Skip To Content
Join the Conversation
Funded by
Support Provided by: Learn More
Freedom Summer | Clip

The Eulogy

When Dave Dennis gave the eulogy at the funeral of James Chaney—who was killed along with two other civil rights workers in the summer of 1964—some implored him to make his speech quiet, low-key. But Dennis recalls looking at those gathered in the church and seeing Ben Chaney, James' little brother. "I lost it. I totally just lost it," Dennis says. Instead of a low-key eulogy, he pled with those gathered. "Don't bow down anymore. Hold your heads up! We want our freedom now! I don't want to have to go to another memorial. I'm tired of funerals. I'm tired of it! We've got to stand up!"

Support Provided by: Learn More

Now Streaming

  • The Harvest: Integrating Mississippi's Schools poster image

    The Harvest: Integrating Mississippi's Schools

    Explore what happened when the small Mississippi town of Leland integrated its public schools in 1970. Told through the remembrances of students, teachers and parents, the film shows how the town – and America – were transformed.

  • The Harvest: Integrating Mississippi's Schools (español) poster image

    The Harvest: Integrating Mississippi's Schools (español)

    Explore lo que sucedió cuando la pequeña ciudad de Leland en Misisipi integró sus escuelas públicas en 1970. Contada a través de los recuerdos de estudiantes, maestros y padres de familia, la película muestra cómo se transformaron la ciudad y el país.

  • The Busing Battleground poster image

    The Busing Battleground

    The Busing Battleground viscerally captures the class tensions and racial violence that ensued when Black and white students in Boston were bused for the first time between neighborhoods to comply with a federal desegregation order.

Related Features

  • What Was Freedom Summer? poster image icon Clip
    Freedom Summer | Clip

    What Was Freedom Summer?

    They called it "a campaign that may have no parallel since the days of Reconstruction." In 1964, more than 700 civil rights workers focused their efforts on Mississippi. 

  • Freedom Summer's Widow poster image icon Clip
    Freedom Summer | Clip

    Freedom Summer's Widow

    When Mickey Schwerner was killed in Mississippi in the summer of 1964, much attention was trained on his wife, Rita. 

  • Tensions During Training poster image icon Clip
    Freedom Summer | Clip

    Tensions During Training

    During training before Freedom Summer in 1964, tension between the mostly-white volunteers and the mostly-black SNCC staff became evident immediately.