Ed King (activist) facts for kids

Ralph Edwin King Jr. (born September 20, 1936), known as Ed King, is a retired minister and educator. He was a very important person in the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi. He helped with big events like the Jackson Woolworth’s sit-in in 1963. He also worked on the Freedom Summer project in 1964.

From 1963 to 1967, Rev. King was the chaplain and dean of students at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi. During this important time for civil rights, he was seen as a key white activist in Mississippi.

As chaplain, King worked with many civil rights leaders. These included Bob Moses from SNCC and Medgar Evers from the NAACP. He also worked with Dr. Martin Luther King from SCLC. Other activists he worked with were Fannie Lou Hamer and Lawrence Guyot.

Ed King also helped start the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP). He was a member of the Democratic National Committee. He was a delegate at three Democratic National Conventions. In 2004, he and other MFDP members were honored. This was for their work to end racial unfairness in the Democratic party.

Early Life and Influences

Ed King was born on September 20, 1936, in Vicksburg, Mississippi. His parents were Ralph Edwin King Sr. and Julia Wilma Tucker King. His father was an engineer. His mother's family had long roots in Mississippi.

Growing up in Vicksburg, Ed heard stories about the Civil War. He learned about the hard times his family faced during the war. He spent a lot of time at the Vicksburg battleground. This made him think about the high costs of war.

When he was a teenager, he became a pacifist. This means he believed in solving problems without violence. He admired Mahatma Gandhi, who used peaceful protest. King later said he believed in peace before he had modern ideas about race.

Education and Learning

Millsaps College (1954–1958)

Ed King went to Millsaps College, a Methodist school in Jackson. He saw how much white people resisted the Supreme Court's decision. This decision, called Brown v. Board of Education, said schools must be desegregated.

At Millsaps, King went to all-white Citizens' Councils meetings. He was upset to see how white people who wanted change were silenced. He also went to meetings at Tougaloo College. There, he met Medgar Evers and other black civil rights leaders. His teachers, Ernst Borinski and Robert Bergmark, also influenced him.

Boston University (1958–1963)

After Millsaps, King went to Boston University School of Theology in 1958. He joined many meetings about religion, peace, and civil rights.

In December 1958, he met Martin Luther King Jr. in Montgomery, Alabama. They became friends. This led to Ed King helping plan civil rights sit-ins in 1960. In March 1960, Ed King was first arrested for peaceful protest.

King earned two degrees from Boston University. He got a Master of Divinity in 1961. He also earned a Master of Sacred Theology in 1963.

Other Studies

King also studied at the University of Michigan in 1956. He attended Harvard Divinity School in 1966.

Civil Rights Activism

Early Protests and Arrests

In March 1960, Ed King volunteered in Montgomery, Alabama. He helped organize secret meetings between black students and white ministers. He wanted to build bridges between black and white people. At first, he did not want to be arrested. He worried it would stop him from becoming a pastor in Mississippi.

But things changed. While at a black-owned restaurant, King was arrested with 20 others. Police were targeting civil rights activists. The local news said "northern agitators" were there. King was found guilty of "disturbing the peace."

His family in Vicksburg was shocked when they saw his photo on TV. His father was angry and thought he had been "misled." White church leaders in Mississippi said King was influenced by "Communist teachers." King's parents were also attacked by groups like the Citizens' Councils.

King was arrested again in Montgomery on June 7. He and a black minister, Rev. Elroy Embry, tried to eat together at a hotel restaurant. Police arrested them both. They were found guilty of disorderly conduct. They were sentenced to two weeks of work on a prison gang. A newspaper even showed a photo of King in striped prison clothes. These arrests ended his hopes of leading a white church in Mississippi.

Tougaloo College Chaplain

After his arrests, Ed King and his wife Jeannette thought about moving to Massachusetts. But then James Meredith was admitted to Ole Miss. This inspired them to return to Mississippi. They wanted to join the growing civil rights movement there.

In 1962, King was asked to apply for the chaplain job at Tougaloo College. Medgar Evers told him, "You have to come back because we need you." King's past arrests helped him get the job. He said he "couldn’t have done it if I had not had a prison record."

King thought he would just support student activists. But Tougaloo became a center for the civil rights movement. This pushed him into a more active role.

Jackson Woolworth’s Sit-in

In 1963, King helped with a famous protest. On May 28, he went to downtown Jackson with Tougaloo students and teachers. They tried to eat at a whites-only lunch counter at Woolworth's. This was a small challenge to unfair Jim Crow laws.

King's job was to watch and report. He wore his minister's collar. He stood behind three black students: Anne Moody, Pearlina Lewis, and Memphis Norman. They sat at the counter.

A large crowd of white people gathered. They yelled insults and threw food at the students. They even punched and kicked them. King called Medgar Evers to report the violence.

Police outside did nothing to stop the violence. Only white people protesting outside were arrested. King's wife, Jeanette, was arrested for blocking the sidewalk. King asked the police captain to protect the students, but he refused. The store finally closed three hours later. This happened after national leaders got involved.

Weeks later, King and John Salter were hurt in a car crash. This was just after Medgar Evers was killed. King's jaw was broken. He needed many surgeries over 12 years.

Freedom Vote and Political Campaign

In 1963, very few black people could vote in the South. To show they wanted to vote, activists held a "Freedom Vote." This was a fake election. It happened at the same time as the real Mississippi governor's race.

In October 1963, Bob Moses asked King to run for Lieutenant Governor. He would be the running mate for Aaron Henry, a black pharmacist. Henry was the candidate for the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP).

King and Henry campaigned together. Over 80,000 black Mississippians voted in this mock election. They voted at churches and other black-owned businesses. This "Freedom Vote" showed that black Americans wanted to vote. They would vote if they were not afraid of being harassed.

Freedom Summer (1964)

After the Freedom Vote, King helped organize Freedom Summer in 1964. This project brought over 1,000 volunteers to Mississippi. Most were white college students. They helped black Mississippians register to vote. Jim Crow laws made it very hard for black people to vote.

Ed and Jeannette King were deeply involved. They helped with voter registration. They also helped set up Freedom Schools. These schools taught black children about their rights. They also worked on the MFDP's challenge to the all-white Mississippi Democratic party.

Historian John Dittmer said King was "the most visible white activist" in Mississippi. King faced many challenges for his beliefs. He was arrested, beaten, and hurt in an attack.

Ed King also worked to desegregate white churches. He believed that if white people supported change, it could lead to bigger changes in Mississippi. He wanted to get white people involved. He also wanted to prevent violence when public schools were integrated in 1964.

MFDP Challenge at the 1964 Democratic Convention

It was almost impossible for black people to register with the main Democratic party. So, activists focused on building the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP). This party made it easy and safe for black people to register.

On August 6, 1964, the MFDP decided to challenge the main Mississippi Democratic party. They named their own group of delegates to go to the Democratic National Convention. This convention was in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Ed King was chosen as a leader of the MFDP. Other leaders included Victoria Gray, Lawrence Guyot, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Aaron Henry. The MFDP elected 68 delegates to the convention.

In Atlantic City, the MFDP said the main Mississippi delegation was illegal. This was because they were chosen through a segregated process. The MFDP asked to have their own delegates seated instead. Fannie Lou Hamer gave a powerful speech. She described how she lost her job and was beaten for trying to vote. Her story moved many people across the nation.

Most Democrats wanted to remove the regular delegates. But party leaders worried that other Southern states would leave the party.

Party leaders, including Hubert Humphrey, offered a compromise. They offered the MFDP two "at-large" seats. These seats would be filled by Aaron Henry and Ed King.

Ed King thought this was unfair. He wanted the MFDP delegates to vote on who would represent them. He suggested splitting the two votes among four people: Henry, King, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Victoria Gray.

Humphrey refused this idea. He said President Lyndon Johnson did not want an "illiterate woman" (Hamer) to speak. The MFDP refused the offer. They left the convention instead of accepting only a small representation.

MFDP National Committeeman and Delegate

From 1964 to 1968, King served as the MFDP National Committeeman. He was on the Democratic National Committee. He was also a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1968 and 1972. In 2004, at the Democratic National Convention, Fannie Lou Hamer, Ed King, and other MFDP delegates were honored. This was for their work to desegregate the Democratic party.

1966 Congressional Race

In 1966, Ed King ran for Congress for the MFDP. He ran against John Bell Williams. King received 22 percent of the vote. This was the best result for any MFDP candidate that year.

Delta Ministry

In 1967, King left Tougaloo College. He focused on the Delta Ministry. This church group supported the Freedom Summer project. The Delta Ministry grew into a long-term project. It worked to help the economy in the Mississippi Delta region.

Methodist Board of Missions

In 1970, King joined the Methodist Board of Missions. He gave talks and sermons in New York and India. He and his family lived in India in 1971. King worked on nonviolence research there.

ACLU Leadership

From 1973 to 1977, King was president of the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi. He was also on the ACLU’s National Board.

Recent Years

Ed King still gives many talks about his experiences in the Civil Rights Movement. He often takes part in political discussions. He has spoken at universities and churches in the U.S., Afghanistan, and Moscow. He also helps with church services in Jackson.

Ed King's Mississippi: Behind the Scenes of Freedom Summer

In 2014, Ed King worked with Trent Watts on a book. It is called Ed King's Mississippi: Behind the Scenes of Freedom Summer. The book tells about civil rights activities in Mississippi in 1964. It includes King's personal stories. It also has many photos he took. These photos show Martin Luther King Jr., Andrew Young, and other civil rights workers.

Awards and Recognition

• John F. Kennedy Freedom Award, 1965
• Merrill Fellowship, Harvard University, 1966
• President, ACLU of Mississippi, 1973–1977
• "Icon of the Civil Rights Movement," National Civil Rights Museum, 2011. The museum honored King for his work with Medgar Evers. They also recognized his leadership of the MFDP. The museum said King's support for equality led to threats, violence, and being rejected by some.

Published Works

• Preface, Jackson, Mississippi: An American Chronicle of Struggle and Schism, by John R. Salter Jr., 2011 (paperback reprint)
• Ed King’s Mississippi: Behind the Scenes of Freedom Summer, with Trent Watts, University Press of Mississippi, 2014