Gus Courts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gus Courts
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Courts talks about racial terror in Mississippi and his injuries after leaving the hospital.
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| Born | May 2, 1887 Pickens, Mississippi, U.S.
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| Died | April 23, 1969 (aged 79) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | grocer |
| Known for | Civil Rights Movement; Voter registration; NAACP; Regional Council of Negro Leadership |
Gus Courts (born May 2, 1887 – died April 23, 1969) was an American grocer and a brave leader in the Civil Rights Movement. He worked hard to help African Americans gain their right to vote. In 1953, Gus Courts and Rev. George W. Lee started a local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). This group worked for equal rights for African Americans.
Courts led an effort to help people register to vote. Because of his work, he was shot and hurt at his store. Later, he bravely spoke to the United States Congress about the unfair and scary treatment African Americans faced in Mississippi.
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Early Life and Activism
Gus Courts was born on May 2, 1887, in Pickens, Mississippi. His parents had been enslaved before the American Civil War. As an adult, Gus Courts owned a grocery store in Belzoni, Mississippi.
He became involved in the local Civil Rights Movement in the 1940s. He worked with a group called the Regional Council of Negro Leadership. In 1953, he teamed up with Rev. George Lee to create the Humphreys County chapter of the NAACP.
Fighting for Voting Rights
In Humphreys County, most people were African American. About 16,000 African Americans were old enough to vote in the 1950s. However, no African American had voted in the county since the 1800s. This was due to unfair laws and threats.
Gus Courts and Rev. Lee encouraged people to pay the poll tax. This was a fee people had to pay to vote, which made it harder for poor people to cast a ballot. They convinced 400 people to pay the tax.
Even with threats and problems from county officials, 94 people bravely tried to register. This was a very dangerous and difficult step to take.
Facing Danger and Violence
In May 1955, Rev. Lee was shot and killed on a street in Belzoni. This terrible crime was never solved. After Rev. Lee's murder, fewer people felt safe enough to register to vote.
But Gus Courts did not give up. On the next election day, he held a meeting at his store. Twenty-two people volunteered to go to the polls to vote. They knew it was dangerous, but they marched to the courthouse.
At the courthouse, clerks gave them long forms to fill out. These forms asked about their identities and their opinions on civil rights. In the end, all of them were unfairly turned away and not allowed to vote.
A Brave Stand
After these events, only one African American was still registered to vote in the county: Gus Courts. He refused to remove his name from the voter list. Six months after Rev. Lee's killing, Gus Courts was shot in front of his grocery store.
He was badly hurt, but his friends managed to get him to a hospital far away. He had to travel 80 miles because the local hospital was segregated. This meant Black and white people were kept separate, and Black people often had fewer options for care.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) looked into the shooting. However, they did not gather enough evidence, and the case was never solved.
Life After Mississippi
Gus Courts survived the shooting. But he realized that he and his wife had to leave Mississippi for their safety. They joined the Great Migration. This was when many African Americans moved from the Southern states to the North.
They moved to Chicago. In 1957, Gus Courts spoke to Congress about his experiences. He told them about the violence and fear that forced civil rights activists to leave Mississippi.
Even at age 65, Gus Courts started a new store in Chicago. He died on April 23, 1969, in Chicago. He always hoped to return to Mississippi, but he never could.
