People – MS Civil Rights Project

One of Carroll County’s most prominent citizens was James Zacharian (J.Z.) George. George fought both in the Mexican War and the Civil War. He practiced law in both Carrollton, Miss., and Jackson. In 1879, he was made a judge on […]

Gibbs, Phillip Lafayette

Phillip Lafayette Gibbs, born in Ripley, Tippah County, MS in 1948, was killed by police during a riot at Jackson State University, where he was studying law, in May 1970. The riot occurred after several days of protests by Jackson […]

Goodine, Reverend Larry

Rev. Larry Goodine is the pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Booneville, MS in Prentiss County. He is a noted civil rights speaker, having spoken at Committee for King events, and has helped in voter registration campaigns in Mississippi. […]

Goodman, Andrew

Andrew Goodman (1943-1964) was a participant in the Freedom Summer movement of 1964. He originally got his start in the civil rights movement after graduating from Walden School. He was from the Upper West Side of New York; however, he […]

Gordon, Albert: Oral History

Born in Belgium, Albert Gordon moved to the United States at age seven. At twenty-seven years old, he participated in the Freedom Rides in 1961. Gordon states that his Jewish heritage influenced his decision to become a freedom rider. He ponders […]

Gort Jr., Solomon

SOLOMON GORT, JR., (1936-1989), was born in Bolivar County, Mississippi. He had a distinguished career of service, which took him throughout the South, as well as to California, Illinois, New York, and Washington DC. Mr. Gort’s work reflected his commitment […]

Grand, J.V.

Local Civil Right Leader. Sources: Sovereignty Commission Online: http://mdah.state.ms.us/arlib/contents/er/sovcom/

Grant, Joseph

According to the 1959 State Sovereignty Commission Report, Joseph Grant was a local plumber, who “attempted to organize the NAACP in 1954, but:considerable economic pressure was placed on Grant, and he could get no trade among the white people. As […]

Gray, Duncan

Duncan Gray used his position as Episcopal priest to champion civil rights causes. Duncan Gray was the priest in Cleveland when the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education was issued. He openly stated from the pulpit that segregation was […]

Gray, Victoria Jackson

Victoria Jackson Gray was a Hattiesburg native that helped lead the MFDP’s challenge to Mississippi’s all white delegation to the Democratic National Convention of 1964. Gray also ran on the MFDP ticket for the U.S. Senate seat then held by […]

Grayson, Robert L.: Oral History

ROBERT L. GRAYSON, of Tutwiler, was born on May 10, 1941. He became the first African American mayor of Tutwiler in 1993. He is a veteran of the war in Vietnam, for which he received the Purple Heart, among other […]

Gunn, Howard E.

Gunn was a black resident of Chickasaw County who created controversy upon attempting to register to vote in the summer of 1964. After being refused, a federal judge ruled County Registrar Hal Allen, Jr. was legally required to register Gunn. […]

Gutman, Jeremiah

Jeremiah Gutman was a lawyer and activist during the Civil Rights Movement. Gutman was born in Brooklyn, New York. Gutman earned a law degree from New York University in 1949. During the Freedom Summer of 1964, Gutman traveled across Mississippi, […]

Guyot, Lawrence

Lawrence Guyot was a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a key civil rights organizer on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and elsewhere, and was director of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which challenged the traditional Democratic Party delegation during […]