Training
Author: JoJo Peregrina
The Freedom Summer training, held in 1964, was a critical component of the broader civil rights movement, preparing hundreds of volunteers—many of them young, white college students from the North—to assist in Black voter registration and education efforts in Mississippi. The training sessions, primarily held in Oxford, Ohio, focused not only on practical logistics and legal rights but also on nonviolent resistance and cultural sensitivity. Participants were taught how to handle potential hostility and violence, as Mississippi was one of the most dangerous states for civil rights activism. The training emphasized solidarity with local Black communities, the importance of listening and humility, and the deep risks involved, particularly in the wake of the brutal Jim Crow laws and widespread intimidation by white supremacists. This preparation was pivotal in empowering volunteers to face the challenges of Freedom Summer with courage and purpose.
You exit the bus, just after thanking the driver, with your belongings in tow. As you prepare to step onward, your attention is caught by a sign that reads “Western College for Women.” You take a moment, then enter the campus oblivious as to what’s to come but heart full on whispers of freedom and an unbending courage.
As you look around, you see crowds of students no younger than 18, you guessed, in small groups. Some were gathered around playing songs and stringing a guitar. Others were laying around chatting.
You notice a sign that says “registration inside” by the entrance of a building: “Clawson Hall.” You enter to find a lady who smiles and hands you a document to fill out
“Name, Date, Age…”
As you read the next section of the paper, your heart swiftly drops.
“List the names, addresses, and phone numbers of people to contact for bail-bond. Do you have or do you have a means to produce $500.00 for bail? Lists your arrests: give place, date, charge, status of case, and civil rights activity you were engaging in at the time”
You finish up answering the questions and hand the papers back to the lady. She then hands you a folder with some documents.
“You’ll be staying in Thomson Hall. Head there and get settled. Tomorrow, your Mississippi Summer starts.”
A new chapter in your life starts, and it’s up to you on how you’d like to spend it.
Visit our 2025 prototype to experience this feature.
Saturday
It’s the last day at Western College. You wrap up the last sessions, say goodbye to some friends, and sit in the bus.
“Mississippi, here we come.”
Next Chapter: Tragedy
Or jump to the next topic you’d like to explore: