Minneapolis spokesman., 1963-03-14
Gregory Will Sell
Records TO Help
Miss. Food Crisis

to collect $37, 900 in order to cover
the cost Of the us. surplus food
distribution program to over 26, 900
destitute Negro and white farm
workers in LeFlore County Miss
issippi.
The money will be raised by the
sale Of a record album called my
Brothers Keeper" The LIP, Of
which a limited number of $1,000
copies have been made, is the tape
of a question and answer session
following Mr.. Gregory's perform
ance at San Diego State College
February 10th.
The albums were expected to ar
rive in Chicago Saturday, March
End, and to go on sale locally at
the Tivon Theater 63rd and Cot
tage Grove. A Loop location will
be announced shortly. Sites for ma
tional distribution have not yet
been determined.
The price of the record will be
set at a $3.50. All proceeds, less
the manufacturing cost Of $50,
will be turned over to Mr.. c. e.
Lipscomb, President Of the Le-
Flore County Board Of supervisors.
On February 11th, Gregory air
lifted $4,000 pounds Of food to
Greenwood, Mississippi when it
was learned that local officials
had refused to. accept continued
shipments Of us. Department Of
Agriculture surplus foods on which
thousands Of families rely for SUBJ
sistence.
At that time, Mr.. Gregory
charged the food program had
been cutoff because a campaign
had begun in May, 1862 to register
all eligible Negro voters.
Gregory said, II can't believe the
whole thing Is just a coincidence.
From all that I can determine the
Mississippi officials acted in re-
prisal simply because Negroes at
tempted to exercise their rights as
citizens"
The LeFlore county board OF
supervisors has denied this charge
and has claimed that they with
drew from the surplus food pro-
gram because they could no longer
afford the storage and distribution
costs which came to about $37, ,00C
annually.
Il am perfectly willing to give
them the benefit of the doubt
Mr. Gregory said further. IF they
really can't afford the program
and are sincerely interested in
feeding these people, then I can't
see why they should refuse the
; $37, 900 when give it to them"
: BACKGROUND:
Surplus Commodity Program II
LeFore County Mississippi
]. Since 1856, surplus foods have
been given freely to the state oi
Mississippi by the us. Department
of Agriculture. In the 1961-62 fis
cal year, Mississippi received SLY
million worth Of this surplus, most
ly in such basic foods such as but
ter, milk, cheese, flour and po
tatoes.
2. Each county In the state de-
cides If 1t wants the food. If 6
county joins, it must pay the stor'
age and distribution costs. Out o.
"a counties in Mississippi, 81 still
participate in the program.
8. It appears that LeF1ore Coun'
ty discontinued surplus distribu
ton because voter registration at
tempts touched off enough anti
Negro sentiment to give the white
groups which have always beer
opposed to the program enough
power to force the county board ot
supervisors to discontinue 1t.
4. The action, while not resulting
in widespread starvation, has caus.
ed serious food shortages. When
the first shipment Of food reached
Greenwood, Mississippi, February
11th, there were lines stretching
for many blocks outside the dis
tribution centers.
8. LeFlore county has a popul-
alton Of $4,000. The Negro popula-
ton is over $1,000. In the entire
country there are 312 Negro regis
tered voters.
File No. 99755