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FREEDOM PRIMER
o • . l
{ . The Convention Challenge
and
The Freedom Vote
ro--, -·· . .
~II
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.