Committee for Mississippi Volunteers, Dave Finkelstein, all white, were refused admittance to the First Methodist Church in Canton where they had been welcomed by the minister's assistant before the congregation the previous week.


JACKSON: White teenagers slashed 2 tires of a local Negro woman's car and spat in the face of Karen Pate, volunteer, after they ate lunch with 4 others at an already-tested downtown restaurant. Treatment from management of the restaurant, however, was very good.


JACKSON: A local Negro woman was attacked by an elderly white man in the Greyhound Station receiving cuts on her head and hand. She was charged with disturbing the peace and a bail of $50.00 was set.


BILOXI: Barry Clemson, volunteer, picked up while canvassing. Told that 3 people in the community complained about him. Released after 25 minutes. Had an interview with 5 men from the Justice Department afterwards.


COMMUNITY CENTER and Freedom School Report:


The greatest physical need in several areas is for adequate housing for the Center's activities. The greatest program demand is for citizenship training. A Citizenship Program is complemented in most centers by a basic schedule including: literacy, art, music, recreation, day care, library facilities, and health consultation.


The following towns have both community centers and Freedom Schools. (The first number is the number of FS, the second the number of FS students).

4 - Clarksdale - 50

3 - Mileston - 35

1 - Holly Springs - 35

1 - Greenville - ?

1 - Greenwood - 85

1 - Shaw - opens soon

1 - Vicksburg - 60

3 - Canton - 75

1 - Meridian - 200
5 - Hattiesburg - 500