Spies of Mississippi: The True Story of the Spy Network that Tried to Destroy the Civil Rights Movement

Spies of Mississippi: The True Story of the Spy Network that Tried to Destroy the Civil Rights Movement
Rick Bowers

National Kids Geographic

The Spies of Mississippi is a compelling story of how state spies tried to block voting rights for African Americans during the Civil Rights era. This book sheds new light on one of the most momentous periods in American history.Author Rick Bowers has combed through primary-source materials and interviewed surviving activists named in once-secret files, as well as the writings and oral histories of Mississippi civil rights leaders. Readers get first-hand accounts of how neighbors spied on neighbors, teachers spied on students, ministers spied on church-goers, and spies even spied on spies.The Spies of Mississippi will inspire readers with the stories of the brave citizens who overcame the forces of white supremacy to usher in a new era of hope and freedom—an age that has recently culminated in the election of Barack Obama

Copyright © 2010 Richard J. Bowers.

All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission from the publisher is prohibited.

The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 325 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 9,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program combating geographic illiteracy. For more information, visit nationalgeographic.com (http://www.nationalgeographic.com).

For more information, please call 1-800-NGS LINE (647-5463) or write to the following address:

National Geographic Society

1145 17th Street N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20036-4688 U.S.A.

Visit us online at www.nationalgeographic.com/books (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/books)

For librarians and teachers: www.ngchildrensbooks.org (http://www.ngchildrensbooks.org)

More for kids from National Geographic: kids.nationalgeographic.com (http://www.kids.nationalgeographic.com)

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact National Geographic Books Special Sales: ngspecsales@ngs.org (mailto:ngspecsales@ngs.org)

For rights or permissions inquiries, please contact National Geographic Books Subsidiary Rights: ngbookrights@ngs.org (mailto:ngbookrights@ngs.org)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Bowers, Rick, 1952-

The spies of Mississippi : the true story of the spy network that tried to destroy the civil rights movement / by Rick Bowers. – 1st ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-1-4263-0595-5 (hardcover : alk. paper) – ISBN 978-1-4263-0596-2 (library binding : alk. paper)

eBook ISBN: 978-1-4263-0736-2

1. Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission–History. 2. African Americans–Civil rights–Mississippi–History–20th century. 3. African Americans–Segregation–Mississippi–History–20th century. 4. States’ rights (American politics)–History–20th century. 5. Mississippi–Politics and government–1951-6. Mississippi–Race relations. 7. Civil rights movements–Mississippi–History–20th century. I. Title.

E185.93.M6B69 2010

323.1196’0730762–dc22

2009018944

v3.1

Version: 2017-07-05

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover (#uf3386499-329c-580e-bf54-beaba4e59e8d)

Title Page (#u4264ca5b-a3c5-5869-be2f-0d2c3591b4bb)

Copyright (#u43970bae-8077-5c0d-a09e-d3163a4f3712)

Dedication (#udde97ef9-0183-5863-a9d4-d203cb9fa43b)

Acknowledgments (#u6fea66a9-19fc-5929-a1a5-aecd967ac990)

Foreword (#ua4d4df11-473a-5411-926b-0a1a2aed5589)

Prologue (#ua40aed85-c397-5c1d-87a6-bd2ffd3bac95)

1 The Genesis (#u7b9a86f1-a5d4-5f2b-99d8-0193bd212519)

2 Growing Outrage, Growing Backlash (#uc926427c-452d-5739-b581-fb1a1e92a5ed)

3 The “Bible” (#ubd53b8b7-8292-586e-b14f-bf4e44580444)

4 The Pipeline (#u9753e5c2-c740-5bbd-9edf-19090c18826b)

5 The Delta Blues (#u77a10d72-4af8-5009-a7d8-02c5b9170365)

6 Death of a Dream (#u1cbb8f8f-0f5c-5e84-a60d-74b883d1b724)

7 The Savior of Segregation (#litres_trial_promo)

8 The Clandestine War (#litres_trial_promo)

9 Never, Never Land (#litres_trial_promo)

10 Overflowing the Jails (#litres_trial_promo)

Photo Inserts

11 The Battle for Ole Miss (#litres_trial_promo)

12 In the Dead of the Night (#litres_trial_promo)

13 The Secret Benefactor (#litres_trial_promo)