Remembering the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (1964)

The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) was formed 60 years ago in Mississippi. Known simply as the Freedom Democratic Party, it existed in the state of Mississippi from 1964 to 1968. The party was founded by Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, and Robert Moses. Its purpose was to challenge the heremony (dominance or control) of the state Mississippi Democratic Party, which worked to subvert the Civil Rights movement in the state and restricted participation to white citzens. This restriction was particularly galling because African Americans made up 40% of the state's population. The members of this group challenged the state Mississippi Democratic Party and demanded recognition at the DNC in Atlantic City. They argued the members of the state party were illegally elected and in a segregated manner. They also asserted the regulars did not intend to support President Lyndon Baines Johnson, the party's nominee.

The efforts of the MFDP received the early support of Martin Luther King Jr and The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The Democratic Party referred the challenge to the credentials committee. The MFDP lobbied the delegates by establishing a 24hr picket on the boardwalk in Atlantic City. They also wrote position positions explaining their position and why the regular delegates should not be seated. They circulated biographies of the MFDP members, historical arguments and documents explaining their position. These materials were distributed to all delegates at the convention. The credentials committee televised its proceedings and one of the most evocative testimonies was given by Fannie Lou Hamer. Hamer detailed her struggles as a sharecroper in Mississippi. She also discussed the challenges she faced in her effort to register to vote and the retailation she endured.

Behind the scenes, President Johnson feared losing southern support. He worked to outmanever the MFDP and prevent the unseating of the regular members of the Mississippi delegation. In the end, he persuaded the credentials committee not to decide on the issue or refer it to the general convention. Other members of the Democratic Party, namely Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale attempted to craft a compromise. They proposed to give the MFDP two at-large seats. This compromise was rejected by the MFDP. Rather than suffer further indiginities, the MFDP decided to leave the convention. Fannie Lou Hamer said, "We didn't come all this way to for no two seats, cause all of us is tired." The MFDP's actions played a pivotal role in the subsequent passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.

Below I have curated some of the most important pictures from the history of the MFDP. The captions explain the significance of each photo.