Len's Summer in Mississippi

Los Altos Town Crier, June 17, 2024:

A summer 60 years ago that this judge will never forget

By Len Edwards

Sixty years ago, I joined several hundred students, teachers and religious leaders to participate in civil rights work in Mississippi. Our work became known as the summer of 1964.  

I was a law student at the University of Chicago when I signed up. It was a summer I will never forget. We were not welcomed by whites, but Blacks were overjoyed to see us.  

I lived with a Black family next door to Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer, the most inspirational person I have ever met. She and I would drive out to neighboring towns in Sunflower County and hold meetings to persuade local folks to try to register to vote.  

First singing, Mrs. Hamer would then take over the meeting with her advocacy for registration. The locals loved her but were afraid to try to register as they might lose their jobs if they did.

The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Council (SNCC) oversaw activities. Stokely Carmichael was my supervisor and Charles McLaurin was the local leader. Bob Moses was the state leader for SNCC. In addition to voter registration, we also ran so-called Freedom Schools and taught Black children about their heritage – something that was not being taught in the local segregated schools.  

I was arrested five times and in addition to the local highway patrol, I was followed by the FBI wherever I went.

My car was firebombed the first night I arrived. All of us were frightened as three volunteers were murdered by locals in Philadelphia, Mississippi.

My father, then-Congressman Don Edwards, was in his first term in Congress, but that did not stop him from joining me twice.

In McComb, we stayed in a Freedom House. It was blown up the night we left.

This month, I am returning for our 60th anniversary. There won’t be many of us, but the local folks are celebrating, and it will be the only such celebration in the state. 

To show how much Mississippi has changed, I have visited several times to train judges and the sitting judge in Sunflower County is an impressive Black woman. I plan to visit with her.  

Mississippi will welcome me this time. 

Len Edwards is a retired Santa Clara County Superior Court judge living in Los Altos Hills.