Louis Allen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Louis Allen
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| Born |
April 25, 1919
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| Died | January 31, 1964 (aged 44) |
| Cause of death | Murder |
| Occupation | Businessman |
Louis Allen (born April 25, 1919 – died January 31, 1964) was an African-American businessman. He lived in Liberty, Mississippi. He was shot and killed on his own land during the civil rights era. This was a time when African Americans fought for equal rights.
Louis Allen had tried to register to vote. This was a very important right that many African Americans in the South were not allowed to have. He had also spoken to government officials. This happened after he saw the murder of Herbert Lee in 1961. Herbert Lee was a member of the NAACP, a group that worked for civil rights.
Civil rights workers came to Liberty that summer. They wanted to help people register to vote. No African American had been allowed to vote in Mississippi since 1890. This was because of unfair state laws.
Louis Allen faced a lot of trouble from the local sheriff. He was bothered and put in jail many times. The day before he planned to move away, Louis Allen was killed on his property. His case has been looked into again by the FBI since 2007. This was part of their work on old, unsolved civil rights cases. A TV show called 60 Minutes also covered his murder in 2011. Their work suggested the sheriff killed Allen. However, no one has ever been charged with his murder.
Early Life and Family
Louis Allen was born in 1919 in Amite County, Mississippi. Most people in the county were African American. The area's economy relied on farming and cutting down trees for wood. Many Black people left Mississippi before World War II. They left because there were not many jobs. They also faced unfair treatment and violence under Jim Crow laws. These laws kept Black and white people separate and unequal.
Louis Allen joined the United States Army during World War II. He enlisted when he was 23 years old in 1943. After the war, he came back to Mississippi. He worked as a logger and a farm worker. Louis Allen and his wife, Elizabeth, had four children. One of their children was a son named Henry.
Louis Allen built his own logging business. He did very well with it. He was also able to buy his own land. On his land, he and his family grew food and raised cattle.
