HIST 1500Y Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Jessie Daniel Ames, Selma, Alabama, Voting Rights Act Of 1965
Document Summary
White women who launched a campaign for lynch free year. Wanted to witness 12 months in which no african americans would be killed by a group. Created association of southern women for the prevention of lynching. Colleagues did not accept reason for lynching. Black men did not pose a threat for white women. Approached the media, knew newspapers played role in lynching. Approached sheriffs not to let mobs lynch african americans would write letters to them. Kept track of lynching statistics, had already started to decline and thought that through actions they could make them go away. 6 months passed, but a couple days later there was one. Campaigned for a decade, finally may 1939-may 1940 there was no lynching"s. There were still killings but were done in silent so were not lynching"s: some southern whites have spoken out. 3 of her friends were lynched when trying to defend their property from white men.
