In the summer of 1964, 700 civil rights activists traveled to Mississippi to help end a century of Jim Crow laws. The mostly young, white college students taught in Freedom Schools, worked to register black voters, and often put themselves in danger.
Author Bruce Watson recounts the events of that tumultuous time in his new book "Freedom Summer" which also includes the stories of several Vermonters. Shaftsbury resident Chris Williams was just 18 years old when he made his way down to Mississippi. Wally Roberts is a community organizer and freelance journalist from Williamstown. They spoke VPR’s Mitch Wertlieb about the events of 1964.