Eye for an Eye: The Role of Armed Resistance ... - Freedom Archives

Mississippi officials, charging them with responsibility for the violent acts di-
rected against Black Mississippians and Movement activists . The complaint noted
that President Kennedy and FBI Director J . Edgar Hoover had been consistently
informed of the violence and harassment of local Blacks and activists in the South
in 1961 and 1962 . The suit failed in court and Federal officials gave no sign they
were to intervene based on legality, moral conscience and good will."
In 1963, in spite of Moses and McDew's request for federal protection, the
reign of terror in Greenwood continued . On February 28, the same year, while on
their way leaving Leflore County, three SNCC workers, including Bob Moses,
were fired upon by occupants of a speeding Buick. This assault left SNCC activist
Jimmy Travis wounded in his shoulder and in the back of his neck. On March 6,
Peacock and Block and two other comrades, Essie Broom and Peggy Maryne,
fortunately escaped with only minor cuts after nightriders fired on their car. The
four activists were assaulted by shotgun blasts as they were parking in front of the
SNCC office. Later that month, terrorists set the SNCC office on fire, destroying
all of the office equipment ."
The attacks on SNCC activists brought no significant outcry nor threat of
violent response from local Blacks in Leflore . This was not the case after
nightriders shot into the home of local NAACP president Dewey Greene on
March 26, 1963 . Greene and his family were in the center ofthe Leflore County
Movement . Greene's four children had all been involved with COFO and the
local voter registration campaign . Greene immediately went to the local authori-
ties and let it be known he would be prepared with armed force for anyone wish-
ing to attack him, his family, or his property. The attack on the well-liked Greene
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