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

family was not well received in Greenwood's Black community. According to
James Forman in response to the attack on the Greene home, many in the Black
community "felt they now had nothing to lose . They were ready to move ." Unlike
their response after terrorist attacks on SNCC and COFO activists, the Greene
home was provided protection by local law enforcement. The difference in the
response of local police in the case of the assault on Greene home was because of
the militant reply of Greene himself. The response was also to quell the potential
of a violent reaction in the Black community itself 34
SNCC leadership decided to take advantage of the outrage of the Black
community and mobilize Black Greenwood to respond to the wave of violence . A
primary objective of the mobilization through mass demonstrations was to put the
Federal government in the position where it was compelled to intervene in Leflore
County. It was understood and promoted that COFO/SNCC demonstrations had to
be nonviolent. The projection of an aggressive, offensive, and potentially violent
group of Blacks would not allow the Movement to win the public relations fight-
-to win over Northern liberals to the civil rights cause. SNCC leaders believed
support from Northern liberals was necessary to compel Federal intervention.
On March 27, 1963, the day after the attack on the Greene house, at the
insistence of SNCC executive secretary James Forman, over 150 people partici-
pated in a direct action march to city hall . The purpose of demonstrating at city
hall was to demand the mayor of Greenwood use his authority to stop the violence
on Blacks who attempted to register to vote and on those registering Black people .
After going to city hall, the demonstrators intended to march to the courthouse
and attempt to register. 15
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