Recently, and for our film analysis, I watched a documentary on Netflix called Spies of Mississippi. Within the film, I was very surprised to learn about the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, which enlisted blacks and whites to spy on any and all activist organizations within Mississippi. Through this they uncovered names of those who were most prominently involved, as well as names of those who worked around the South and would be traveling in and out of the state of Mississippi. Much of this information was leaked within local police agencies, as well as with the KKK making it even more dangerous for NAACP and CORE members to enact non-violent protests, and do their jobs in general.
What I found most intriguing was the idea that blacks were willing to work against their own race for an organization that saw them as subordinates. In general, I think media portrays the Civil Rights Movement as a black versus white situation, whereas in reality there were rifts between whites, and rifts between the black community. Many older blacks did not find the ideals of the new activist groups appealing-- they felt that protesting, and standing up for what was right would not further them in any way, which the Civil Rights Movement eventually moved toward anyway. There were a few almost justifying reasons why some of the men chose to volunteer for the Commission, all very selfish reasons. One man was a superintendent for a black school, and would simply lose his job if they became desegregated. Preachers also felt they would lose their influence and power if younger, activist members were gaining influence over congregations. Regardless of reason, it's still hard to understand that within something I thought was so fluid and whole, there were still differences and separations.
A blog for the Civil Rights Movement class at Rhodes College, Fall 2014
I also watched this documentary, and what I found so interesting about it was that it depicted the Civil Rights Movement as a political battleground, rather than as a tragic social protest that was just meant to tug at your heartstrings. I think it profiled the African Americans that worked for The Commission as a way to emphasize the influence of the movement's political structure. These African Americans, regardless of their true feelings about segregation, didn't really have a choice but to join the Commission. They weren't being violently forced into it, but their livelihoods depended on the oppressive and unequal social construct.
ReplyDeleteI think that the reason that we are just now learning about the African American spies is because it is such a diffiuclt story to contend with. I know that African American spies assumed their positions for varying reasons, but the thought of African American people wokring against others is a phenomenon which is rarely even considered because it was so unusual for the time. Perhaps African American activists who were spied on were embarassed that they did not realize the spies among them, and this is why it is rarely spoken of.
ReplyDeleteThis is really intriguing. I think that as we discussed in class, how history is written like the black people did this and the white people did this, as sort of a collective, all-for-one, movement. When in reality, this movement was complex, it was messy. It had many different facets and outlets, and things being done. It also reminded me in FreedomSong when the main character's father forbid him and got almost violently angry when his son wanted to do something. And I cannot imagine what these people must have felt. They want to stand up and do the right thing and fight for themselves and their rights; but at the same time, they also want to keep their life, job, family, house etc. And I'm sure not everyone was on board for every act or sitin or whatever. People put their lives (and their family's) on the line every day when doing things like that.
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