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

by Rick Bowers

Overview

It was 1956, and the Civil Rights Movement was in Full Swing. Across The Nation, African Americans were Demanding their rights, and the U.S. Supreme Court was ruling in their favor. But a system of segregation rooted in white supremacy had been a way of life for two hundred years in the Deep South, and Mississippi was not changing its ways without a fight. Thus was born a new arm of the state: a secret propaganda, espionage, and dirty tricks agency. It was called the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, and its mission was simple: to stop racial integration-at all costs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781449851026
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	02/09/2011
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.50(h) x 5.00(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Rick Bowers is a journalist, songwriter, and head of creative projects for the AARP. He lives in Washington D.C.

Wade Henderson is the executive director of the Leadership Commission on Civil Rights.

Table of Contents

Foreword vii

Prologue 2

1 The Genesis 3

2 Growing Outrage, Growing Backlash 7

3 The "Bible" 11

4 The Pipeline 15

5 The Delta Blues 33

6 Death of a Dream 27

7 The Savior of Segregation 33

8 The Clandestine War 37

9 Never, Never Land 43

10 Overflowing the Jails 47

11 The Battle for Ole Miss 59

12 In the Dead of the Night 71

13 The Secret Benefactor 79

14 Agent X 83

15 Marked Men 89

16 The Magnolia Curtain 95

17 "Destroy This Directive" 97

What Happened Next 103

Documents 108

Bibliography 114

Index 118

Photo Credits 120

Editorial Reviews

Gr 7–10—Through extensive research and interviews, Rick Bowers has uncovered evidence of a spy network that was active in Mississippi beginning in 1956. Its goal was to stop integration and cripple the civil rights movement. The information is presented in this volume (National Geographic, 2010) in a straightforward and entertaining manner. Starting with the advent of integration laws in 1954, Bowers follows the civil rights movement time line closely in Mississippi and details the involvement of prominent figures on both sides of the race issue. With examples ranging from leading separatist politicians to protesting college students, each major event is chronicled, usually focusing on one specific person's involvement. Bowers also includes an afterward detailing what happened to each person involved after the civil rights movement ended in the early 1970s. Occasionally the story is peppered with phrasing that illustrates a distinct bias, but overall the events are presented in an exemplary format, encouraging listeners to learn more about this interesting time period. Peter Jay Fernandez's narration enhances the story, delivering the facts in a forthright and respectful manner. This production could be used in classrooms and is recommended for high school and public library collections.—Jessica Miller, New Britain Public Library, CT

School Library Journal

During the height of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, powerful politicians concerned with preserving segregation at all costs created the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, one of the most extensive and elaborate state-sanctioned spy networks in U.S. history. The Commission served as segregation watchdogs conspiring to undermine the civil rights movement by spying on private citizens, maintaining secret files, and arresting civil rights advocates. Members of the Commission funneled money into white power organizations, forced black-owned businesses to close, interfered with voter registration, and orchestrated murder. The book's intention is to inform readers about this top-secret, conspiratorial, old boys' network that has been conveniently left out of history texts. From the 1954 Brown versus Board of Education ruling to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Bowers engages readers by providing a fast-paced and unique look at the historic events surrounding the racial tension in Mississippi. Key events include Medgar Evers's murder, the Freedom Rides, and attempts (both successful and not) to integrate Mississippi's colleges and universities. Bowers claims to use oral histories, interviews, memoirs, government documents, magazine and newspaper articles as well as the 134,000-page "once-secret investigative file" produced by the Commission to flesh out this story; however, the review copy did not include source notes, footnotes, or bibliographies. It is an informative and fascinating choice for pleasure reading and school assignments, but the vocabulary is challenging and the dozens of names, facts, and events squeezed into this thin book are difficult to keep straight.Reviewer: Sarah Cofer

VOYA - Sarah Cofer

The year 1956 saw the creation of the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, a special agency charged with preserving the right of the state to govern itself without interference from the federal government or private pressure groups. In this era, "sovereignty" was code for segregation, and the commission was granted extraordinary powers to investigate private citizens and organizations, make arrests, maintain secret files and force witnesses to testify. Using primary-source materials, including 134,000 pages of documents from the commission's once-secret files, Bowers tells the chilling story of how the Mississippi government systematically created a propaganda machine and statewide spy network and collaborated with such groups as the Klan and the White Citizens' Council to undermine the efforts of civil-rights organizations. He effectively illustrates the desperate and shockingly illegal lengths the commission went to but is less successful in linking it to the assassination of Medgar Evers and the murders of three Freedom Summer volunteers. Compelling and enlightening nonetheless. (index & credits, not seen) (Nonfiction. 12 & up)

Kirkus Reviews

In 1956, the Civil Rights Movement was growing across the nation. African Americans were demanding their rights, and the U.S. Supreme Court was ruling in their favor. The state of Mississippi, however, resisted. White supremacy had been a way of life in the Deep South, and the state was not willing to change its ways. Consequently, the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission was born. Its mission was to stop racial integration—no matter how much it cost. Bowers covers the beginning of this program, the reason why it was started, the men who were on the Commission and their roles, the people who suffered, and much more. They and the Sovereignty Commission gathered files on more than 87,000 private citizens and organizations. The Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission became known as the most extensive state spying program in U.S. history. The chairman of the board that oversaw the Sovereignty Commission was none other than Mississippi Governor, J. P. Coleman. Things started changing when Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and when President Johnson signed the bill as part of his program for a Great Society. This new law prohibited segregation in places serving the public. The biggest change was that it allowed the federal government to cut off funds to any government-supported program that practiced racial discrimination. But it was not until 1973 that The Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission closed its office and locked its records. Black-and-white photographs and illustrations are included, as well as a bibliography and source notes. Reviewer: Della A. Yannuzzi

Children's Literature - Della A. Yannuzzi