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

Union Baptist Church, led by its pastor Reverend R . S . Porter. Even though nearly
half of the parishioners opposed the church's involvement in the Movement,
under Porter's leadership, Union Baptist hosted most of Meridian's Movement
meetings and its members formed the core of the armed sentry for the Meridian
Black community. This generation of defenders of Black Meridian initiated in
1964, under the leadership of Reverend Porter. Porter who was known as a "man
who `liked his rifle,"' also participated in the self-defense group. The purpose of
the Meridian self -defense group was the protection of key Movement leaders and
institutions, particularly churches which were targeted by white supremacists
terrorists . Meridian was located in Lauderdale County, which has more churches
bombed than any other county. Since Union Baptist was the center of local Move-
ment activity and received its share of threats, great attention was placed on the
church by the security force . Members of Union Baptist generally took turns
participating in an armed guard from the church loft. Due to the presence of their
local security group, the Union Baptist Church never experienced an attack of its
edifice. The Meridian group was also responsible for protecting high profile
activists who visited Meridian, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Roy
Wilkins .'2
The Meridian defense group was unique, insofar as it protected and in-
cluded an American of European descent in its activities . Attorney William Ready,
a local Movement supporter of Irish Catholic descent, was a target for assassina
tion by local Klan terrorists . Ready not only was protected by the Meridian
defense group but was its only white participant. Remembering the role of Porter
and Union Baptist members protecting his family and home after receiving infor-