Holly Springs, Mississippi
Holly Springs was a college town located in northern Mississippi. Due to its proximity to Memphis, Tennessee, racial conditions in Holly Springs and the surrounding counties, were relatively relaxed by Mississippi standards. The local Black community was well organized. Local leader S.T. Nero headed up a local NAACP chapter, and students at Rust College led direct action protests against the city’s segregated public accommodations. SNCC worker Frank Smith joined the local Movement in the early sixties, which focused its energies on voter registration. Cooperation between different groups strengthened the Movement in Holly Springs, which made big strides in the 1960s.
