Wednesdays in Mississippi facts for kids

Wednesdays in Mississippi was a special group of people who worked for fairness and equality during the Civil Rights Movement in the United States in the 1960s. Women from the northern parts of the U.S., who were from different races and religions, traveled to Mississippi. Their main goal was to meet and understand women from the South. They wanted to build bridges between different regions, races, and social groups. By talking and working together, these women hoped to stop violence and help the country move towards racial integration, where everyone is treated equally.

How Wednesdays in Mississippi Started

In the spring of 1964, a leader named Dorothy I. Height had a great idea. She was the President of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW). Working with a volunteer named Polly Spiegel Cowan, they thought of sending teams of northern women to Mississippi every week.

The Teams and Their Work

These teams included women of different races and faiths. They would travel to Mississippi on a Tuesday and return home on a Thursday. They spent all day Wednesday working there. This is why the program was called "Wednesdays in Mississippi." These women were skilled, well-connected, and educated. They worked closely with important projects like Freedom Summer and the Freedom Schools.

In 1964, Ms. Height and Ms. Cowan asked Doris Wilson and Susie Goodwillie to help lead the project. They directed the work from Jackson, Mississippi.

Connecting People

The Black women from the North visited with Black women from the South. The white women from the North reached out to white women in the South. The women who came from the North went home with a stronger desire to work for social and racial justice. In 1965, they came again. This time, they worked more like professionals. Teachers talked to teachers, and social workers talked to social workers.

Workshops for Help

In 1966, "Wednesdays in Mississippi" changed its name to "Workshops in Mississippi." This was an ongoing effort to help Black families and poor white families. The goal was to help them improve their economic situation and become more self-sufficient.

A Historic Place

In 2020, the National Trust for Historic Preservation recognized a special place. They named the Sun'n'Sands Motel in Jackson as one of America's most endangered historic places. This was because of its important connection to the "Wednesdays in Mississippi" movement.

What Wednesdays in Mississippi Wanted to Achieve

The women involved in "Wednesdays in Mississippi" had several important goals:

• They wanted to achieve racial justice, meaning fair treatment for everyone, no matter their race.
• They aimed to improve communication between different races, regions, and faiths.
• They worked to open up the closed society of Mississippi by crossing racial and religious boundaries.
• They supported the Freedom Schools and efforts to help people register to vote.
• They helped poor women in Mississippi learn how to support themselves. They taught them how to become economically independent. This was important because the old cotton farming economy had collapsed for many poor workers.
• They also wanted to broaden the understanding and commitment of the northern women who participated.

Where to Find More Information

Records about "Wednesdays in Mississippi" are kept in special collections. You can find them at the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia. They are also at the National Archives for Black Women's History.