IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 476
Recognizing the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Mississippi Freedom 
Democratic Party and encouraging the people of the United States to 
recognize the accomplishments of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic 
Party by committing themselves to the fundamental principles of free-
dom, equality, and democracy. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 21, 2004
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi (for himself, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. LEWIS 
of Georgia, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. FROST, Mr. FORD, Mr. WYNN, Mr. JACK-
SON of Illinois, Mr. CLAY, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. OWENS, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. 
NORTON, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Ms. CARSON of Indi-
ana, and Mr. BISHOP of Georgia) submitted the following concurrent res-
olution; which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the 40th anniversary of the founding of the 
Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and encouraging 
the people of the United States to recognize the accom-
plishments of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party 
by committing themselves to the fundamental principles 
of freedom, equality, and democracy.
Whereas 2004 marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of 
the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and the Par-
ty’s presence at the 1964 Democratic National Conven-
tion;
•HCON 476 IH 
Whereas the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party was es-
tablished in order to break the reign of white supremacy 
in Mississippi; 
Whereas the original members of the Mississippi Freedom 
Democratic Party delegation in 1964 were Lawrence 
Guyot, Peggy J. Conner, Victoria Gray, Edwin King, 
Aaron Henry, Fannie Lou Hamer, Annie Devine, Helen 
Anderson, A.D. Beittel, Elizabeth Blackwell, Marie 
Blalock, Sylvester Bowens, J.W. Brown, Charles Bryant, 
James Carr, Lois Chaffee, Clint Collier, Willie Ervin, 
J.C. Fairley, Dewey Green, Winson Hudson, Johnny 
Jackson, N.L. Kirkland, Mary Lane, Merrill W. Lindsay, 
Eddie Mack, Lula Matthews, Yvonne MacGowan, Charles 
McLaurin, Leslie B. McLemore, Robert Miles, Otis 
Millsaps, Hazel Palmer, R.S. Porter, William D. Scott, 
Henry Sias, Slate Stallworth, E.W. Steptoe, Robert Lee 
Stinson, Joseph Stone, Eddie Thomas, Jimmie Travis, 
Hartman Turnbow, Abraham Washington, Clifton R. 
Whitley, Robert W. Williams, J. Walter Wright, C.R. 
Darden, Ruby Evans, Oscar Giles, Charlie Graves, Pinkie 
Hall, George Harper, Macy Hardaway, Andrew Hawkins, 
William Jackson, Alta Lloyd, J.F. McRae, W.G. Mid-
dleton, Joe Newton, M.A. Phelps, Beverly Polk, Henry 
Reaves, Harold Roby, Emma Sanders, Cora Smith, 
R.L.T. Smith, Elmira Tyson, and L.H. Waborn; 
Whereas in the face of threats on their lives from the Govern-
ment obliged to protect them, Mississippi Freedom 
Democratic Party delegates attracted over 60,000 mem-
bers to their racially integrated party; 
Whereas, although African Americans made up more than 40 
percent of Mississippi’s population in 1964, there were no 
African American registrars in the State and only 6.7
•HCON 476 IH 
percent of African American Mississippians of voting age 
were registered to vote; 
Whereas a political party composed primarily of African 
Americans advocating issues of particular interest to Af-
rican Americans was an extremely radical concept in the 
Deep South at that time; 
Whereas the mere presence and sheer determination of the 
Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party inspired tens of 
thousands of African Americans in Mississippi to attempt 
to register to vote and actively fight against discrimina-
tion; 
Whereas the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party provided 
experience and access to leadership positions for African 
Americans in Mississippi who had a desire to represent 
their communities as local and State elected officials; 
Whereas the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party pre-
sented African American citizens of Mississippi with their 
first legitimate opportunity for political participation 
since the Reconstruction era; 
Whereas the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party provided 
an alternative to the traditional Mississippi Democratic 
Party’s disenfranchisement of African American citizens; 
Whereas the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party suc-
ceeded in raising national awareness of Mississippi’s 
overt violation of constitutional rights with respect to Af-
rican Americans as well as the inhumane racial discrimi-
nation prevalent in Mississippi and the rest of the south-
ern United States; 
Whereas the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party pres-
sured the Federal Government to pass the historic Voting
•HCON 476 IH 
Rights Act of 1965, which further secured the right to 
vote for African Americans in Mississippi and the Nation; 
Whereas delegate Fannie Lou Hamer, who served as a 
spokesperson for the Mississippi Freedom Democratic 
Party at the 1964 Democratic National Convention, gave 
an emotional testimony of her struggles to gain equality 
in the State of Mississippi; 
Whereas Fannie Lou Hamer testified in front of thousands 
at the Democratic National Convention as well as na-
tional media representatives from across the country 
about how she was brutally beaten by five men after 
being jailed for her voter registration activities; 
Whereas the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party coura-
geously rejected the 1964 Democratic National Commit-
tee’s offer to seat two at-large Mississippi Freedom 
Democratic Party delegates, asserting that the com-
promise was not satisfactory in light of the great suf-
fering African Americans in Mississippi had endured 
throughout their lifetime and the great struggle Mis-
sissippi Freedom Democratic Party organizers and dele-
gates overcame to attend the Democratic National Con-
vention; 
Whereas, as a result of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic 
Party’s presence at the 1964 Democratic National Con-
vention, the national Democratic party pledged that Afri-
can Americans would be allowed to participate in all fu-
ture Democratic party activities in Mississippi; 
Whereas Mississippi now has the highest number of African 
American elected officials of all the States in the Nation;