Sid Simon Photographs

Mississippi in 1965 was a dangerous place for African American communities. A common target of hate crimes were community churches, which were often burned down by the Ku Klux Klan. Following up on the civil rights activism of Queens College students during the 1964 Mississippi Freedom summer, Professor Sidney Simon helped coordinate two student trips to Mississippi to help in church rebuilding efforts. The projects were developed by the Committee of Concern, a group of Mississippi religious leaders. The local communities did not have enough money to hire people for reconstruction, instead working on the buildings themselves on weekends and in free hours. Volunteer help was much needed and appreciated.

Two trips were organized, the first for two weeks in January/February 1965, and the second during the Easter Recess. Sid Simon was the faculty advisor for the first trip, which created the photographic documentation that comprises this collection. Professor Steve Zeigfinger served as the faculty advisor for the second trip. Though there were faculty advisors, students organized and funded the trip themselves. A transport car was donated to them by the Woodcrest Commune in Rifton, NY.

The first trip consisted of six students: Jon Alexander, Nick (“Gus”) Pereos, Walt Jarsky, Art Gatti, Robert Masters, and Bob Madden. They worked primarily in Tougaloo and Jackson, Mississippi. The second trip’s members were Bob Madden again, Marc Helman, Lewis Fein, Ronny Pollack, and Bob Morrissey. This group worked on churches around Meridian, Mississippi.