Freedom Summer 1964 Exhibit - As told through Photographs

On temporary display at the Iowa State Historical Building in Des Moines, Iowa is the Summer Freedom 1964 exhibit. The exhibit tells the story of two Iowans, Reverend Frazer Thomason and Loris Thomason who traveled to Clarksdale, Mississippi to help with the effort of registering African Americans to vote at the polls.

These photographs help tell the story of Freedom Summer 1964:

Previous articles:
Freedom Summer 1964 Exhibit - Introduction
Freedom Summer 1964 Exhibit - Wakonda Church News
Freedom Summer 1964 Exhibit - During Freedom Summer and the Aftermath
Freedom Summer 1964 Exhibit - "Observer"
Freedom Summer 1964 Exhibit - Reports from Clarksdale

Freedom Summer 1964 Exhibit - Reports from Clarksdale

On temporary display at the Iowa State Historical Building in Des Moines, Iowa is the Summer Freedom 1964 exhibit. The exhibit tells the story of two Iowans, Reverend Frazer Thomason and Loris Thomason who traveled to Clarksdale, Mississippi to help with the effort of registering African Americans to vote at the polls.

These are reports from Reverend Frazer Thomason about the events that took place in Clarksdale, Mississippi during his visit to help with the voter registration efforts:

Previous articles:
Freedom Summer 1964 Exhibit - Introduction
Freedom Summer 1964 Exhibit - Wakonda Church News
Freedom Summer 1964 Exhibit - During Freedom Summer and the Aftermath
Freedom Summer 1964 Exhibit - "Observer"

Freedom Summer 1964 Exhibit - "Observer"

On temporary display at the Iowa State Historical Building in Des Moines, Iowa is the Summer Freedom 1964 exhibit. The exhibit tells the story of two Iowans, Reverend Frazer Thomason and Loris Thomason who traveled to Clarksdale, Mississippi to help with the effort of registering African Americans to vote at the polls.

This document titled, "Observer", is an account by Reverend Frazer Thomason as to the events he witnessed in Clarksdale, Mississippi during his visit to help with the voter registration efforts:

Previous articles:
Freedom Summer 1964 Exhibit - Introduction
Freedom Summer 1964 Exhibit - Wakonda Church News
Freedom Summer 1964 Exhibit - During Freedom Summer and the Aftermath

Freedom Summer 1964 Exhibit - During Freedom Summer and the Aftermath

On temporary display at the Iowa State Historical Building in Des Moines, Iowa is the Summer Freedom 1964 exhibit. The exhibit tells the story of two Iowans, Reverend Frazer Thomason and Loris Thomason who traveled to Clarksdale, Mississippi to help with the effort of registering African Americans to vote at the polls.

During Freedom Summer Civil Right's workers and supporters were arrested, beaten and even killed by those who did not agree with what they were doing. Churches blacks attended, homes and business blacks owned were bombed or burned by those who were against what the Civil Right's workers were doing.

Freedom Summer was a failure in getting many new voters registered. But it was a huge success in bringing the issue of the Jim Crow Laws in the south to the attention of those where this was not happening. The nation as a whole was recognizing the injustice that was occurring in the south. Unfortunately for many blacks this came too late. It was not until violence happened toward whites was something finally done about it.

Previous articles:
Freedom Summer 1964 Exhibit - Introduction
Freedom Summer 1964 Exhibit - Wakonda Church News

Freedom Summer 1964 Exhibit - Wakonda Church News

On temporary display at the Iowa State Historical Building in Des Moines, Iowa is the Summer Freedom 1964 exhibit. The exhibit tells the story of two Iowans, Reverend Frazer Thomason and Loris Thomason who traveled to Clarksdale, Mississippi to help with the effort of registering African Americans to vote at the polls.

This is a report Reverend Frazer Thomason sent to the Wakonda Church News on what was happening in Clarksdale, Mississippi:

Previous articles:
Freedom Summer 1964 Exhibit - Introduction

Freedom Summer 1964 Exhibit - Introduction

In 1869 the United States passed the 15th Amendment giving African American men the right to vote.

In 1920 women were given the right to vote. Because of Jim Crow laws many African Americans because of rules and restrictions they had to follow in order to be eligible to be registered to vote. Whites were not subject to such laws, regulations or restrictions.

The Civil Rights movement started in 1955. 

In the summer of 1964 organizations and churches sent people to the southern United States to help African Americans register for voting. This came to be known as Freedom Summer 1964.

Poll taxes are prohibited with the adoption of the 24th Amendment in 1965

President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act into law in 1965, preventing barriers to ethnic and racial minorities thus prohibiting any election practice that denies the right to vote on account of race.

2014 marks the 50th anniversary of Freedom Summer.

Info. Sources:

Freedom Summer - History Channel

Freedom Summer (1964) - Stanford University

Freedom Summer - Wikipedia

Timeline - A History of the Voting Rights Act

On temporary display at the Iowa State Historical Building in Des Moines, Iowa is the Summer Freedom 1964 exhibit. The exhibit tells the story of two Iowans, Reverend Frazer Thomason and his wife Loris who traveled to Clarksdale, Mississippi to help with the effort of registering African Americans to vote at the polls.