Freedom Summer Murders Marker

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Philadelphia in Neshoba County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)

Freedom Summer Murders

By Kianna Smith

1. Freedom Summer Murders Marker

Inscription. On June 21,1964 voting rights activists John Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, who had come here to investigate the burning of Mt. Zion Church , were murdered. Victims of a Klan conspiracy, their deaths provoked national outrage and led to the first successful federal prosecution of a civil rights case in Mississippi.

Erected 1989 by Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

Location. 32° 39.817′ N, 89° 1.867′ W. Marker is in Philadelphia, Mississippi, in Neshoba County. Marker is on Mississippi Route 19. Click for map. Marker is in this post office area: Philadelphia MS 39350, United States of America.

Additional comments.
1.
The Freedom Summer was about college students helping register as many black's to vote as possible. Local white members of the community (including the Sheriff, KKK members) opposed of black's voting. They bombed several churches, business, homes of blacks and voter's were arrested.
On June 21,1964 in Neshoba County ,MS. Three civil rights members, James Chaney 19, Andrew Goodman 19 and Mickey Schwerner 25,(one black & two white)came to help register black's to vote. They went to investigate a bombing at Mt. Zion United Methodist near Philadephhia,MS. They were arrested by a Deputy Sheriff. They were released at 10:30 that night and a gang off white man including law enforcement officials took them and murdered them on a gravel road. Because of their deaths the FBI was involved ( mostly because two white young men were killed), this murder was getting national attention and so was the civil rights movement. This also led to the first successful federal prosecution of a civil rights case in Mississippi.

— Submitted October 23, 2012, by Kianna Smith of Benton Harbor, Michigan.

Additional keywords. Freedom Summer, Freedom Summer Murders, Mississippi Burning

Credits. This page originally submitted on October 22, 2012, by Kianna Smith of Benton Harbor, Michigan. This page has been viewed 128 times since then. Photo 1. submitted on October 22, 2012, by Kianna Smith of Benton Harbor, Michigan. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.