Victoria Gray Adams facts for kids

Victoria Jackson Gray Adams (born November 5, 1926 – died August 12, 2006) was a brave American civil rights activist from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. She helped start the important Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. This group worked to give African Americans a voice in politics during the Civil Rights Movement.

Victoria Adams' Early Life

Victoria Almeter Jackson was born on November 5, 1926. She grew up in a Black community called Palmer's Crossing in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Her mother passed away when Victoria was only three years old. After that, her grandparents raised her.

Her grandparents ran their own farm. They did not depend on local white people for their living. This helped Victoria grow up with a strong sense of being independent. In 1945, she finished school at Depriest Consolidated School. She then went to Wilberforce University in Ohio. However, she had to leave after one year because she did not have enough money for her classes.

Victoria married Tony West Gray and they had three children. Later, she married Rueben Ernest Adams, Jr. They had one son together. Victoria worked as a sales representative for cosmetics.

Becoming a Civil Rights Activist

Victoria Gray Adams began working for civil rights in the early 1960s. She convinced her church pastor to let the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) use their church. SNCC was a group that helped with civil rights.

In 1960, Victoria taught people in her town how to register to vote. Many African Americans at that time could not read or write. This made it hard for them to sign up to vote. So, Victoria taught them how to read, write, and understand the Constitution.

In 1962, she became a field secretary for SNCC. She also led a boycott against businesses in Hattiesburg. A boycott is when people stop buying things from certain businesses to protest.

Running for Office

In 1964, Victoria Adams decided to run for a political office. She ran against Senator John Stennis, a powerful politician from Mississippi. He had been in the Senate for 16 years. Victoria was a teacher and a saleswoman. She also led classes to help people learn about voting.

She announced that she and others from the new Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party would challenge politicians like Stennis. Victoria, along with Fannie Lou Hamer and Annie Devine, were founding members of this party. She said it was time to pay attention to African Americans in Mississippi. They had not been included in American politics before.

During the "Freedom Summer" of 1964, Victoria helped open "Freedom Schools." These schools taught about civil rights in Mississippi.

The 1964 Democratic Convention

Victoria went to the 1964 Democratic National Convention. This big meeting was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The main Mississippi Democratic Party had sent an all-white group to the convention. They did not support President Lyndon Johnson because he worked to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Victoria, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Annie Devine fought to be part of the official group. They were not successful at that time. However, this event led to important changes. It helped make the Democratic Party more open to people of all races.

Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party's Goals

The regular Mississippi Democratic Party did not truly represent all people. The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) promised to change that. Victoria Adams said the MFDP's election process was open to everyone. The other party often stopped people from joining.

Victoria called the MFDP the "true Democratic Party." She was proud that it helped African Americans in Mississippi lose their fear. They could now demand their rights.

When Victoria ran for the MFDP in 1964, she wanted to focus on education. She also said that real issues in Mississippi were unemployment, housing, health care, and education. She believed these were more important than "states' rights."

Victoria also saw Fannie Lou Hamer as a great inspiration. She said Hamer was key in encouraging other leaders. Victoria admired Hamer's courage for giving up her job to help people register to vote.

In 1968, Victoria Adams, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Annie Devine were honored guests. They were seated on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. Later, Victoria moved to Thailand with her second husband. She worked there to help African-American U.S. servicemen.

Victoria Adams once said there are two kinds of people in politics. There are "those who are in the movement" and "those who have the movement in them." She said, "The movement is in me, and I know it always will be."

She also noted that people learned something important in Atlantic City. They realized there was a way to improve their lives. This way was through voting and getting proper representation. Victoria proudly recalled 1964 as a very important time in her life. The MFDP did not accept small compromises that would not truly help them.

She said a big lesson from 1964 was that education helps people. When people have resources like education, they can organize and make changes.

Founding the Council of Federated Organizations

Victoria Adams also helped start the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO). COFO was a group that brought together all the different freedom organizations. These groups were working during the Civil Rights Movement.

COFO was the main organization that led all the other groups. Victoria said that groups like the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) did not have enough resources on their own. COFO combined all the resources from these organizations. This helped them achieve great successes. One of their biggest successes was taking 68 people to the Democratic National Convention.

Victoria Adams received many awards for her brave work. Two of the most notable awards include the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award and the Fannie Lou Hamer Humanitarian Award.

Victoria Gray Adams passed away on August 12, 2006, at the age of 79. A memorial service was held for her in Mississippi. Her important papers are kept at the McCain Library and Archives at the University of Southern Mississippi.