The Movement in Lowndes County was sustained by strong local people who were willing to risk their lives, their homes, and their safety to create change: people like Mathew Jackson, Lillian McGill, John Hulett, Alice Moore, and many others. When she was a child, Catherine Flowers’ family was one of those who opened their home to SNCC workers. She later returned to Lowndes County as an adult to pick up the tradition of fighting for change.
Mathew and Emma Jackson taught their children to have each other’s backs no matter what. “You come out fighting for each other,” their daughter, Ethel Williams, remembered them saying.
This extended to the SNCC workers that stayed in the Freedom House on the Jackson’s property. Here Jennifer Lawson and Courtland Cox reflect on their organizing as SNCC field secretaries in Lowndes County.
Local people chaired the Lowndes County Christian Movement for Human Rights and the Lowndes County Freedom Organization. They ran for office. They pushed for the desegregation of public schools and applied for funding through War on Poverty programs. People like John Hulett, Alice Moore, and Lillian McGill led the way.
Part 5: Unfinished Business
