Leesha Faulkner Civil Rights Collection

Collection

Identifier: M398

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Leesha Faulkner papers are an engaging group of materials that give an in depth look into the Civil Rights Movement and primarily the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission. The collection has been divided into eleven series.

Series I: ACLU Documents contains materials relating to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). It also has the court documents, ACLU vs. Cliff Finch, et. al. (1977), ACLU vs. Kirk Fordice, et. al. (ca. 1993), and ACLU vs. Ray Mabus (1989 and 1993). These transcripts provide information not only about the ACLU, but also the people involved.

Series II: Civil Rights Documents contains materials relating to the Civil Rights Movement. It has items related to school desegregation, the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project of 1964, and the murders of Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, Michael Schwerner in the summer of 1964. Faulkner also included her own personal files on civil rights. Her civil rights files contain newsletters, correspondences, articles, and many other items that provide a plethora of information about the Civil Rights Movement.

Series III: Correspondence (1956-1993) contains letters and memos from various people and organizations related to the Civil Rights Movement. Many of the letters are related to the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, Erle Johnston, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The letters also contain information on what was happening in Mississippi at the time.

Series IV: Leesha Faulkner’s Master’s Thesis and Research Notes contains the source material Faulkner gathered for her thesis and a copy of her finished thesis from Mississippi College. Her research notes are mostly written documentation on the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission.

Series V: Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission in large part contains investigative reports by the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission on various people related to the Civil Rights Movement, including student volunteers, NAACP members as well as members of other civil rights organizations, and African-American preachers and churches. This series provides considerable insight into the activities of the Commission.

Series VI: Newspaper and Magazine Articles contains many articles related to the Civil Rights Movement, Freedom Summer, and the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission. This series also includes the extensive articles Leesha Faulkner wrote on the Commission while working for The Clarion-Ledger.

Series VII: Pamphlets includes a plethora of pamphlets ranging in dates from the 1930s to the 1980s. They provide information on various topics, including race, economics, and religion.

Series VIII: University of Mississippi contains documents related to the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). This series also contains 46 photographs from the 1962 Ole Miss riots. The riots were in response to the admission of James Meredith, the university's first African American student. The photographs provide a visual image of the campus, its students, James Meredith, Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett, and Lieutenant Governor Paul B. Johnson, Jr.

Series IX: USA v. Cecil Price, et. al., Parts 1-8 contains the entire court transcripts from the trial of the men who were accused of aiding in the murders of Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Michael Schwerner, as well as the transcript from their sentencing. This provides first hand accounts from the night these men were murdered as well as who was involved.

Series X: Subject Files contains an array of files related and unrelated to the Civil Rights Movement. For example, there is a file on church burnings and another on music scores. They provide a lot of background into many different and interesting topics.

Series XI: Oversized Materials consists of an issue of The Jackson Advocate, housed in a mapcase.

Dates

Creation: 1932-1995
Creation: Majority of material found within 1960-1970

Conditions Governing Access

Noncirculating; available for research

Conditions Governing Use

This collection may be protected from unauthorized copying by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code).

Biographical / Historical

Leesha Faulkner (Cooper) is an experienced journalist who has worked for a number of newspapers, including The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi, the Monroe News-Star in Monroe, Louisiana, and the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal in Tupelo, Mississippi. While working for The Clarion-Ledger she wrote at length about the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission and eventually was instrumental in having the Commission’s files opened at the University of Southern Mississippi.

In 1994 Faulkner completed her Master’s degree at Mississippi College entitled, “To Stem the Tide: The Mississippi Sovereignty Commission and Civil Rights, 1956-1973”, and worked toward a Ph.D. at the University of Southern Mississippi. During the course of her research she compiled an extensive collection of civil rights-related materials.

Extent

5.20 Cubic Feet : MC2.D15

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

A group of materials that give an in depth look into the Civil Rights Movement and primarily the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated by Ms. Leesha Faulkner between 1995 and 1998.

Existence and Location of Copies

For Digitized Materials from this collection, see: External Documents link at bottom of page.

Related Materials

M32 American Civil Liberties Union Southern Regional Office

M191 Johnson (Paul B.) Family Papers

M313 Marx (Charles) Papers

M319 Johnston (Erle E.) Papers

M404 Dukes (William F.) FBI Scrapbook

Photograph Log

M398-1 James Meredith in Car, Oxford, MS 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-2 James Meredith in Car, Oxford, 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-3 Assistant U.S. Attorney General John Doar with James Meredith, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-4 Lt. Governor Paul B. Johnson, Jr. in Car, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-5 L to R (foreground): Lt. Gov. Paul B. Johnson, Jr., Gov. Ross Barnett, and Aid to Gov. (unidentified), Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-6 Gov. Ross Barnett Exiting Building, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-7 Lt. Gov. Paul B. Johnson, Jr. (center) Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-8 L to R (front row): W. G. “Bud” Gray, Paul B. Johnson, Jr., Federal Marshal James McShane, James Meredith, Unidentified, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-9 L to R (front row): Paul B. Johnson, Jr., John Doar, James Meredith, James McShane, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-10 L to R (front row): W. G. “Bud” Gray, Paul B. Johnson, Jr., James McShane, James Meredith, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-11 James Meredith, John Doar’s back, Paul B. Johnson, Jr., Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-12 Paul B. Johnson, Jr., Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-13 Paul B. Johnson, Jr. Talking to Reporters, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-14 Highway Patrolmen, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-15 Student Gathering, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-16 Student Gathering, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-17 National Guard and Students, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-18 Student Gathering, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-19 National Guardsmen, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-20 Deputized U. S. Marshals, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-21 Deputized U. S. Marshals, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-22 Rick’s Hall (women’s dorm). Scene of Newsman’s Death, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-23 Mississippi Highway Patrolmen, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-24 Mississippi Highway Patrol Car No. 20 With Broken Windshield, Probably Leonard Thames Pointing, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 9)

M398-25 Mississippi Highway Patrol Car No. 20 With Broken Windshield, Probably Leonard Thames Pointing, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 9)

M398-26 Mississippi Highway Patrol Car No. 20 With Broken Windshield, Probably Leonard Thames pointing, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-27 Col. T. B. Birdsong, Mississippi Highway Patrol 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)

M398-28 U. S. Marshals Behind Tree, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 9)

M398-29 U. S. Marshals in Front of Building, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 9)

M398-30 National Guardsmen in Field, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 9)

M398-31 National Guardsmen, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 9)

M398-32 National Guardsmen in Front of Armory 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 9)

M398-33 National Guardsmen Cleaning Firearms, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 9)

M398-34 National Guardsmen: L to R- Rogers, Martin, Stubbs, and Ratz. Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 9)

M398-35 National Guardsman Shaving, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 9)

M398-36 U. S. Marshals in Tear Gas, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 9)

M398-37 National Guardsmen in Front of Armory 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 9)

M398-38 National Guardsmen, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 9)

M398-39 U. S. Marshals in Tear Gas, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 9)

M398-40 National Guardsmen: L to R-Fikes, South, Eades, and Unidentified. Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 9)

M398-41 National Guardsmen and Truck, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 9)

M398-42 National Guardsmen Typing, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 9)

M398-43 National Guardsmen With Rifles and Masks, Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 9)

M398-44 National Guardsman, Unidentified. Oxford, Mississippi 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 9)

M398-45 National Guardsmen in Front of Armory 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 9)

M398-46 No. 232 Federal Flite-Rite Tear Gas (CN) Impact Fuze-Blast Dispersion Type 8” x 10”, B & W, Sept. 30, 1962 (Box 8, Folder 8)