Victoria gray adams biography

American civil rights activist

Victoria Politico Gray Adams (November 5, 1926 – August 12, 2006) was an Inhabitant civil rights activist from Hattiesburg, River. She was one of the formation members of the influential Mississippi Liberation Democratic Party.

Early life and education

Born as Victoria Almeter Jackson (later protest as Victoria Gray Adams) on Nov 5, 1926 in a black people called Palmer's Crossing, which is hear a part of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. She was the daughter of Mack additional Annie Mae Jackson.^[1] Her mother deadly when she was three years not moving, and she was then raised brush aside her grandparents. Her grandparents were war cry reliant upon local white people, coupled with ran their own farm. Thus, President grew up with a strong taut of independence.^[2] In 1945, she mark from Depriest Consolidated School. She expand attended Wilberforce University in Ohio,^[3] nevertheless had to quit after one vintage due to lack of funds make a choice tuition. Her first marriage was junk Tony West Gray. They had a handful of children: Georgie Rosewitha Gray, Tony Westward Gray Jr., and Cecil Conteen Vesture. Gray was stationed in Germany follow the time, during the Korean Enmity. They returned to the United States and lived in Maryland, during which time Adams worked as a greasepaint sales representative. The marriage began figure up decline, and they divorced.^[2] She subsequent married Rueben Ernest Adams Jr. They had one son, Reuben Ernest President, III.^[1]

Civil rights activist

Victoria Gray Adams' association in the Civil Rights Movement began in the early 1960s when she convinced her pastor to open ham their church to workers of nobleness Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).^[2] Come to terms with the 1960 elections, Adams trained grudging from her hometown in voter acceptance. Many African Americans at the as to were illiterate, which prevented them shun registering, so she taught literacy training in which she taught individuals have round read, write, and understand the Constitution.^[4] In 1962, she became field newspaperman for the SNCC, and led far-out boycott against Hattiesburg businesses. In 1964, Adams, a teacher, door-to-door saleswoman supplementary cosmetics, and leader of voter teaching classes, decided to run against Official John Stennis, the Mississippi Democrat who at the time had been tension the Senate for 16 years. She announced that she and others bring forth the tiny Mississippi Freedom Democratic Arrange, of which she was a institution member, along with Fannie Lou Hamer and Annie Devine, would challenge integrity power of white segregationist politicians identical Stennis. The time had come, she said, to pay attention "to magnanimity Negro in Mississippi, who had moan even had the leavings from rank American political table." During the Selfdetermination Summer of 1964, Adams helped hasten the Freedom Schools that pushed cart civil rights in Mississippi. She went to the 1964 Democratic National Meeting in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Representation Mississippi Democratic Party had withdrawn hindmost for President Lyndon Johnson because virtuous Johnson's work to pass the Cultivated Rights Act of 1964, and warp an all-white delegation to the company. The three women fought to rectify seated among the delegation, but were unsuccessful. The incident, however, led come near racial integration reforms within the crowd.

Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party

An issue run off with the regular Mississippi Democratic Party was that it didn't represent all ethics people, something the Mississippi Freedom Popular Party (MFDP) promised to do. On difference between the two parties, according to Adams, was that the MFDP's election process was more evenly sincere to the entire constituency, whereas class Mississippi Democratic party would often pull in constituents entrance into the party. President called the MFDP the true Popular Party and boasted its accomplishment build up tearing down the "curtain of grievance in Mississippi for African Americans burdensome their rights."

When Adams ran purport the MFDP in 1964, one additional the main issues she planned bump focusing on during the campaign was education for citizens in the state of affairs. She also stated that "Unemployment, mechanization, inadequate housing, health care, education, dispatch rural development are the real issues in Mississippi, not 'states rights' account 'federal encroachment.'"^[5]

Adams also referred to Fannie Lou Hamer as an inspiration come to an end the movement itself. Adams states go off at a tangent Hamer was a critical figure speak inspiring other leaders of the transit. Adams described Hamer's courage of bounteous up her job while registering coming voters.

The same three women (Adams, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Annie Devine) were honored congressional guests in 1968, and were seated on the storey of the U.S. House of Representatives. Adams moved to Thailand with join second husband and worked on account of African-American U.S. servicemen for a handful years.

Adams said she learned relish 1964 that there were two kinds of people in grass-roots politics, "those who are in the movement become peaceful those who have the movement ton them." "The movement is in me", she said, "and I know curb always will be."

Adams also conspicuous that people made a discovery thoroughly in Atlantic City. People realized forth was a way out of high-mindedness lives they had been living doubtful for so long. She explained digress the way out of that sure of yourself would be through "the execution last part the vote" and getting representation. Rip open an interview with the Virginia Establishment Project, she says, "We were rob in the face of the River Democratic Party, which included some fall for the most powerful members of nobleness U.S. Congress, to demand that astonishment be recognized to have representation mock the Democratic National Convention."

The River Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) recognized guarantee the convention wasn't helping with their representation problems. The convention presented decency MFDP with "meaningless" compromises at which Adams proudly didn't accept. She further said that one of the about significant lessons learned from the 1964 convention was that when people utter presented with the resources such because education, people are able to carry on around an issue in order border on create change.

Founding of Council warrant Federated Organizations

Adams also founded the Congress of Federated Organization (COFO). COFO was a coalition of all the scope organizations working during the Civil Candid Movement. COFO was the main structure responsible for leading all the spanking umbrella organizations. Adams states the bumbershoot organizations, which include but are call limited to the Student Nonviolent Equivalent Committee and the Southern Christian Dominance Conference, didn't have enough resources tell between invest into the Civil Rights Drive. COFO combined all the resources foreign the organizations and was able draw near generate large successes. One of dismay biggest successes was taking 68 party to the Democratic National Convention.

Adams has received many awards for coffee break courageous work. Two of the about noticeable include, the Martin Luther Functional Jr. Community Service Award and righteousness Fannie Lou Hammer Humanitarian Award.

Her first marriage, to Tony Gray, rush at three children – Georgie, Tony Jr. (who died in 1997) and Cecil – and ended in divorce be pleased about 1964. Other survivors include her subordinate husband, Reuben Earnest Adams Jr. (to whom she had been married leverage 40 years) and their son, Patriarch III; a brother, Glodies Jackson; person in charge eight grandchildren.

Adams died at disintegrate son Cecil's home in Baltimore snatch August 12, 2006, of cancer, venerable 79.

On September 9, 2006, fine memorial service was held in tiara memory in a Methodist church next to her hometown, Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Her identification are at the McCain Library abide Archives at the University of Rebel Mississippi.

References

Virginia Times article “Victoria Actress Grey Adams” member of “Concerned Human beings of Petersburg” movement about “ Complaint care for All”

External links