Freedom Summer @ 50

A folk singer. A photographer. A future politician. They all went to Mississippi in 1964 for different reasons—some were already there. But they all had a common goal: to shatter the foundations of white supremacy in what was one of the nation's most segregated states. Fifty years later, American Experience filmmakers revisited those who were there.

Features

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Freedom Summer @ 50: The Politician

"I felt morally empowered, but it was very scary," Congressman Frank Barney from Massachusetts.
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Anita Walton Moore - "The Librarian"

"We knew that we were working to do better, and that one day it would be better," Anita Walton Moore.
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John Howell - "The Publisher"

"We began to rethink some of the attitudes that we had lived with," John Howell.
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Dorie Ladner - "The Activist"

"The line was drawn in the sand for blacks and whites... I decided to cross that line," Dorie Ladner.
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Daisy Harris Wade - "The Voter"

Determined to secure the right to vote for herself and for future generations.
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Charles McLaurin - "The Foot Soldier"

"We were asked to leave. We did not, and we were arrested and locked up for the night," Charles McLaurin.
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Mark Levy - "The Teacher"

"We accomplished some things, but we didn't do the whole job," Mark Levy.
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Herbert Randall - "The Photographer"

“There will always be a need to document the struggle," Herbert Randall.
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Roscoe Jones - "The Preservationist"

"The kids need to know history. Black and white, they need to know history." June 24, 2014
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Julius Lester - "The Folk Singer"

"If somebody can threaten your life they own you. They own your soul." June 24, 2014.