Letter, Matthew Zwerling to Israel and Florence Zwerling and Sara; June 30, 1964
Transcript
Clarksdale, June 30, 1964
Dear Folks and if you're still home, Sara:
I've been working in one of the 4 Negro communities - Riverton - one other guy has been canvassing with me. We've gotten a pretty good response and I've called a meeting at the biggest church in town for just the Riverton community. The real work, for me, is voter registration. If the meeting works out I'll feel that I've done something direct and important. If not, it means more slow plodding on. I think the meeting will be a success.
I should be getting Miss. plates tomorrow (only $22). If so, I have decided to say in Miss. until the end of August. I don't know their address, but please call the Daynards and explain. To succeed here dedication has to be total or not at all. Somehow I feel that in Clarksdale or Philadelphia or anywhere else we're going to win some ground this summer.
Now about Mrs. P -, the person whose home I'm at. She is something else. Busybody - talks incessantly - strong community leader (perhaps because she can bully people). We aren't going to see eye to eye much. It should make the summer a little more exciting and be a good course in diplomacy for me.
Outside the house roosters have this habit - one sits by the window and at dawn melancholically crows in a refrain reminiscent of a man falling off a cliff. The dog outside is just thrilled by this and barks his approval. The rooster thinks about this for a while - then he lets go again. This send the dog into sheer ecstasy. A little later they pal it up and do a duet.
Anyway -
Freedom,
Mat
