3. Strain, Christopher Barry. “Civil Rights and ... - Freedom Archives
3. Strain, Christopher Barry. “Civil Rights and ... - Freedom Archives 3. Strain, Christopher Barry. “Civil Rights and ... - Freedom Archives
supercede city and state laws in the field of civil rights," he stated . "We must obey the law, no matter how bitter the taste." Reaction to Cutrer's proclamation ranged from lukewarm to openly hostile . Pressuring for follow-through, James Farmer of CORE cautiously praised the action . `"fhe fight is not ended," Farther prophetically warned . "The most difficult part is ahead." Local white citiuns sought to remove Cutrer from office and moved for a recall elation . White youths attacked a newspaper photographer sent to cover a pro-integration rally and destroyed his equipment . State and city police quelled street fights that broke out betwan blacks and whites in downtown Hogalusa. Police also arrested two white men for attempted arson outside the local Baptist church where Jarnes Farmer was to speak . The policemen expropriated a two-gallon can of gasoline from the suspects, as well as an unrepentant confession . r4 The victory of desegregation turned out to be a Pynfiic one . On June 2, newly-hired deputy sheriff O'Neal Moore was shot to death in his patrol car by a gunman in a passing pick-up truck in Vamado, outside of Bogalusa. He and his partner, Creed Rogers, who was wounded in the shooting, were two of Washington Parish's first Afro-American peacekeepers. Authorities arrested a white Bogalusa resident, Ernest Ray McElveen, and charged him with murder.rs It was this electrically-charged atmosphere of animosity and hair-trigger violence, fueled by white hatted and black frustration, which animated the Deacons. Up to this ~4"Hogalusa Promises," Facts on File (May 1965) : 197 ; Southern School News (June 1965) : 14 ; Cutrer and Farmer quoted in New York Times (May 24, 1965) : 1, 18 . ~s"Bogalusa Killing," Facts on File (July 1-7, 1965) : 246-7.
point, the Deacons had ban quietly making their presence known : watching events from a safe distance, formulating their policies, bolstering membership, and supplementing their growing arsenal of firearms. After announcing the repeal ofcity segregation ordinances, Mayor Cutrer warned in a veiled threat to the Deacons : "Anyone, white or Negro, who attempts to violate the rights of another or cause bodily harm will be promptly arrested, charged and prosecuted ." After Moore's murder, several Deacons, in their first public display of arms, guarded the homes of local black leaders.~6 Moorc's death prefaced the Deacons' rapid acceleration to the forefront of the movement in Bogalusa . Friends and family scheduled Moore's funeral for June 9, the following wak, and James Farmer planned to speak at the service . He amved at the New Orleans International Airport, where four state police detectives and four Deacons met him . The detectives warned Farmer of a Klan plot to assassinate him in Louisiana, and offered to provide protection for him, though Charles Sims, who did not fully trust the detectives, insisted that FamKr ride with him . Sims, along with three other Deacons, chauffeured Farmer from New Orleans to Bogalusa--a distance of approximately 65 miles--with a pistol on the car seat beside him . Upon safe arrival, Farmer praised the Deacons . "CORE is nonviolent," said Farmer, "but we have no right to tell Negroes in Bogalusa or anywhere else that they do not have the right to defend their homes. It is a constitutional right ." An estimated fifty Deacons attended Moorc's funeral .~~ ~6Cutrcr, quoted in New York Times (May 24, 1%5) : 1, 18 ; Facts on File (July 1-7, 1965): 246-7 . ~~Roy Reed, "Arnted Negro Unit Spreads in South,"New Yak Times (June 6, 1%S) : 25 ; James Farmer, Lav Bare the Hesrt : An Autobiog~y of the Civil Ri~h_ts Movement
- Page 87 and 88: Williams' ideas came to fruition in
- Page 89 and 90: When juxtaposed with the ideas of M
- Page 91 and 92: But if Willisms "made just as much
- Page 93 and 94: Whatever his place in prevailing hi
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- Page 97 and 98: The women propared food, and served
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- Page 101 and 102: tide of nonviolent diroct action ;
- Page 103 and 104: the sheriff again and told him that
- Page 105 and 106: characterized by hatred or meanness
- Page 107 and 108: terms of "`violence' versus `nonvio
- Page 109 and 110: than as separate entities, seenKd q
- Page 111 and 112: The best descriptor of Malcolm X wa
- Page 113 and 114: qualities in themselves. Finally, a
- Page 115 and 116: someone is treating you in a crimin
- Page 117 and 118: "You can't take a black man who is
- Page 119 and 120: attacked . Now, fve never been the
- Page 121 and 122: have, he wondered, to stop the loca
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- Page 125 and 126: Malcolm "proved" his detractors to
- Page 127 and 128: Malcolm reveled in ambivalence, and
- Page 129 and 130: While his views on integration, whi
- Page 131 and 132: He summed up his speoch by doclarin
- Page 133 and 134: journalist, labeled them "the South
- Page 135 and 136: shifted from Jonesbom to 8ogalusa,
- Page 137: cost. The struggle for black equali
- Page 141 and 142: Under the aegis of their charter an
- Page 143 and 144: them ; they were attuned to the law
- Page 145 and 146: the head, causing a gash . Leneva T
- Page 147 and 148: One thing is apparent in this year
- Page 149 and 150: mistake" ; the presence of the Deac
- Page 151 and 152: done:' Sims said, "we walked like m
- Page 153 and 154: he waa killedj, but I believe he wa
- Page 155 and 156: Events picked up across the border
- Page 157 and 158: they were bound to precipitate a ca
- Page 159 and 160: goals of the movement. A year later
- Page 161 and 162: Sellers noted that while King was f
- Page 163 and 164: things," he said. "Everybody want t
- Page 165 and 166: the group . For example, an intervi
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supercede city <strong>and</strong> state laws in the field of civil rights," he stated . "We must obey the<br />
law, no matter how bitter the taste." Reaction to Cutrer's proclamation ranged from<br />
lukewarm to openly hostile . Pressuring for follow-through, James Farmer of CORE<br />
cautiously praised the action . `"fhe fight is not ended," Farther prophetically warned .<br />
"The most difficult part is ahead." Local white citiuns sought to remove Cutrer from<br />
office <strong>and</strong> moved for a recall elation . White youths attacked a newspaper photographer<br />
sent to cover a pro-integration rally <strong>and</strong> destroyed his equipment . State <strong>and</strong> city police<br />
quelled street fights that broke out betwan blacks <strong>and</strong> whites in downtown Hogalusa.<br />
Police also arrested two white men for attempted arson outside the local Baptist church<br />
where Jarnes Farmer was to speak . The policemen expropriated a two-gallon can of<br />
gasoline from the suspects, as well as an unrepentant confession . r4<br />
The victory of desegregation turned out to be a Pynfiic one . On June 2,<br />
newly-hired deputy sheriff O'Neal Moore was shot to death in his patrol car by a gunman<br />
in a passing pick-up truck in Vamado, outside of Bogalusa. He <strong>and</strong> his partner, Creed<br />
Rogers, who was wounded in the shooting, were two of Washington Parish's first<br />
Afro-American peacekeepers. Authorities arrested a white Bogalusa resident, Ernest Ray<br />
McElveen, <strong>and</strong> charged him with murder.rs<br />
It was this electrically-charged atmosphere of animosity <strong>and</strong> hair-trigger violence,<br />
fueled by white hatted <strong>and</strong> black frustration, which animated the Deacons. Up to this<br />
~4"Hogalusa Promises," Facts on File (May 1965) : 197 ; Southern School News (June<br />
1965) : 14 ; Cutrer <strong>and</strong> Farmer quoted in New York Times (May 24, 1965) : 1, 18 .<br />
~s"Bogalusa Killing," Facts on File (July 1-7, 1965) : 246-7.
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