Candy Brown Gonzalez Freedom Summer Photographs
Scope and Contents
This collection contains photographs taken by Candy Brown Gonzalez in Mississippi during her time as a Mississippi Freedom Summer Project volunteer in 1964. The photographs date from June to November 1964 and are primarily of volunteers and locals in Mississippi. Locations in Mississippi include Greenville, Issaquena County, McComb, Hattiesburg and Waveland.
Dates
- Creation: 1964
Creator
- Gonzalez, Candy Brown (Person)
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
Candy Brown Gonzalez is from Los Angeles, California. In 1962 she joined the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and took part in demonstrations, boycott campaigns and sit-ins.
In 1964, she decided to join the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project and traveled to Greenville, Mississippi with the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO). Candy worked in Greenville on voter registration and other local issues during the summer of 1964. Rather than returning home in September, with many of the other volunteers, Candy continued working throughout Mississippi for the rest of 1964. Among her many community services, she worked with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC – pronounced ‘snick’) in Waveland, picked cotton in Issaquena County and taught in the literacy program in McComb. While in Issaquena County, Candy lived with Unita Blackwell and her family. Unita was a project director for SNCC, and in 1976, she was elected mayor of Mayersville, Mississippi. She was the first female African-American mayor in the state of Mississippi.
On October 24, 1964, Candy and 12 others were arrested on a charge of “operating a food handling establishment without a permit.” She was held at the county jail and released the next day on $100 bond. The so-called food handling establishment was the COFO Freedom House, where many civil rights workers lived.
“I had already committed myself to ‘the movement’ before going to Mississippi but Mississippi cemented that commitment. ‘After Mississippi’, I have been involved in many areas of struggle, all with the purpose of ending a system built on racism, classism and sexism. The struggle against oppression, greed and injustice was not a chapter of my life; it is my life.”
Extent
.25 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Candy Brown Gonzalez of Los Angeles, participated in the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project from June to December 1964. The collection contains photographs she took while in Greenville, Issaquena County, McComb, Hattiesburg and Waveland.
Arrangement
The materials in the collection have been divided into six folders.
The collection is comprised of 45 print photographs and 8 digital photographs.
The collection is arranged according to the location and the approximate date the photographs were taken.
Provenance
Donated by Candy Brown Gonzalez in 2013.
Existence and Location of Copies
For Digitized Materials from this collection, see: External Documents link at bottom of page.
Photograph Log
M484-2 Police Officer in Greenville, Mississippi 6.5 x 5 B & W June-December 1964 Police officer smoking a cigarette at a diner in Greenville, Mississippi.
M484-3 Police Officer in Greenville, Mississippi 6.5 x 5 B & W June-December 1964 A police officer and an unidentified man standing outside Harlem Grocery in Greenville, Mississippi.
M484-4 Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) in Greenville, Mississippi 6.5 x 5 B & W June-December 1964 Valerie Logan and Pat Vail at the COFO office in Greenville, Mississippi.
M484-5 Picking cotton in Issaquena County, Mississippi 5 x 6.5 B & W September 1964 Picking cotton in Issaquena County for a penny a pound. Unidentified man on a cotton harvesting machine.
M484-6 Picking cotton in Issaquena County, Mississippi 5 x 6.5 B & W September 1964 Picking cotton in Issaquena County for a penny a pound. Unidentified man on a tractor.
M484-7 Picking cotton in Issaquena County, Mississippi 4.5 x 5.5 B & W September 1964 Picking cotton in Issaquena County for a penny a pound. Unidentified woman picking cotton.
M484-8 Picking cotton in Issaquena County, Mississippi 5 x 6.5 B & W September 1964 Picking cotton in Issaquena County for a penny a pound. Unidentified woman picking cotton.
M484-9 Picking cotton in Issaquena County, Mississippi 6 x 4.5 B & W September 1964 Picking cotton in Issaquena County for a penny a pound. Candy Brown Gonzalez picking cotton.
M484-10 Picking cotton in Issaquena County, Mississippi 5 x 6.5 B & W September 1964 Picking cotton in Issaquena County for a penny a pound. Three unidentified women emptying bags of cotton into a truck bed.
M484-11 Picking cotton in Issaquena County, Mississippi 5 x 6.5 B & W September 1964 Picking cotton in Issaquena County for a penny a pound. Unidentified person emptying a bag of cotton into a truck bed.
M484-12 Picking cotton in Issaquena County, Mississippi 5 x 6.5 B & W September 1964 Larry Benson sitting on the bag of a truck in Issaquena County, Mississippi.
M484-13 Picking cotton in Issaquena County, Mississippi 6.5 x 5 B & W September 1964 A barn in a cotton field in Issaquena County, Mississippi.
M484-14 Burglund High Homecoming in McComb, Mississippi 6.5 x 4.5 B & W October 1964 Candy Brown Gonzalez at Burglund High Homecoming in McComb, Mississippi.
M484-15 Jesse Harris 6.5 x 4.5 B & W October 1964 Jesse Harris sitting on a couch in McComb, Mississippi.
M484-16 Ernestine Bishop 6 x 4.5 B & W October 1964 Ernestine Bishop sitting outside in McComb, Mississippi.
M484-17 Bill Powell, Ernestine Bishop and Lori Smith 6.5 x 4.5 B & W October 1964 Bill Powell, Ernestine Bishop and Lori Smith sitting at a table, drinking coffee in McComb, Mississippi.
M484-18 Ernestine Bishop 6 x 4.5 B & W October 1964 Ernestine Bishop standing outside a building with an SNCC sign in McComb, Mississippi.
M484-19 Visiting pastor 4.5 x 6 B & W October 1964 An unidentified visiting pastor in McComb, Mississippi.
M484-20 J.D. Smith 4.5 x 6 B & W October 1964 J.D. Smith sitting on a couch, playing an autoharp in McComb, Mississippi.
M484-21 Ursula Junk and Bill Powell 4.5 x 6 B & W October 1964 Ursula Junk and Bill Powell in McComb, Mississippi.
M484-22 Marshall Ganz and John Wilkinson 4.5 x 6 B & W October 1964 Marshall Ganz and John Wilkinson on the roof of the Freedom House, working on an antenna in McComb, Mississippi.
M484-23 Woman with two puppies 6.5 x 4.5 B & W October 1964 An unidentified woman sitting on the floor with two puppies in McComb, Mississippi.
M484-24 House in McComb, Mississippi 6.5 x 5 B & W October 1964 House in McComb, Mississippi. Photograph taken by Candy Brown Gonzalez while canvassing.
M484-25 House in McComb, Mississippi 6.5 x 4.5 B & W October 1964 House in McComb, Mississippi. Photograph taken by Candy Brown Gonzalez while canvassing.
M484-26 Service station in McComb, Mississippi 6.5 x 5 B & W October 1964 Service station in McComb, Mississippi.
M484-27 Building in McComb, Mississippi 5.5 x 4 B & W October 1964 Unidentified building with “Place of Joy” sign in McComb, Mississippi.
M484-28 Kitten named Uhuru 4.5 x 5.5 B & W October 1964 Kitten named Uhuru in McComb, Mississippi. Uhuru is Swahili for "freedom".
M484-29 Woman and dog 6.5 x 5 B & W October 1964 An unidentified woman and a dog in McComb, Mississippi.
M484-30 John Beecher with unidentified young men and boys 6 x 4.5 B & W October 1964 John Beecher standing outside a house with six unidentified young men and boys in McComb, Mississippi.
M484-31 Young boy in Baertown, McComb, Mississippi 6.5 x 5 B & W October 1964 An unidentified young boy outside in Baertown, McComb, Mississippi.
M484-32 Burglund High Homecoming in McComb, Mississippi 6.5 x 4.5 B & W October 1964 Burglund High Homecoming in McComb, Mississippi. Two unidentified boys stand in front of a car. Two signs on the car read, “Uhuru” and “One man, one vote”.
M484-33 McAlister family in Hattiesburg, Mississippi 6.5 x 5 B & W November 1964 McAlister family in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. A woman holding a baby.
M484-34 McAlister family in Hattiesburg, Mississippi 6.5 x 5 B & W November 1964 McAlister family in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. A young girl holding a baby.
M484-35 McAlister family in Hattiesburg, Mississippi 6.5 x 5 B & W November 1964 McAlister family in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. A young woman holding a baby.
M484-36 McAlister family in Hattiesburg, Mississippi 6.5 x 5 B & W November 1964 McAlister family in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. A sleeping baby.
M484-37 McAlister family in Hattiesburg, Mississippi 6.5 x 5 B & W November 1964 McAlister family in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. A man and two girls sit on a couch. Thanksgiving 1964.
M484-38 Chuck McAlister 6.5 x 5 B & W November 1964 McAlister family in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Chuck McAlister at a high school football game.
M484-39 McAlister family in Hattiesburg, Mississippi 6.5 x 5 B & W November 1964 McAlister family in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Unidentified man at a high school football game.
M484-40 High school football game in Hattiesburg, Mississippi 6.5 x 5 B & W November 1964 McAlister family in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Candy Brown Gonzalez, Kathy [?] and the McAlisters at a high school football game.
M484-41 Charlie [McDew] 6.5 x 5 B & W November 1964 McAlister family in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Charlie [McDew] at a high school football game.
M484-42 Waveland SNCC staff, Dickie Flowers 6.5 x 5 B & W November 1964 Dickie Flowers at a Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) staff meeting in Waveland, Mississippi.
M484-43 Waveland SNCC staff, John [?] 6.5 x 5 B & W November 1964 John [?] from Ruleville at a Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) staff meeting in Waveland, Mississippi. John is on the ground with a puppy.
M484-44 Waveland SNCC staff, Roy [?] 4.5 x 6.5 B & W November 1964 Roy [?] at a Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) staff meeting in Waveland, Mississippi.
M484-45 Waveland SNCC staff, Doug Smith 5 x 6.5 B & W November 1964 Doug Smith at a Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) staff meeting in Waveland, Mississippi.
M484-46 Unita Blackwell 6.5 x 8 B & W 1964 Unita Blackwell, a Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) worker from Mayersville. She housed civil rights workers and was a leader in the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. She was elected Mayor of Mayersville in 1976. Candy Brown Gonzalez stayed with her for a while in 1964. Digital image.
M484-47 Unita Blackwell’s son 6.5 x 8 B & W 1964 Unita Blackwell’s son. Unita Blackwell was a Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) field worker from Mayersville. She housed civil rights workers. Candy Brown Gonzalez stayed with her for a short time in 1964. Digital image.
M484-48 Alene (Mama) and Anthony Quinn 3.5 x 3.5 B & W 1964 Alene (Mama) and Anthony Quinn. Alene Quinn housed civil rights workers. Her house in McComb, Mississippi was bombed in September 1964. Her son is on her lap, he was injured in the bombing - possibly his eardrums. Digital image.
M484-49 McComb Freedom School student, Samson 3.5 x 3.5 B & W 1964 Samson, a child who was enrolled in the Freedom School in McComb, Mississippi in the autumn of 1964. Digital image.
M484-50 E. W. Steptoe 3.5 x 3.5 B & W 1964 E. W. Steptoe in McComb, Mississippi. Digital image.
M484-51 Civil rights demonstration at the Greenville courthouse 6.5 x 6.5 B & W 1964 Demonstration in front of the Greenville Courthouse. This photo is possibly a Polaroid taken by the police. Digital image.
M484-52 Railroad crossing sign 6.5 x 6.5 B & W 1964 Railroad crossing sign –analogous to the civil rights workers attempt to stop Mississippi’s Jim Crow laws. Digital image.
M484-53 LA Times articles 6.5 x 8 B & W 1964
Two articles from the LA Times – both refer to events that took place in McComb, Mississippi. One has Magnolia in the byline because the courthouse for Pike County is in Magnolia. The civil rights workers were jailed on October 23, 1964. The exact date of the articles is unknown. Digital image.
Subject
- Gonzalez, Candy Brown (Person)
Genre / Form
Geographic
- Greenville (Miss.).
- Hattiesburg (Miss.).
- Issaquena County (Miss.).
- McComb (Miss.).
- Waveland (Miss.).
Topical
- Title
- Candy Brown Gonzalez Freedom Summer Photographs
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Collection processed and finding aid written by Amanda McRaney, May 2014.
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Historical Manuscripts and Photographs Repository
118 College Drive - 5148
Hattiesburg MS 39406-0001
601.266.4345
