The fight for Black liberation has never been easy. Federal legislation was passed to move toward equality in schools and housing – but there was something else going on behind the scenes meant to destroy everything we’d fought so hard to gain.
White supremacy was determined to prevent Black equity, so they launched a powerful attack.
But it wasn’t just the stereotypical low-income, uneducated white people often blamed. This was the work of the rich and powerful – VERY powerful.
The Mississippi Sovereignty Commission was a secret state government organization – funded with tax dollars – created to stop our people from fighting for our rights!
This commission was led by state governors and other power players, and it funded groups that opposed Civil Rights. It even funded Black anti-integrationists, too, so it could appear to be “fair” and “balanced!”
The commission remained a secret until the 1990s, when over 7,200 pages of surveillance and funding were discovered.
On the surface, state governments appeared to follow the law. But in secret, they were doing all they could to keep us subjugated.
The Commission was set up as a deliberate and organized part of the government to squash Black Liberation efforts. While the names and policies may have changed, the truth is anti-Black sentiment still remains in our local laws, policies, and the enforcement of those laws today!