Freedom Summer: The 1964 Battle For Civil Rights In Mississippi

IN THE SUMMER of 1964 I was looking forward to my senior year in high school. I had a job at the World's Fair in New York, working in a hot kitchen providing chicken adobo and marinated pork on a stick for the customers of the San Miguel Beer pavilion/beer hall.

The German pavilion across the alley provided a good, steady source of beer-loving customers.

One of my co-workers in the kitchen was a guy from Tahiti. He was 21 and after work we'd hang out in the fairgrounds taking advantage of the free or really inexpensive entertainment venues. During one of these outings, he bought me my first mixed drink - rum and coke. The bars on the fairgrounds were pretty lax about asking for ID's.

Like a dork, I wore my letterman's sweater a couple of times thinking it would be impressive. When asked what the block letter "P" stood for, I'd proudly respond, "Pittsburg." Everybody thought I was talking about Pittsburgh, ( you know, Pittsburg with the "h") and assumed that I went to the University of Pittsburgh. I didn't say otherwise, just pass me the rum and coke.

One of the highlights of that summer was a quick bus ride to Washington D.C. with by brother-in-law's younger brother and another co-worker, a Puerto Rican who had a whisper of a mustache and had that New Yawk accent and what I saw as "street smarts." We had one day in the nation's capitol and all we saw was the mall and some of the nearby monuments.

We were too young to appreciate the history and significance of all that was around us.

We sat in the back of the Greyhound bus and sang songs of the day, like "Up On The Roof" and "Under the Boardwalk." We sounded terrible but we thought we were good. It was a wonder nobody else on the bus complained.

I had no inkling what else was happening the world. I didn't know about the other buses carrying college students to the Deep South to register African Americans to vote.

I didn't know about the lynchings and the deaths of some of those Freedom Riders. I am embarrassed to say how oblivious I was. I lived in California, far from the segregated lunch counters, the separate entrances for blacks and whites, and the Jim Crow laws that prevented blacks from exercising their right to vote. 

To learn more about Freedom Summer, there's an app for that: 
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/freedom-summer-civil-rights/id893679666?mt=8

For young people today, 50 years ago is ancient history. It may be difficult to imagine how different it was then. You have to picture the civil rights actions that took place in a hostile environment. Back then, local government was the enemy. The figures of authority - including the police - were openly against voter registration for blacks. 

The courage of those young people - black and white - who traveled to the Deep South and went against the bigotry and racism that was the way of life down there. To the good ol' boys, these northerners were breaking the law and upending practices that were rooted in centuries of tradition.

Unfortunately today, we are still fighting against the deeply ingrained values based on racism, remnants of that "tradition." People and monied-special interests are trying to turn back the clock with the anti-government rhetoric; the ultra conservatives are still trying to discredit the President and block any of his initiatives; the GOP continue their Southern Strategy by continuing to appeal to the baseline racists with their xenophobic rantings under the guise of "taking back our country;" and their numerous attempts to limit voting under the guise of preventing so-called voter fraud. (NOTE: the number of voting fraud incidents are so few - even rare - and don't warrant the fear and legislation that has emerged to prevent voting by "certain people."} 

It's all a last gasp effort to maintain the status quo, to remain in power, to stay on top of the heap, to keep unspoken entitlements.

To the young people - including my nieces, nephews and their children in high school and college - go ahead and enjoy your summer: go to the beach, hike in the mountains, laugh with your friends and enjoy your time off from studies. Remember though, much of our world today was shaped by the events that occurred in the summer of 1964. The equal rights won for African Americans, was extended to all minorities and inspired other battles: for farmworkers, for Filipinos, for Latinos, for gays and for women.

The victories won in the 60's are being challenged today. The battles continue in the halls of Congress, in the courts, in the polling booth, schools, business and the streets; in Washington D.C., Sacramento, Los Angeles, Detroit, in Texas and Arizona border towns, in Sanford, Florida and in Ferguson, Missouri -- wherever ignorance and hate raises its head.

The rights we enjoy now cannot be taken for granted. With all that is happening in today's world, if you care about democracy, if you care about our country, if you care about the future for you and your family - you can't afford to be as oblivious as I was in 1964.

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