What Does a Freedom House Mean to You?
"A Freedom House
was part of a network of spaces organized by the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) as part of the planning for the Mississippi Summer Project (Freedom Summer) in 1964. These Freedom Houses existed across the state and were safe spaces for the nearly 900 Freedom Summer volunteers and other activists from COFO and various organizations to stay, work, and meet. 'Freedom House' became a generic term for these spaces throughout the civil rights movement, not just during Freedom Summer. They were most often owned and controlled by Black Mississippians. Communities defined local Freedom Houses in their own ways, which changed over time and from place to place.”
Dr. Robert Luckett, Professor, Jackson State University
Director, Margaret Walker Center
Director, COFO Civil Rights Education Center
"A Freedom House
was a safe place for those involved with the civil rights movement of the late 1960s and served as the movement's headquarters in its perspective localities."
Dr. Felicia King, Owner, Indianola Freedom House
"A Freedom House
was a place where the budding promises of tomorrow was able to thrive. The dreams of a future manifested beyond the hatred of societal men and women. An opportunity for Black American men, women, and children to ignite the fire of resistance, to stand toe to toe against all others who denied them their right to be human beings.”
Anne McMillion
"Freedom Houses
represent the safe social and political spaces Black leaders formed from resistance to racial oppression. These spaces nurtured leaders physically, spiritually, and emotionally and supported their dreams of a racially equitable and just society."
Judith Roberts, Owner, CC Bryant House
"Freedom Houses
were essential spaces of the Civil Rights Movement, providing shelter and organizational hubs for grassroots activists. These homes met practical needs while also symbolizing defiance against racial oppression and embodying the Movement's place-making efforts. Often the residences of local Black families, Freedom Houses facilitated community collaboration and offered a firsthand view of Black resilience and creativity under the oppression of Jim Crow, sometimes incorporating armed self-defense alongside non-violence. By naming these spaces 'Freedom Houses,' activists engaged in political place-making, reimagining the geography of the racially segregated South as part of a broader struggle for social and spatial transformation."
Katrina Stack, PhD Candidate, University of Tennessee