The Sad Case of Louis Allen: Why The Civil Rights Era Isn't Over In Mississippi

60 Minutes' in-depth investigation into the unsolved Civil Rights-era killing of Louis Allen in Liberty, Mississippi, brought to life how troubling life can still be for many African Americans in the state and their pursuit of justice. From the files of the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission, here are links to files on the Louis Allen case. If you don't know, the MS Sovereignty Commission was the taxpayer-financed arm of the state that spied on people and watched and harassed "agitators" working for racial justice.

In the Allen case, it is likely the perpetrators remain hidden in plain view in Liberty, MS, but I could find no evidence that the state's attorney general, Jim Hood is investigating the case. Instead, I found an article touting his advocacy of a new execution drug. That's Mississippi-style progress.

Like many things in Mississippi, Louis Allen's death appears to only bother black Mississippians with white Mississippians and local law enforcement quite blasé about the whole matter. The FBI has given the matter one part-time investigator who is rather overwhelmed given that she has more than 100 cold cases to work on.

Bishop Arthur M. Brazier passed away at the age of 89

When a whole lotta Negroes were scared of upsetting King Richard Daley I, and turned their backs on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when he came to Chicago, Brazier was not one of them. He welcomed Dr. King and marched with him proudly.

It was Brazier's Apostolic C.O.G.I.C. where then candidate Barack Obama came to deliver his Father's Day speech in 2008, after the whole Rev. Wright fiasco.

from the Chicago Tribune:

Bishop Arthur M. Brazier, 1921-2010
Civil rights legend, founder of The Woodlawn Organization
By Margaret Ramirez, Tribune reporter
9:00 p.m. CDT, October 22, 2010

In the 1960s, Bishop Arthur M. Brazier marched through the streets of Chicago alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in the struggle against segregation in housing and schools.

He helped start The Woodlawn Organization to shepherd his South Side community through racial unrest and neighborhood upheaval. A spiritual leader as well, Bishop Brazier was Pentecostal pastor of the Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn for more than 48 years, building a congregation of nearly 20,000 members before handing church leadership over to his son, the Rev. Bryon Brazier, in 2008.

Bishop Brazier, 89, who influenced generations of pastors and parishioners and who was praised by President Barack Obama as "one of our nation's leading moral lights," died Friday, Oct. 22, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, after a five-year struggle with prostate cancer, his family said.
.............................................

For decades, Bishop Brazier fought gangs and crime and pushed for more affordable homes and better schools. As founding president of The Woodlawn Organization, he opposed plans by the nearby University of Chicago to expand, which would have displaced residents and use land he hoped to develop for low-income housing.

While he refused to preach politics from the pulpit, his wide influence made the Apostolic Church of God an obligatory campaign stop for politicians.

On Father's Day in 2008, presidential candidate Obama delivered a key campaign speech on the importance of family in Bishop Brazier's church. The president issued a statement Friday saying he and the first lady were "deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our dear friend, a stalwart of the city of Chicago."

"Bishop Brazier … promoted spiritual empowerment and economic development through his pastorate of Apostolic Church of God and leadership of numerous community organizations and charitable efforts," Obama said.

rest of obituary at link above.

Dr. Dorothy I. Height's Funeral

US President Barack Obama wipes away a tear as he sits next to First Lady Michelle Obama at the funeral service for Dr. Dorothy Height at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, April 29, 2010. Height, who led the National Council for Negro Women for four decades, and was present at the key battles for racial equality since the 1930s, died at age 98 after a lifetime devoted to the fight for equality.
----JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

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The coffin containing the remains of Dorothy Heights, is carried by Washington Metropolitan Police honor guard to the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, Thursday, April 29, 2010. Height, who led the National Council of Negro Women for decades and marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., will be honored during a funeral service at Washington National Cathedral for her leadership on the front lines fighting for equality, education and to ease racial tension. She died last week at age 98.
----AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta


U.S. President Barack Obama watches as the casket of civil rights movement
leader Dorothy Height enters the National Cathedral for her funeral service in Washington April 29, 2010. With Obama from left are first lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
----REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque


US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrive to attend the funeral of Dorothy Height, a historic figure in the US civil rights movement, at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on April 29, 2010. Height, who led the National Council for Negro Women for four decades, and was present at the key battles for racial equality since the 1930s, died at age 98 after a lifetime devoted to the fight for equality.
----JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images


WASHINGTON - APRIL 29: U.S. President Barack Obama (R) arrives with first lady Michelle Obama for the funeral service of civil rights leader Dorothy Height April 29, 2010 in Washington, DC. Height led the National Council of Negro Women and marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
----Win McNamee/Getty Images


President Barack Obama wipes his eyes, as he attends Dorothy Height's funeral service at the National Cathedral in Washington Thursday, April 29, 2010. From left are, the president, first lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif.
----AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari


WASHINGTON - APRIL 29: Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman speaks at the funeral service of civil rights leader Dorothy Height April 29, 2010 in Washington, DC. Height led the National Council of Negro Women and marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
----Win McNamee/Getty Images


WASHINGTON - APRIL 29: Lawyer Vernon Jordan attends the funeral service for civil rights leader Dorothy Height at the Washington National Cathedral April 29, 2010 in Washington, DC. Height led the National Council of Negro Women and marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
----Win McNamee/Getty Images


WASHINGTON - APRIL 29: Jesse Jackson (R) greets Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) (L) at the funeral service for civil rights leader Dorothy Height at the Washington National Cathedral April 29, 2010 in Washington, DC. Height led the National Council of Negro Women and marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
----Win McNamee/Getty Images


WASHINGTON - APRIL 29: Boxing promoter Don King attends the funeral service for civil rights leader Dorothy Height at the Washington National Cathedral April 29, 2010 in Washington, DC. Height led the National Council of Negro Women and marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
----Win McNamee/Getty Images


WASHINGTON - APRIL 29: Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele attends the funeral service for civil rights leader Dorothy Height at the Washington National Cathedral April 29, 2010 in Washington, DC. Height led the National Council of Negro Women and marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
----Win McNamee/Getty Images


WASHINGTON - APRIL 29: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (R) talks with Attorney General Eric Holder (L) at the funeral service for civil rights leader Dorothy Height at the Washington National Cathedral April 29, 2010 in Washington, DC. Height led the National Council of Negro Women and marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
----Win McNamee/Getty Images


WASHINGTON - APRIL 29: Poet Maya Angelou attends the funeral service for civil rights leader Dorothy Height at the Washington National Cathedral April 29, 2010 in Washington, DC. Height led the National Council of Negro Women and marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
----Win McNamee/Getty Images


WASHINGTON - APRIL 29: Jesse Jackson (R) greets former Washington DC Mayor Marion Barry (L) at the funeral service for civil rights leader Dorothy Height at the Washington National Cathedral April 29, 2010 in Washington, DC. Height led the National Council of Negro Women and marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
----Win McNamee/Getty Images


WASHINGTON - APRIL 29: U.S. President Barack Obama (L) greets Jesse Jackson at the funeral service for civil rights leader Dorothy Height at the Washington National Cathedral April 29, 2010 in Washington, DC. Height led the National Council of Negro Women and marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
----Win McNamee/Getty Images


Donna Brazile leaves Washington National Cathedral in Washington, Thursday, April 29, 2010, after funeral services for Dorothy Height. Height, who led the National Council of Negro Women for decades and marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., will be honored during a funeral service at Washington National Cathedral for her leadership on the front lines fighting for equality, education and to ease racial tension. She died last week at age 98.
----AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta


Tears roll down the cheek of Kathy Craft of the National Council of Negro Women, as she looks at the coffin of Dorothy Height, outside the Washington National Cathedral, Thursday, April 29, 2010. Height, who led the National Council of Negro Women for decades and marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., will be honored during a funeral service at Washington National Cathedral for her leadership on the front lines fighting for equality, education and to ease racial tension. She died last week at age 98.
----AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta


WASHINGTON - APRIL 29: Rev. Jesse Jackson attends the funeral service for civil rights leader Dorothy Height at the Washington National Cathedral April 29, 2010 in Washington, DC. Height led the National Council of Negro Women and marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
----Win McNamee/Getty Images


Guests listen to President Barack Obama as he speaks during funeral services for Dorothy Height at the National Cathedral in Washington Thursday, April 29, 2010.
----AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari


US President Barack Obama (R) speaks during the funeral of Dorothy Height, a historic figure in the US civil rights movement, at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on April 29, 2010. Height, who led the National Council for Negro Women for four decades, and was present at the key battles for racial equality since the 1930s, died at age 98 after a lifetime devoted to the fight for equality. ----JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images


The coffin containing the remains of Dorothy Height is carried down the steps of the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, Thursday, April 29, 2010, by an honor guard. Height, who led the National Council of Negro Women for decades and marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., will be honored during a funeral service at Washington National Cathedral for her leadership on the front lines fighting for equality, education and to ease racial tension. She died last week at age 98.
----AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

Dr. Dorothy Height Has Passed Away at the age of 98

From The Washington Post

Dorothy I. Height, founding matriarch of civil rights movement, dies at 98
By Bart Barnes Special to The Washington Post
Tuesday, April 20, 2010; 7:34

Dorothy I. Height, 98, a founding matriarch of the American civil rights movement whose crusade for racial justice and gender equality spanned more than six decades, died early Tuesday morning of natural causes, a spokesperson for the National Council of Negro Women said.

Ms. Height was among the coalition of African American leaders who pushed civil rights to the center of the American political stage after World War II, and she was a key figure in the struggles for school desegregation, voting rights, employment opportunities and public accommodations in the 1950s and 1960s.

Ms. Height was president of the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years, relinquishing the title in 1997. The 4 million-member advocacy group consists of 34 national and 250 community-based organizations. It was founded in 1935 by educator Mary McLeod Bethune, who was one of Ms. Height's mentors.

As a civil rights activist, Ms. Height participated in protests in Harlem during the 1930s. In the 1940s, she lobbied first lady Eleanor Roosevelt on behalf of civil rights causes. And in the 1950s, she prodded President Dwight D. Eisenhower to move more aggressively on school desegregation issues. In 1994, Bill Clinton awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.

"She was a dynamic woman with a resilient spirit, who was a role model for women and men of all faiths, races and perspectives. For her, it wasn't about the many years of her life, but what she did with them," said former U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman, a close friend who has been running day-to-day operations at the National Council.

Herman called Ms. Heights "a national treasure who lived life abundantly. She will be greatly missed, not only by those of us who knew her well, but by the countless beneficiaries of her enduring legacy."

In the turmoil of the civil rights struggles in the 1960s, Ms. Heights helped orchestrate strategy with movement leaders including the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Roy Wilkins, A. Philip Randolph, Whitney Young, James Farmer, Bayard Rustin and John Lewis, who later served as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia.

Ms. Height was arguably the most influential woman at the top levels of civil rights leadership, but she never drew the major media attention that conferred celebrity and instant recognition on some of the other civil rights leaders of her time.

In August 1963, Ms. Height was on the platform with King when he delivered his "I have a dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial. But she would say later that she was disappointed that no one advocating women's rights spoke that day at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Less than a month later, at King's request, she went to Birmingham, Ala., to minister to the families of four black girls who had died in a church bombing linked to the racial strife that had engulfed the city.

"At every major effort for social progressive change, Dorothy Height has been there," Lewis said in 1997 when Ms. Height announced her retirement as president of the National Council of Negro Women.

Rest of obituary at link above.


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Book

Open Wide The Freedom Gates: A Memoir by Dorothy Height

What Dr. Height had to say about First Lady Michelle Obama:

Old School Respect to the New School:

“In today’s world, a woman of this caliber who is the mate of one who is a nominee for president of the United States deserves all of the recognition, admiration and respect that she has so well earned,”said Dr. Dorothy I. Height, chair and president emerita of the National Council of Negro Women.

“When I follow many of the stories and comments, I realize that we have come a long way, but there is a long way to go,” added Dr. Height who has known every first lady of the United States since Eleanor Roosevelt. Dr. Height referred to the wife of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) as “a woman of considerable accomplishments.”-found at Soujouner’s Place