Bob Moses During Freedom Summer of 1964 in Mississippi
Robert (Bob) Moses died on July 25 at the age of 86
On July 25, another major figure of the modern Civil Rights Movement died. His name is Robert (Bob) Moses. Although he is not as well known to many as other major figures such as Martin Luther, King, Jr. and John Lewis, Bob Moses was one of the most persistent and courageous leaders and organizers of the movement. He was the driving force behind the famous 1964 Freedom Summer in Mississippi. By that time, he had already been active in voter registration in Mississippi for over three years when that state was arguably the most resistant and dangerous state in which to secure voting rights for Black citizens. He regularly faced verbal and physical assaults by whites who wanted to continue the long standing practice of near total voter suppression of Black people. By the summer of 1964, he faced the additional challenge of organizing and training hundreds of college age volunteers who came to Mississippi for Freedom Summer. In the first few days of that summer, three of those young volunteers were murdered by members of the KKK. The two short video clips posted below come from a documentary on Freedom Summer. They provide just a glimpse of the courage it took for Bob Moses and many others to register Black people to vote. One of his colleagues in the movement, Eleanor Holmes Norton, described Bob Moses as a man of calm courage. That was true of his life not only during the Civil Rights Movement but in subsequent years as he advocated for quality public education for every child regardless of race or economic condition. He became a public school math teacher and went on to found the Algebra Project, an organization committed to improving math education for minority students.
Even as we give thanks for and reflect on the life and witness of Bob Moses, we do so at a time when new voter suppression efforts are springing up in many states. Any attempt to limit the right to vote, especially those aimed at people of color and/or low income, dishonors the legacy of Bob Moses and thousands of others who put their lives on the line so that all citizens could exercise that fundamental right. Now as much as ever, may we follow the example of Bob Moses and be people of calm courage who stand up for the full humanity and rights of all God’s children.