Rev. Francis Joseph Atlas, Sr.

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 01:12:18 +0000

Rev. Francis Joseph Atlas, Sr.'s Civil Rights Struggle in Northeastern Louisiana

Rev. Francis Joseph Atlas, Sr. was born and raised in Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, LA. For as long as he could remember, he was denied the right to register to vote even though he was made to pay poll taxes. In lieu of this, he, along with a group of other African Americans in the area, decided to challenge the Registrar of Voters after repeated attempts of trying to register to vote. The group eventually filed a suit and two witnesses were chosen to testify in front of a grand jury; Rev. John H. Scott and Rev. Atlas.

Following their testimony, Rev. Scott and Rev. Atlas were the subjects of economic coercion and physical violence. Eventually, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against area businessmen regarding economic coercion and won. Rev. Atlas eventually was voted the head of the parish schoolboard and served several terms in this position.

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Books
"Witness to the Truth: My Struggle For Human Rights In Louisiana" by John H. Scott with Cleo Scott Brown This book documents Rev. Scott's fight to vote as well as the fight of several family members in East Carroll Parish, LA to do the same. Available for purchase in the aStore Preview on Google Books Google Books Search for Rev. Francis Joseph Atlas, Sr.
News Coverage and Documents
September 27, 1960 - Testimony before the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, New Orleans, LA November 1, 1960 - Letter from E. Frederic Morrow, White House January 20, 1961 - New York Times January 24, 1961 - Washington Afro-American February 4, 1961 - New York Times February 9, 1961 - Jet Magazine Feburary 14, 1961 - Baltimore Afro-American September 15, 1961 - Time Magazine (mention in an article on the Civil Rights Commission) July 17, 1961- Washington Post July 29, 1962 - Florence, AL Times Daily (mention of 25 ellgible voters voting in East Carroll Parish) September 13, 1962 - Jet Magazine (in article on Rev. John H. Scott) April 15, 1965 - Jet Magazine November 12, 1966 - New York Times August 6, 2005 - Monroe News Star Undated - The Road to Selma (incomplete) Obituary of Rev. Francis J. Atlas, Sr. Burial Record of Rev. Francis J. Atlas, Sr. Source Information: Periodicals: Genealogy Bank (Historical Newspapers), Google Books - Jet Magazine and Ebony Magazine Archives, Google News Archive, Ancestry.Com Newspapers, and ProQuest Historical Newspapers

The Thompson Sisters

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:14:57 +0000

The Thompson Sisters and Their Involvement in NAACP and CORE

The Thompson Sisters of New Orleans, LA were first a part of the New Orleans Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and eventually the Congress for Racial Equality (CORE). They participated in many sit ins and protests, most notably, the Freedom Rides of 1961 which tested the Interstate Commerce Law. Beaten, and sometimes mauled by crowds, these three sisters showed extreme courage as they helped desegregate the south during their high school and college careers.

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News Coverage and Documents

ALICE MARIE THOMPSON (September 25, 1939 - August 25, 2015) Freedom Ride from Hattiesburg, MS to Poplarville, MS on November 14, 1961 Freedom Ride from New Orleans to McComb, MS on November 29, 1961		Documents Related to Freedom Rides November 20, 1961 - MS Sovereignty Commission Report on November 14, 1961 Integration of Greyhound Bus Station in Poplarville, MS December 8, 1961 - MS Sovereignty Commission Report on November 30, 1961 Integration of Greyhound Bus Station in McComb, MS , A.L. Hopkins, Investigator Newspaper Articles on Integration Activities April 20, 1961 - New Orleans, LA Times Picayune November 10 and 14, 1961 - Jackson, MS Clarion Ledger (with mention of Jean Thompson) November 30, 1961 - New York Times November 30, 1961 - Jet Magazine November 30, 1961 - Lexington, NC Dispatch (quote from Presbyterian deacon regarding integration in reference to McComb, MS incident) December 1, 1961 - Jackson, MS Daily News December 14, 1961 - Jet Magazine December 27, 1962 - New Orleans, LA Times Picayune March 28, 1964 - New Orleans, LA Times Picayune (with mention of Shirley Thompson)

JEAN THOMPSON (JEAN DENTON-THOMPSON) Freedom Ride from Montgomery, AL to Jackson, MS on May 24, 1961 Freedom Ride from Hattiesburg, MS to Poplarville, MS on November 14, 1961		Documents, Photos, and Videos Related to Freedom Rides Roster of Freedom Riders - May 24, 1961 Includes: Bernard Lafayette, Jr., James Luther Bevel, Harold Andrews, Alexander Matthan Anderson, David Dennis, Cordy T. Vivian (Rev. C.T. Vivian), Matthew Walker, Joseph Carter, Julia Aaron, James Morris Lawson (Rev. James Lawson), and Paul David Deitrich. List of Charges Video of Arrest, WSB-TV (Atlanta, GA) Newspaper Articles on Integration Activities May 25, 1961 - New Orleans, LA Times Picayune May 27, 1961 - New Orleans, LA Times Picayune June 1, 1961 - Jackson, MS Clarion Ledger June 2, 1961 - Washington Post June 15, 1961 - Jet Magazine August 1961 - Ebony Magazine November 10, 1961 - New Orleans, LA Times Picayune (with mention of Alice Thompson) December 28, 1961 - Jackson, MS Daily News

SHIRLEY ANN THOMPSON (May 5, 1943 - October 12, 1990) Freedom Ride from New Orleans to Jackson, MS on June 6, 1961		Documents Related to Freedom Ride Roster of Freedom Riders - June 6, 1961 Includes: Ernest Newell Webber, James Robert Wahlstrom, James Thomas McDonough, Abraham Brassford, Johnny Frank Ashford, and Terry John Sullivan. List of Charges Newspaper Articles on Integration Activities August 24, 1961 - New Orleans, LA Times Picayune (with mention of Alice Thompson) June 7, 1961 - Chicago Tribune June 7, 1961 - Jackson, MS Clarion Ledger (with mention of Jean Thompson) June 22, 1961 - Jet Magazine October 10, 1961 - School Protest Participant List November 29, 1962 - Jet Magazine February 23, 1964 - New Orleans, LA Times Picayune March 28, 1964 - New Orleans, LA Times Picayune (with mention of Alice Thompson)
More documents related to the Freedom Rides are available at the Mississippi State Department of Archives and History's Sovereignty Commission Online

Books
Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle For Racial Justice" by Raymond Arsenault Available for purchase in the aStore Preview on Google Books
"Righteous Lives: Narratives of the New Orleans Civil Rights Movement" by Kim Lacy Rogers Available for purchase in the aStore Preview on Google Books
Breach of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders by Eric Etheridge Available for purchase in the aStore
Online Book Searches	Google Books Search for The Thompson Sisters Google Books Search for Alice Thompson Google Books Search for Jean Thompson Google Books Search for Shirley Thompson
Source Information: Mississippi State Department of Archives and History's Sovereignty Commision Online Periodicals: Genealogy Bank (Historical Newspapers), Google Books - Jet Magazine and Ebony Magazine Archives, Google News Archive, and ProQuest Historical Newspapers

Civil Rights Archive || Family involvement in the US Civil Rights Movement

Rev. Francis Joseph Atlas, Sr.

Books

News Coverage and Documents

Source Information:

The Thompson Sisters

News Coverage and Documents

ALICE MARIE THOMPSON (September 25, 1939 - August 25, 2015)

Documents Related to Freedom Rides

Newspaper Articles on Integration Activities

JEAN THOMPSON (JEAN DENTON-THOMPSON)

Documents, Photos, and Videos Related to Freedom Rides

Newspaper Articles on Integration Activities

SHIRLEY ANN THOMPSON (May 5, 1943 - October 12, 1990)

Documents Related to Freedom Ride

Newspaper Articles on Integration Activities

Books

Online Book Searches

Source Information:

ALICE MARIE THOMPSON
(September 25, 1939 - August 25, 2015)

JEAN THOMPSON
(JEAN DENTON-THOMPSON)

SHIRLEY ANN THOMPSON
(May 5, 1943 - October 12, 1990)