Tent City, also called Freedom Village, was an encampment outside of Memphis in Fayette County, Tennessee for African Americans who were evicted from their homes and blacklisted from buying amenities as retaliation for registering to vote during the Civil Rights Movement. It began in 1960 and lasted about two years.
In 1960, 1,400 Black Americans registered to vote in deeply segregated Fayette County. In retaliation, white landowners evicted 257 Black sharecroppers from their homes. Shepard Towles, a local Black landowner, let the displaced farmers camp on his land. Towles stated, "These people had nowhere to go. I decided to let them come in free, let them use the water from my deep well—as long as it lasts."[1] This became known as Tent City.[2] Previously, John McFerren and Harpman Jameson founded the Fayette County Civic and Welfare League to 'promote civil and political and economic' community progress.[2] McFerren, Jameson, and J.F. Estes, a Memphis lawyer, travelled to Washington, D.C. to lobby the Justice Department to intervene on behalf of the sharecroppers. The Civil Rights Act of 1957 prohibits "against intimidating, coercing or otherwise interfering with the rights of persons to vote for the President and members of Congress." The white community then retaliated further by refusing to sell groceries and other amenities to Black registered voters.
National attentionedit
McFerren appealed to national newspapers to draw attention to the plight of residents in Tent City.[3]Gulf Oil, Texeco, and Esso refused to deliver gasoline to McFerren's store. The NAACP called for a national boycott of these chains.[2] Attorney General Robert Kennedy ordered the Justice Department to investigate civil rights violations in Fayette County.[1] The AFL-CIO published a pamphlet, Tent City... "Home of the Brave" calling for donations.[1] In 1961, trucks arrived with 150 tons of donated food and clothes.[2] National attention drew white civil rights advocates from Cornell University, the University of Wisconsin, and the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). The national attention intensified voter registration drives and this eventually led to black majority voter registration, though elections were still fixed in favor of whites.[2]
Dissolutionedit
The largest impromptu settlement on Towles' farm lasted approximately two years. Residents moved with other black families or relocated to other parts of Tennessee.[3]
Referencesedit
^ abcTent City... "Home of the Brave". Washington, D.C.: Industrial Union Department, AFL-CIO. p. 12.
^ abcdeHamburger, Robert (1973). Our Portion of Hell, Fayette County, TN: An Oral History of the Struggle for Civil Rights. New York: Links Books. ISBN0825630223.
^ abViola McFerren. Oral history interview. Civil Rights Oral History Project. Special Collection Division, Nashville Public Library.
Further readingedit
Wynn, Linda T. (Fall 1996). "Toward A Perfect Democracy: The Struggle of African Americans in Fayette County, Tennessee, to Fulfill the Unfulfilled Right of the Franchise". Tennessee Historical Quarterly. 55 (3): 202–223.
External linksedit
"Tent City: Stories of Civil Rights in Fayette County, Tennessee". University of Memphis. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
Hillman, Jacque; Hart, Jimmy. "'Tent City'". Jackson Sun. Retrieved 3 April 2017. - Section 4 of the "October 1960: The Untold Story of Jackson's Civil Rights Movement" series by the newspaper Jackson Sun
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tent, city, tennessee, tent, citypart, civil, rights, movementdate1960, 1962locationfayette, county, haywood, county, tennesseecaused, bycivil, rights, 1957, murder, trial, burton, dodson, white, juryresulted, incatalyst, pass, civil, rights, 1960partiescivic,. Tent CityPart of the Civil Rights MovementDate1960 1962LocationFayette County and Haywood County in TennesseeCaused byCivil Rights Act of 1957 Murder trial of Burton Dodson All white juryResulted inCatalyst to pass Civil Rights Act of 1960PartiesCivic and Welfare League CWL Fayette County Civic and Welfare League Haywood County Civic and Welfare League United States Commission on Civil Rights National Association for the Advancement of Colored People NAACP Fayette County Democratic Executive Committee White Citizens Council WCC Ku Klux Klan KKK Tent City also called Freedom Village was an encampment outside of Memphis in Fayette County Tennessee for African Americans who were evicted from their homes and blacklisted from buying amenities as retaliation for registering to vote during the Civil Rights Movement It began in 1960 and lasted about two years Contents 1 Origins 2 National attention 3 Dissolution 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksOrigins editIn 1960 1 400 Black Americans registered to vote in deeply segregated Fayette County In retaliation white landowners evicted 257 Black sharecroppers from their homes Shepard Towles a local Black landowner let the displaced farmers camp on his land Towles stated These people had nowhere to go I decided to let them come in free let them use the water from my deep well as long as it lasts 1 This became known as Tent City 2 Previously John McFerren and Harpman Jameson founded the Fayette County Civic and Welfare League to promote civil and political and economic community progress 2 McFerren Jameson and J F Estes a Memphis lawyer travelled to Washington D C to lobby the Justice Department to intervene on behalf of the sharecroppers The Civil Rights Act of 1957 prohibits against intimidating coercing or otherwise interfering with the rights of persons to vote for the President and members of Congress The white community then retaliated further by refusing to sell groceries and other amenities to Black registered voters National attention editMcFerren appealed to national newspapers to draw attention to the plight of residents in Tent City 3 Gulf Oil Texeco and Esso refused to deliver gasoline to McFerren s store The NAACP called for a national boycott of these chains 2 Attorney General Robert Kennedy ordered the Justice Department to investigate civil rights violations in Fayette County 1 The AFL CIO published a pamphlet Tent City Home of the Brave calling for donations 1 In 1961 trucks arrived with 150 tons of donated food and clothes 2 National attention drew white civil rights advocates from Cornell University the University of Wisconsin and the Religious Society of Friends Quakers The national attention intensified voter registration drives and this eventually led to black majority voter registration though elections were still fixed in favor of whites 2 Dissolution editThe largest impromptu settlement on Towles farm lasted approximately two years Residents moved with other black families or relocated to other parts of Tennessee 3 References edit a b c Tent City Home of the Brave Washington D C Industrial Union Department AFL CIO p 12 a b c d e Hamburger Robert 1973 Our Portion of Hell Fayette County TN An Oral History of the Struggle for Civil Rights New York Links Books ISBN 0825630223 a b Viola McFerren Oral history interview Civil Rights Oral History Project Special Collection Division Nashville Public Library Further reading editWynn Linda T Fall 1996 Toward A Perfect Democracy The Struggle of African Americans in Fayette County Tennessee to Fulfill the Unfulfilled Right of the Franchise Tennessee Historical Quarterly 55 3 202 223 External links edit Tent City Stories of Civil Rights in Fayette County Tennessee University of Memphis Retrieved 2 April 2017 Hillman Jacque Hart Jimmy Tent City Jackson Sun Retrieved 3 April 2017 Section 4 of the October 1960 The Untold Story of Jackson s Civil Rights Movement series by the newspaper Jackson Sun nbsp This Tennessee related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tent City Tennessee amp oldid 1139177084, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
