1. Hill, Lance Edward. “The Deacons for ... - Freedom Archives

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on the porch of the Freedom House, or follow the activists like quiet shadows as they went about their organizing work . 2s Among this initial group ofguards was Earnest Thomas, a short, powerfully built twenty-nine-year-old black man who supported his five children as a papermill worker, mason, handyman and bar room gambler. Thomas' life centered on the institutions and amusements of small-town African-American life : he was an occasional churchgoer, a member of the Scottish Rite Masons, and a barroom hustler . Held at arms length by the "respectable" black middle class, Thomas nonetheless commanded community respect for his courage and martial skills. His street savvy and cool, intimidating demeanor earned him the nickname Chilly Willy . "Chilly was very firm," recalls Annie Purnell Johnson, a local CORE volunteer . "He didn't care . Whatever he said he was going to do, he did it ." His determination was accented by his penchant for force. "He was violent too," says Johnson . "He could be very violent if he wanted to be . Ifyou pushed his button, he would deliver.' °26 Thomas had been a fighter all his life . It was a lesson he learned early in life . Racial segregation fought a relentless battle against human nature--against the instinctual longing for companionship and shared joy among members of the human race . Frequently the intimacy of everyday life tempted people to disregard the awkward ritual of segregation . In his youth, Thomas had frequented the local swimming hole in Jonesboro, a gentle creek that wound its way through the pines . Its tranquil waters ZSCatherine Patterson Mitchell, Hill interview . 26Earnest Thomas, interview by author, 6, 20 February 1993, San Mateo, California, tape recording ; Annie Purnell Johnson, interview by author, 15 November 1993, Jonesboro, Louisiana, tape recording . 20
welcomed children of all colors. Here black and white children innocently played together, splashing and dunking. At a distance, colors disappeared into a shadow silhouette ofbobbing heads, the languid summer air disturbed only by occasional shrieks ofjoy . Yet, inevitably nature surrendered to the mean habits ofadult society. Thomas recalls that sometimes the whites would band together and swoop down on a handful of frolicking blacks, claiming the waters as the spoils of war. On other occasions, Thomas would join a charging army of whooping black warriors as they descended on the stream, scattering a gaggle of unsuspecting white boys . The swimming-hole wars of his youth provided Earnest Thomas with one enduring lesson : rights were secured by force more often than moral suasion . Thomas attended high-school in Jonesboro through the 11th grade then dropped out and served a stint in the Air force during the Korean War. Like many young blacks in the South, military service dramatically changed his attitude toward Jim Crow . Three years and eight months as an airborne radio operator had afforded him brief and seductive glimpses ofa world free ofsegregation . He met Northern blacks who, with better education and more opportunities, were increasingly impatient with the slow pace ofchange. Thomas absorbed their restless craving for freedom . The military also provided him, and thousands ofother southern blacks, with the tools to realize this dream of freedom : leadership skills and an appreciation ofthe power of disciplined collective action . Discharged from the service, Thomas spurned the South and journeyed Northward to Chicago . He worked for one year at International Harvester, but soon returned to Jonesboro to raise a family. 21 i
Page 1 and 2: THE DEACONS FOR DEFENSE AND JUSTICE
Page 3 and 4: © Copyright by Lance Edward Hill,
Page 5 and 6: 9 . With a Single Bullet . . . . .
Page 7 and 8: Chapter One Beginnings Paul Farmer
Page 9 and 10: In the nineteenth century the pine
Page 11 and 12: Incorporated in 1903, the town was
Page 13 and 14: organization provided a respite fro
Page 15 and 16: interested in gaining personal favo
Page 17 and 18: conservative stance frequently made
Page 19 and 20: advocated direct action and militan
Page 21 and 22: during a demonstration . "When I he
Page 23 and 24: advantage of engaging a distant ene
Page 25: A graver danger was posed by Klan a
Page 29 and 30: But like most black men in the Sout
Page 31 and 32: want people to get hurt ." Patterso
Page 33 and 34: enough fear that the conflict was m
Page 35 and 36: Chapter 2 The Art of Self-Defense A
Page 37 and 38: Peevy issued the squad an old polic
Page 39 and 40: the vote as key to transforming the
Page 41 and 42: that they had to turn around . He o
Page 43 and 44: If the harassment was intended to d
Page 45 and 46: Within a few hours of the restauran
Page 47 and 48: police, drove directly to Police Ch
Page 49 and 50: Within a few days, a determined gro
Page 51 and 52: Armed with the new defense goup and
Page 53 and 54: Chapter 3 The Justice and Defense C
Page 55 and 56: civil rights organizations . By the
Page 57 and 58: individualism . Creating a new orga
Page 59 and 60: the journey to Jonesboro . They wov
Page 61 and 62: During the civil rights movement, t
Page 63 and 64: The role ofwomen in the new organiz
Page 65 and 66: 1964 : "Justice and Defense Club ."
Page 67 and 68: and recommended that CORE organize
Page 69 and 70: schedules and equipment purchases .
Page 71 and 72: esisted integration by closing its
Page 73 and 74: dissembling, the informants became
Page 75 and 76: comprised approximately twenty memb
Page 77 and 78:
ground . Bethany Baptist Church als
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against the movement had been a mai
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Deacons would "become a civic organ
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communities dependent on external r
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nationalism in New York comprised m
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Mention of weapons and armed self-d
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on the good will ofthe dominant gro
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Kirkpatrick's problem with his blac
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momentum to the rumor by discussing
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handful of books and rows ofempty s
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only as the "Citizens Highway Patro
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He had taken only a few steps when
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"I was scared as shit . It looked l
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possessing two concealed weapons .
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the boycott was the black community
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mayor demurred, claiming that there
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The Jonesboro community was not det
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considered having Louisiana Attorne
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hearts of black men and women ; sti
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Chapter 6 The Magic City In 1905 tw
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Great Southern also segregated jobs
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A futile nine-month strike lasted f
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The path to Bogalusa for the Jonesb
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of the city government, and that th
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1964, the Klan conducted its first
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Night riders silently cruised by Co
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Bogalusa Mayor Jesse Cutrer and Pol
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and his followers were not welcome
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Zellerbach realized the consequence
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testing of public accommodations .
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tests . "Everybody was feeling good
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Bob and Jackie Hicks sat down for d
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calls to CORE contacts around the c
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Chapter 7 The Bogalusa Chapter The
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alert authorities and the media to
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talk . The FBI agent opened the caf
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hour protection for CORE-no doubt t
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and economic inequality . Their leg
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subsequent investigation revealed t
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Both Governor McKeithen and Mayor C
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On the morning of the 21st, Charlie
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Kirkpatrick and Thomas plunged into
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155 I leaders . Thomas even offered
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pursuers . The men hastily discusse
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Chapter 8 The Spring Campaign Bogal
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twenty-one entries dating back to 1
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nevertheless an articulate and disa
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even when I got ready to get offhe
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the Viola Liuzzo murder, President
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and to conduct "interviews" to disc
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Klansmen ordered Shepherd to leave
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On March 28 the Voters League organ
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The northern students plunged into
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Millers . "Filthy rich . He, a big
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sign on the coffins read, "Here lie
Page 187 and 188:
for equal economic opportunity in p
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Tension hung over Bogalusa like an
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Cutrer emerged from City Hall to ad
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Klan robes--one of them wearing a l
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at another Voters League rally, off
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Bogalusa . Humphrey contacted CORE'
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Orleans attorney with ties to CORE,
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the park. The group kicked and beat
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Chapter 9 With a Single Bullet The
Page 205 and 206:
Though the day had been a setback f
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$25,000 reward for the killers, but
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the evening ofJune 28 Fletcher Ande
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organization : Austin was only twen
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Bogalusa jail to mislead the white
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Governor McKeithen was not as enthu
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struggle with nonviolence and to cl
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only days after the Crowe shooting,
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providing financial support that wa
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cease unlawful arrests, threats of
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indignant editorial in defense of S
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threatened confiscation. It was a p
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Simultaneous to withdrawing his sta
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On July 16 the Justice Department b
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Shelton told some four-hundred Klan
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prosecuted : "Mr. Doar, You have In
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lacktopping streets and installing
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opportunity to project an image . I
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The Times article marked Earnest Th
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new areas, they could no longer be
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The paper also highlighted Kirkpatr
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ecause law enforcement refused to p
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say they have grenades and machine
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and Alabama. "These groups are all
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In part, the shift was a consequenc
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supported and was "well on their wa
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unaggressive and martially inferior
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South learned about the Deacons thr
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Deacons are unarmed and are totally
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average white man doesn't . I've ne
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however," noted Ebony, "the Deacons
Page 267 and 268:
The media also lost interest in the
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From 1964 to 1966, the Deacons deve
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Kirkpatrick also took the lead in o
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of the insurgent WPUCFM. The planne
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munitions plant, economically indep
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evival courthouse in the center of
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principal at Mayfield High School .
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More meaningful was the change in b
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"Nearly everyone seemed to be paral
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same day CORE met with twenty-four
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their example ofovercoming fear, ha
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and a pistol in the glove compartrn
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dynamite bomb exploded underneath t
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But I'll send them to hell with the
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Reverend Avery Alexander, a legenda
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experience with the Deacons with un
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enough high-speed chases with the K
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MFDP's invitation to the Deacons re
Page 303 and 304:
Chapter 12 Mississippi and Beyond A
Page 305 and 306:
Young, a member of the Natchez Deac
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consciousness among Natchez blacks
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seeing snipers firing from rooftops
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chorus : "We're going to kill for f
Page 313 and 314:
The group set about build'mg an o r
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young blacks attempted to attack a
Page 317 and 318:
Within seconds the Deacons converge
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Typically, most Deacons chapters re
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dropped out of high school in ninth
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want to come to the point to have t
Page 325 and 326:
targeted stores . `'There was a lit
Page 327 and 328:
Equipment, and cars that are radio
Page 329 and 330:
The end ofthe boycott brought an en
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would, in turn, pressure municipal
Page 333 and 334:
Early in the boycott Evers recruite
Page 335 and 336:
In addition to patrolling, their du
Page 337 and 338:
President ofthe Woodville Chapter a
Page 339 and 340:
traveled the twenty miles to neighb
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Mississippi from 1965 to 1966 . Rec
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demonstration on August 14, 1965 at
Page 345 and 346:
The Deacons' organizing efforts in
Page 347 and 348:
duties . Sims normally collected ch
Page 349 and 350:
their willingness to challenge the
Page 351 and 352:
leader who had descended on Bogalus
Page 353 and 354:
In the fall of 1965 an unidentified
Page 355 and 356:
Hicks and Sims returned for a secon
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speaking event before a group of 15
Page 359 and 360:
Robert F . Williams was an icon for
Page 361 and 362:
Officially, SNCC did not discourage
Page 363 and 364:
had little luck in moving them towa
Page 365 and 366:
RAM quickly established themselves
Page 367 and 368:
with RAM's director, Don Freeman .
Page 369 and 370:
Philadelphia was the next organizin
Page 371 and 372:
Discussions about forming ACT began
Page 373 and 374:
A . Rayner and Nahaz Rogers from Ch
Page 375 and 376:
several Southern cities . Hobson la
Page 377 and 378:
Chapter 14 Foundering in the North
Page 379 and 380:
kind of people." Reverend Lynward S
Page 381 and 382:
Government, "the man," had anointed
Page 383 and 384:
not the lack of skills . But inequa
Page 385 and 386:
was joined by Ray McCoy, a wealthy
Page 387 and 388:
and ordered Comelius to "cease and
Page 389 and 390:
preposterous claim that he was summ
Page 391 and 392:
immediately protested Thomas' prese
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unless I have assurances I will not
Page 395 and 396:
everyone agreed with McI{.issick .
Page 397 and 398:
The Meredith March ended without in
Page 399 and 400:
told the Cubans that he wanted to v
Page 401 and 402:
two weeks in China, Thomas departed
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meals in a luxurious setting, compl
Page 405 and 406:
allot . It was an obvious attempt t
Page 407 and 408:
movement . But Lucy Montgomery was
Page 409 and 410:
anticipating more problems in Missi
Page 411 and 412:
There were reports of Deacon organi
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Chapter 15 A Long Time The Deacons'
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in the year Bogalusa students had m
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emaining adult leader on the scene,
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"blaming, Warning, Warning," read o
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efore the court. Christmas told the
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that the Klan had been behind most
Page 425 and 426:
Deprived of the ability to mobilize
Page 427 and 428:
Newspapers on hand when the graves
Page 429 and 430:
Thomas Bennett, of Bogalusa, confes
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provoked a near-hysterical response
Page 433 and 434:
The League organized a second march
Page 435 and 436:
The last leg of the march tested th
Page 437 and 438:
out in Baton Rouge's black neighbor
Page 439 and 440:
Papers and Archival Collections : W
Page 441 and 442:
Fen:on, Charles . Interview by auth
Page 443 and 444:
Woods, Moses, Sr. Interview by auth
Page 445 and 446:
Williams, Robert F . Negroes With G
Page 447:
Biography Lance E. Hill was born De
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