Freedom Summer

1964

Freedom summer was a campaign by the Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee during the summer of 1964 in Mississippi. The aim of the campaign was to educate African Americans of their civil rights, voting rights and civics, as well as helping register black voters.

The freedom summer combined voter education, registration and political activism to increase voting among black communities. The SNCC also started Freedom Schools to teach literacy and civics to children and adults.

Three civil rights volunteers were killed when they went to Mississippi to look for housing and recruit churches for the Freedom Schools. Consequently the campaign was given a lot of media attention.