Mississippi Civil Rights Project

History of the 82 counties

Background/History

Located northeast of Hardeman County, Tenn., east of Tippah County, MS., south of Union County, MS., west of Marshall County, MS., and northwest of Fayette County, Tenn., lies Benton County, MS.

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Loyal W. Thompson
Loyal W. Thompson, Sr. served as Captain and Director Chairman of the Citizen's Club and member of the local chapter of the NAACP.
Aviva Futorian
Aviva Futorian, originally of New Albany, was a young graduate from Brandeis when she worked in Mississippi during Freedom Summer in 1964.
Gloria Xifaras Clark
Gloria Xifaras Clark was a prominent advocate for civil rights in Benton, as well as Marshall, Tippah, and Union counties.
Orene E. Farese
In 1938, Orene E. Farese became a high school English teacher in Ashland, MS, located in Benton County. In 1939, she married John Farese. During World War II, Gov.

Places

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Events

1955 Lynchings
Date of Event:
1955
After the 1955 murder of Emmett Till, several gentlemen of the Benton County area were lynched in association with Till's death.
Voter Registration in Benton County
Date of Event:
1960s
Walter Reaves, a citizen of Benton, along with others, urged people to become registered voters during the Civil Rights Movement. Cleanna Tipler, Loyal W.
Economic Coercion in Benton County
Date of Event:
1960s
Following the church burnings, many were frightened because they feared for their lives as well as their jobs.
Church Burnings of Benton County
Date of Event:
1960s
In the summer of 1964, civil rights workers conducted their first meeting at Mt. Zion CME. Meetings took place at several churches in the area, and many churches were later burned or vandalized.

Organizations

Benton Citizens' Club and the Benton County Freedom Train
In addition to the remarkable work of the Freedom School, the Citizens' Club was launched. Their main focus was to help better the lives of the black community.
Freedom Schools in Benton County
The first Freedom School of Benton County, founded in late summer 1964, was held at Mt. Zion CME.
Citizen's Club
In addition to the remarkable works of the freedom school, the Citizen's Club was launched. Their main focus was to help better the lives of the blacks.
COFO of Benton County
In northern Mississippi, there were many offices for the Council of Federated Organizations, or COFO.