Video: MSU Commemorates 50th Anniversary of Freedom Summer Project

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STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) — In remembrance of the historic Freedom Summer Project of 1964, the African American Studies Department at Mississippi State is hosting a 3-day event to celebrate the 50th Anniversary. The event kicked off with a dinner and performance, Sunday.

It was 1964. Young people, black and white, came together in support of African Americans in Mississippi who were fighting for their civil rights.

“There was already a movement in Mississippi of people like Medgar Evers, Amsey Moore, Aaron Henry, just to name a few throughout the state. We as young people came in as part of a movement that was already in process,” says David Dennis, Freedom Summer Project Co-Director.

MSU’s African American Studies Department will commemorate the Freedom Summer Project with a 3-day event that includes a play performed by students on Sunday and a conference featuring speakers who participated in the Summer Project. In 1964, Chude Pam Allen was a volunteer teacher that summer.

“Everything we learned there was so intensely wonderful in terms of learning about courage and the dignity of the local people who were struggling for their rights,” says Allen.

Recognized scholars, activists and Freedom Summer volunteers from all over the country will speak during the conference. Current MSU students participating in the stage performance say it’s AN honor to represent such a brave group of people.

“I’m from the Delta so a lot of these things happened there. Just to be able to portray somebody that came and helped participate in those events. Knowing how serious it was and what a big decision it was for them, it’s very powerful to be able to be a part of that,” says Actress Beth Baugh, a Freshman at MSU.

The event is free and will be held in Colvard Student Union. For more information and to register for the free event, just go to www.aas.msstate.edu/fsc/reg.