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Civil Rights Archive
The following is a collection of documents that detail the struggles of family members who were intregal parts of the American Civil Rights Movement. These events were happening simultaneously. While three family members were experiencing things as a part of their work and fight for African Americans in Mississippi, one family member was enduring hardship due to wanting the right to vote in Louisiana.
While everyone in the family has lead extraordinary lives, the following family members will be recognized for their contribution to our family as well as to the history of African Americans.
Rev. Francis Atlas, Sr.'s Civil Rights Struggle in Northeastern Louisiana
Rev. Atlas was born and raised in Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, LA. For as long as he could remember, he was denied the right to register and right to vote, although he was made to pay poll taxes. He, along with a group of other African Americans in the area, decided to challenge the Registrar of Voters after repeated attempts of trying to register to vote. They eventually filed a suit and two witnesses were chosen to testify in front of a grand jury out of the group; Rev. John H. Scott and Rev. Atlas. Following their testimony, Rev. Scott and Atlas were the subjects of economic coercion and physical violence. Eventually, the Justice Department filed a suit against businessmen in the area regarding economic coercion and won.
"Witness to the Truth: My Struggle For Human Rights In Louisiana"
by John H. Scott with Cleo Scott Brown
This book documents Rev. Scott's fight to vote as well as the fight
of several family members in East Carroll Parish, LA to do the same.
Available for sale at Amazon.com
Rev. Francis J. Atlas, Sr.
(Click photo for full story)
Google Books Search for Rev. Francis Joseph Atlas, Sr.
Genealogy Documents
Obituary
Burial Record
News Coverage and Documents
November 1, 1960 - Letter from E. Frederic Morrow, White House
January 20, 1961 - New York Times
January 24, 1961 - Washington Afro-American
Feburary 14, 1961 - Baltimore Afro-American
September 15, 1961 - Time Magazine (mention in an article on the Civil Rights Commission)
July 29, 1962 - Florence, AL Times Daily (mention of 25 ellgible voters voting in East Carroll Parish)
September 13, 1962 - Jet Magazine (in article on Rev. John H. Scott)
July 17, 1961- Washington Post
November 12, 1966 - New York Times
August 6, 2005 - Monroe News Star
Undated - The Road to Selma (incomplete)
The Thompson Sisters and Their Involvement in NAACP and CORE
The Thompson Sisters of New Orleans, LA were first a part of the New Orleans Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and eventually the Congress for Racial Equality (CORE). They participated in many sit ins and protests, most notably, the Freedom Rides of 1961 which tested the Interstate Commerce Law. Beaten, and sometimes mauled by crowds, these three sisters showed extreme courage as they helped desegregate the south during high school and their college careers.
Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle For Racial Justice"
by Raymond Arsenault
A book documenting the Freedom Rides in which the Thompson Sisters are mentioned
Available for purchase at Amazon.com
Breach of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders by Eric Etheridge
A book of portraits of Freedom Riders featuring Jean Thompson
Available for purchase at Amazon.com
Features accounts that mention the Thompson Sisters.
Available for purchase at Amazon.Com
Preview on Google Books
Alice Thompson
(Click photo for full story)
Jean Thompson
(Click thumbnail to enlarge)
Shirley Thompson
(Click thumbnail to enlarge)
Freedom Ride from New Orleans to McComb, MS on November 30, 1961
November 10 and 14, 1961 - Clarion Ledger (with mention of Jean Thompson)
November 30, 1961 - New York Times
November 30, 1961 - Jet Magazine
November 30, 1961 - Lexington, NC Dispatch (quote from Presbyterian deacon regarding integration in reference to McComb, MS incident)
December 1, 1961 - Jackson Daily News
December 8, 1961 - MS Sovereignty Commision Report on November 30, 1961 Integration of Greyhound Bus Station in McComb, MS
A.L. Hopkins, Investigator
Freedom Ride from New Orleans to Jackson, MS on May 24, 1961
Roster of Freedom Riders on May 24, 1961 Ride
Photos from May 24, 1961 Ride - Life Magazine via Google Images
June 2, 1961 - Washington Post
List of Charges
June 15, 1961 - Jet Magazine
August 1961 - Ebony Magazine
Freedom Ride from New Orleans to Jackson, MS on June 6, 1961
Roster of Freedom Riders on June 6, 1961 Ride
June 7, 1961 - Chicago Tribune
June 7, 1961 - Clarion Ledger (with mention of Jean Thompson)
List of Charges
June 22, 1961 - Jet Magazine
Mississippi State Department of Archives and History's Sovereignty Commision Online
Source Information:
- Mississippi State Department of Archives and History's Sovereignty Commision Online
- Periodicals: Google Books - Jet Magazine and Ebony Magazine Archives, Google News Archive, and ProQuest Historical Newspapers
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