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Mississippi Burning Still
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| It was a case known across the country as the Mississippi burning. Three civil-rights workers were murdered while investigating a church burning. Seven Ku Klux Klan members were convicted in the 1960s, but only charged with civil-rights violations. Forty years later, residents of the small town where the Klan once ruled are giving a voice to those who were slain. Kim Riemland has this report. | |||
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SCRIPT:
For the last 40 years, members of a small Mississippi church have honored the memory of three slain civil rights workers.
Elsie Kirksey / Mt.Zion United Methodist Church: “They gave their lives so that we may have the opportunity to go vote.”
Michael Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman came to Philadelphia, Mississippi in 1964 to help African-Americans register to vote. They were also investigating the burning of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church. No one was ever charged with the murders.
Elsie Kirksey / Mt.Zion United
Methodist Church: “I didn’t think we were strong enough here at
Mt. Zion to ask for justice.”
Now, a citizen’s coalition is rallying community support and asking the U.S. Justice Department to reopen the case.
David Vowell / Coalition member: “I think this has just been a dark cloud that’s been over our county and our community.”
It’s believed the men were killed by members of the Ku Klux Klan.
(nat sound) “We would like to know.”
Members of the Rush family still remember their brother and mother who were beaten the night the church burned. Jewel Rush McDonald left town and didn’t come back for decades.
Jewel Rush McDonald: “I guess I hid it for 30 years. And now it’s very emotional for me.”
David Goodman, whose brother Andrew was killed, also wants answers.
David Goodman: “We can’t be critical of terrorists in other countries when our own terrorists aren’t brought to justice.”
Philadelphia residents say race relations are better now. But church members say the price of democracy should never be forgotten.
It changed Mt. Zion. It changed the county. I guess you could say it changed the nation.
TAG:
Members of the Philadelphia Coalition say they’ve been told by the FBI there’s evidence that could lead to murder charges. Mississippi’s attorney general has joined the group in asking the justice department to reopen the case.