Memorandum from Bosma; Reporter's Notebook: Rights Marchers' Pride News Clipping

    nea
NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION ' 1201

WILLARO H. MCGUIRE, President
BERNIE FREITAG, vice President
MARY HATWOOO FUTRgLL, Secretarv'Treasurer

February 24, 1982

ME14ORANDUM

To:

From: BoYd Bosma

Re: Maggie Bozeman and Julia Wilder

MaJor national attention is now being-glven to, the cases of l''laggie Bozeman

and Julia l,lilaer-oi Fickens Couniv' iliOama: wlo recently began respective

sentences of four and fju. y.u"r-;;; iesuii of react'ions by offic'ials to

their efforts in'.lgittruiii,n ana-voting by elderly black people'

Much of the current published material about the case has inaccuracies or

orovides incompl.i. lna.titanO1ng of the context in r'rhich the events have

ffi;;";i.llj.""ir.'rs pg?g1 is gn.uitl*pi to-i,iJ-uinat r knovr to what is current'lv

the first effori'in"ig8z to uring-i iorrection of a serious.civil rights

oroblem and to build support tor=rln"wai-oi the Voting Right Act t:''ough

ilrect action techniques.

BB:cv
Attachment

TEACHER RIGHTS

16th St., N.W., Washington, D C 20036 o (2O2t 833'4267
TERRY HERNOON, Erecutive Oirector

o'.
o '.

"F*



Pickens County, A'labama

Maggie Bozeman, 51, has been a teacher fot Z-l.years in the Citv of Aliceville

rn pickens county, Arabama. nr-iilria.nt oi t'nE'.ir.iv-6runcn'or the NAACP,

Maqqie has led fbr a number.l vElli:;;-ili;9ing iiitniion to a wide varietv

of-ibuses, ill.guiiii.r',-i.a-ailcriminatory u.iiriii.i in tnt countv school

system and i n h:;' iil;i'uii-.oun;v il;;;tmlnts ' ltasgi e's daushter ' Punta '
i6;-i; a student at Howard University'

Julia t'lilder, 69, -a former 1i9.9* now living on a pension' h4s been her

oartner in many 6f these activitiei; ;;;'IlS-it-pleiideni' of the countv

thapter of the sortn..n-Cnilrtiin-i;.;;;thii con?e.ence' Julia will be

70 ln August.

when Maggie first contacted the NES for.assistance with the county's school

desesregation pf in-i;i-tha-earii Tg'ioil'uTiir iitir"iir-rrad never oeen permitted

to attend . ,.r,oii uoura-*."t.irng';;;-i.;;;ing-iondi ti ons i n the al I -bl ack

school in Aliceviije were as po6r as any alg3 in the country' There were

never enough.[iir and erase"r"io.-ihE tnirr<uoirai ind papei for the students

was unattainable.

A series of letters to the superintendent' ,the school board chairman' the

board attorney]"uni iiniiiv th.';l;;i;-b;;"a "tqutii!n9.un 
au.dience of black

citizens, who l.fiilirr."iuoit- iiy"" 6i' ine countv"poputlliol, I:"e met with a

wtde vari.tv oi"i!ch;;.;i;;i.i-liniir-iinirrv irrl iisffict was forced to

comply with the Aiil;,,:.;irninil.-'ii*;' r.quiring puuiic meetinqs' A form

requestins an ;r;i;;"-*u, a.r.Tip"i'uni-in" itf,obi uoard annolnced in the

rocar n.rrpup.i"I'i.iir;n-{,ii'[Ei; on-a moniii-it 7:30 p.m- As the b'lack

parents arrived ;.;iy, Ii or+o'p'.i.1 !r-!:.:ui.'tn.v could set into the

meetins, tn. ,}',Iii 
'i'ottJ *t*utis lire-c91ing'o'i o? the door' Asked about

the 7:30 published starting.time, the superintinJent's response was that the

board d'id not';;;; ir.h Uuiin"tI'una-anvwav tn"v1,,"rt meeting on daviight

fiiu 
iilfi.';m,*+,f #11 Hlt,^yi L:;tlU,;i 

=: 

: 
I ll *i I :',,f E' I lffi' I; " "

Tutwirer statJ p.niiliriraii iir"r.romen, the sdfioot board chairman would save

a chair for trlaggie next to hi;,;il;i;g unuY'inYone wno attempted to sit in
It.
l,laqqieandJuliaattacked.alargg.lYTb"Igl.issues,inc]udinqsafetyandhealth
coiAftions for county workersl'iiiiity servi.lil-pi, it'"ts, ior municipal

employees, ambulance servi.. io-ihe Uiact toniunl[V' ana others' always using

;f;E';i;il; t;-ierorm itser r'

Therehasneverr'reen-ablack.electedofficialinPickenscounty'exceptfor
a few mayors ii.' ;ilitl irorutlo-iii-uiack conrnuniti.t. Attemots to obtain

appointment oi"uioir deputy.reeistra.rs *"." "u['i;;-in igig ind 1980' 0nlv

recently have a few conrmissloi'ippointments openua-'p' entirely because of

ifri-etfit"ts of I'iaggie ar'1 Ju'lia ::';

Julta l,lilder serves as a.menser of the Pickens county economi:' development

sorn..ssion, significant beca;;; ;i iii ttpact-as lnaustrial development

et



2.

oroceeds on the Tombigbee River, which-runs through.the county' which lies
Illi"oi'r;;.;i;";;"';;'il; ptissiitippi lln.. There is speculation it was

necessary to .uioiu-Jrii; io eii*iilt. ,,interference" from the brack com-

ffiiii-;i riio" economic development proceeds.

Last year l,laggie decided to go after the county to provide p-aved roads for

the b'tack neigniorn;A;: 
-iavl.i;;.9oat on'lv-to the end of white residen-

tlal areas. n ietter was sent identiiying several coilaterar areas: ser',age'

chlldren's safety, school buses;-il;hi1tg'. iidewalks'and the health and

safety hazards of open-ditches ifongiiOe-ine roads' After a visit by a

staff member of the NMcp g.n..Ii-ciuni.i's office in Nerv York, pointing

out similar casei'ivhere coilrts f,ia-iri"a'on aiscriminatory provision of

pubric servi..r]'in.ilii.6-b.i*',-ilili.iiiippi, tne roads b-egan to be built.

Plans for the county to raise sanitation'rrorkers' Puy bv !]-:1? an hour (they

now receive liiiie io.. than miniru,r-*ig.)-ry:re met by a proposal for a

1Z.ZS hourly "uii" 
ina-suUsiaV'oi paia-neifth and denial insurance' The

discussion was adiourned to Janla.;-!i, int-Juv I'iaggie 11a? to qo to Tutrviler'

Alabama has a tuiiion reimbursernent larv-design".a i6"utsist teaihers directiy

wlth cost, of *ui..iJft-to" children not proviJ.a OV the schools' l^lhen the

dlstrict pocxei;-th;-*on"y' uoori-SZSO pql teacher, Iiaggie obtained a

ruling from the state attoiney gl..i.i' -it1" aistrict ignored the ruling'
This year wnen-t[e-board met to'ili on the approp-riation' I'laggie sent a

notarized, two_ientence letter rE*inoing ttiem.of the ruling and urging com-

prance w.ith thl iJ*l--t.r.irrv zb6"c;;i;;i tF nota.ized Ietter vrere passed

out to rp..tutoir.-"Ho iiiioi ;;; ;;i;;-ana tne meeting was adiourned to

JanuarY Il.
t, 

Th. pickens County Superintendent of Schools is e1ected' B'lack voters

resrstered by ill;ii;-;;l'i;ii;-;;uid not oust the previous .superintendent
tn 1978, urt t'nli'lia"i'. ;;Bo: 

-nitnougn r4aseig,r,u! .r:P:19:d from her

teaching.positio'1 ariing appeals of th6 case, the new superintendent and

tjre board have'u..n muc6 rnbie responsive to the IIMCP.

Former county commissioner.and-probate iulgg-Robert Kirksey became increas-

tnsly disturbei-"Jin-tinl" r,rugsiE ipor" grt^9. liiy;:-o:l:rL tne countv board

of trustees. He was quoted ll ine'llasnington Post as sayirig., "They constantly

harassed pub1i.-oiii.iiii. 
- rn.v *...-uru,iys c6-rrng diiturbances." He

reacted to 
',raggie,s 

quiet insilt.n."-on ueing-neara in July of l98l , by im-

oosrng a rure that no person ;ilie-;r;n rp"u( ii-tne publiL meetinss of rhe- 
.

,board unless he or she had ""iulii.;';; 
b:-;iui.a-on the agenda on specific

iiiir.s at least two vreeks in advance'

H:nli.i:ffi'[:l.t] Ili,f"Il :fiilli4l;lri lf;:'?I.]lt' :?'Iil: 3m'l'ffill:li'.'
order, even tn"irg"h sone migitt-ifiinl he had imposed a ga9 rule' Ihe letter
uren saio, tn'lil".'ii*.oriiv,-ir we]1. as to ;;;; tim6 ior-the countv' the

*Mcp branch was hereby ".qr.lt;;9"6'ue-piaced 
automatica'lly on the agenda



3.

r,each time any of the follovring-issues rvas discussed." The'letter then listed
about 30 items.oru.ins-virtuaTly everything the trustees might ever want to
dlscuss. The teiter rvis read. iln.n t-tre neit item of business on the agenda

was raised, t,iaggi.-rpolu to it. The issue has never been raised since.
iiirri.v-"ei.niiv'i.i[-rtit-oqt!1ion to become resistrar..at the^un'iversitv of
Ai;ffii, io*. siy because bt his inabi'lity to squelch itiagg'ie Bozen.n'

Louis Coleman, 5'1, has been sheriff of Pickens County for 20 years and'

ili.iai.g-to rifac[, citizens, runs thingl-il tng olo stvle of rural sheriffs
ln the deep south. 

-i-tiiriei, 
in-March"l9B1, with blacks who had returned to

iiie-lorniy'after'itving-in-in. north. Louie coleman paid a. visit to warn

them about associiiing"witl1 t'tuggie Bozernan. - They decided she must be im-

portant to kno', look6d her upl'und b..ume involved in civil rights activities.
There are rumori tnut Coleman'controls bootleggltrg-1!d-drugs in the county

and some peopl.'U.ii.r.-f,. priis in as much ai-$S'000,000 a year from these

activities. 1re-Foii artici. poinieJ out that some supporters of the tvto

women wonder "nowff Uii.f itril rigltp activists can be indicted for voter

fraud lvhile u fliif-lozen biack niEt,tilybs in private homes do a booming

il;i;.;; pouring'booiitg ivhiskev-lin,what-!1 nyrfortediv a drv countv--a

f,iir-*ile'from irre aistiict attorney's office' "

ilhen visiting pickens county last l,1arch, I was taken to see the nraior (cnly?)

tourist attraction-ir-: i-fi;- the-;ghost"-of Hqnry l'Jells' a freed s'lave vrhose

face was etched in glass, accordtng to-legend: as he peered.from an attic
wlndorv of the county courthous.-in"tg7g ai a iynch mob. Although_white-and

brack version, oi"ii,.-i.g.no airier, free pampirlets in the sheriff's office
repeat the storY

In the spring of l98l the IIMCP branch announced to the county Board of
Trustees and to tnl-nticev.i'lle city council .the intent to have an appointed

rip..i.ntiilve'ui "r."v-otti.lut 
mieting and requested recognition of the

sp6kesp""ron. n-toliqyy, ietter stressing !h9 role of cit'izens in a demo-

;i.;tia'society ana-iaitiirs tor similar paiticipation by other community

"i.oroi 
was pr6titnuJ-in tn. 'local paper. I'iaggie Bozeman began to receive

Elii!'f6r-uiiistance frrom local white citizens who did not have resources

oi-ifreii orn for-reioiv'ing problems and a number of whites--perhaps-35--
ictuiifv joined'the-ioca'l"NMCP, an unheard-of-precedent for a rural com-

munlty in-Alabama's Black Belt.

The Election of 1978 and ]980 and the Trials

In I97g the local branch of the NAACP made a major effort. to register b'lack

,litiiil -ii.p.it.o 
requests to county officials (Judce Kirksev) for aopoint-

ment of black i$rtt-;;qistrars *er! ignored, and the same happeneo in .l930.

iliigiie unO-Jrf ii"piinn.i to p"ovide asiistance anway under the protection
oi'in-ntabama law'permitting assistance to voters on request'

#"



4.

Although the women were largely unsuccessful in obtaining e'lection of their
candidates, they1n'ii. leaJeisnlp;;-;i;rmea. In 1980, biack voting 'increased

;;;;gh-i;-oust the county superintendent of schools and to earn rnore con-

siderate ..rponr.-to Utalk cbnce;;;;;a Maggie in part'icular, by 'local of-
flcials and the newsPaper.

In an attempt to get registration and voting by o1der, sometimes l'l'literate
or inftp biack citizeni, the committee solicited applications for absentee
Uat i ots from persons unl i kety to vote otherli se. Magg.l e and .Jul i a pi cked

up miltiple cbpies of absent ballot app'lications and obtained signatures or'
ih in. cis. of il'literate voters, had the applications signed with an "X."
0n the form, completed ballots were to be sent to the committee at one of
three addreises, none of wh'ich was Maggie's. i,'laggie had the specific respon-
iiUitity for voier etlucation and training. - After bal'lots t'/ere received'
Jriia W'i1ae" and other members of the committee (again not including Maggie)
Uiought the ballots to the voters for final completion.. -If asked for
asslitance or advice on whom to vote for, they provided it.

It ls important to stress that up to thi.s.time a'll of the activities were

legal and designed to overcome ilti-t"uaitions of nonvot'ing in the black com-

munity. Attorney Solomon SeaV liiesied this point in the trials' but it
appears that thl'iuiv-aia nof r.i.ive aaequatb instructions from Judge Junkin.

perhaps five members of the cormnittee, incrudinq Juria but not t'laggie, who was

teaching that day, brought the;ffii;i.i uuiloti to a black funeral director,
paul Rollins, in"iuscal6osa, ouiiib. the county, for notarization' Rollins is

unclear in his testimony in Ootfi-cisei as to *i'etft"" l'lqSSi.g.'u:-pl::!t]:^ii1
nli-..ri,t.i-.rid;;;;'*ui"pr"tentea, presumably because it did not seem lmpor-

tant at the time, the impressio.-'i.l.v nir. u.-,,n left that t'laggie had carried

t;re ballots in'i'Uroin p!O"i Uus. bn assurances from the women present'

Rorins notarir.a-si uaitbts, u'i..r,nia;i vioiation because the ballots

were supposed to-hive Ueen notariiea in the presence of the voters' tlo

charges, howevei,.'i.t.-Uiorgf,t'.giint-t .itnei" Rol lins, who violated his

requirements UV'noiiriz'ing,-o. iny of the other women involved'

According to the women, no.other black notary was ava'i]able to them in

Aricevire at in."iir6, ino rt-is-uniir.eiv a white notary vrould have agreed'

to vislt each 6i-tfi. ,.ters in their homei. Unfortunately, newspaper coveraqe

has repeated the iiuiil-ifrat Naggi. .uiiiqd.!he bag with the ballotq' even

though no abseniee Uatlot ever ias traced directly to her.

Sophle spann was 79 at the electlon and died shortly after the trial ' Ac-

cording to the'ior[,-ir,e naa ,;;;il inu rn""iti;s-s6n-in-raw, Sreven r'lcBride'

who also servest-, i aeputv. A white woman named "t'lrs. charlene"t came to

plck up sophi.'tl'ritE-;i-in. 
'rt6i:"-in io.ntan' across the river from

Alrcevire. 0n arriving, rn"-*il'ioiI i-uirroi nio alreadv been submitted

for her in Aliieville. -t'lrs.-Spunn-i"iiit"O tn" n"'"" vbt'ei anvwhere but in

cochran, and u-inollenge uutto["*ut'iii;.- M;;. ipunn later said, "I ain't

r The transcrtor'tdentlfles her as Mrst !li"Jene Bovd, a "p91llnq gIIt:lul"'
Mrs. Spann s*,,rt:ilr ,lI go to th;t i[orl-ir..i tir" to-vote. If I don't go

there'' Charlene sends for me.'' oo't'

et



.\, 
.

' .;

been over there (Aliceville) and I ain't told nobody to vote for me

there. rr

5.

ever
over

Julra wilder berieves Mrs. spann i,was senire or she forgot--ol she was just

olain scared." Because of her i.uth last year' th; truln probably wi]1

hever be known f;:;;;.-'r{ii;i.ii-r.no*n-is-thai Louis coreman took her to

lunch ("dinner" 'in the transcriiil''iilIaiittlv ueiore she testified in the

trial. She also ;uia; u'itt't t"gitl it tnt snel'iff ' she rvould do "whatever

he wanted me to'aoli-6ui'insi;#ll; ;il"-.in;l-told me to sav nothins'"

Another witness in l,lqssie Bozeman.s trial was Mrs. Lou Sommervi]]e, 94,

who walked severii Uf6ifs to ,.i"*I in Marcn and told how she had stood

up ln the courtroom' looked tne-shlriit in the eye' and s-aid she couid not

siy what he had totd her to ,uy,-ii.i it was.Io;'i6on Uefore she coujd meet

her maker, and she could not go'to"ieuven with i iie on her conscience' In

her words, as reported in the rouisriiie'oeienaer, "The ]a\'ryer said to me'

drdn,t r4s. aozemln come to *v rrouie and tm-rr,ake me]et her fix up my

ballot. rt wasn,t true, :g I tlil-r.iiin-t;m"tne G;6'i child' and the Lord

doesn,t want . ii!.-'i-iuia i n.r. to't"ti the truth. i*o matter horv many

times they ask me, I'm going.to*ilti-tnE truth'i -Lou Son'rnervijle' as Cid

each of the otnei'rotu.i-.uir.i in'r,ruigi.;i-iriat, inciuding Sophie spann'

testified she h;l;;";;ntiit *itt' Miglie.concetnins either the applications

or the ballots,-Ini'uii, 
-except'ioii-36p[ie-Spunn'"inaitated satisfaction

iitt tn" fi'ling of their votes'

The Pickens cOunty Prosecutor, Preslgy :'P9P" Johnston' contacted the sheriff'

who impoundea t'hI'baliot boxes,'i;-;hich thev i;;;J-g9 Uutlots notarized bv

paul Rollin, on"i6.-ru*.9ay:.'ffriee charges were brought' that the women

had voted *or.'*,.i ;;;; i;"tn.'lilil.iliii-Frimaiv nunrorr Erection of

September 26, tii8, hac voted more than ontt ui air absentee voter' and had

cabt illegat or-friudulent. uUr"iil.'Uiifoii ,nicn tney knew to be fraudu'lent'

All-white juri;r';;;e'uoir, or"in!-ror.r-grit.tv-ot ati three counts and set

sentence ror miigii-dor.*un ut iilr"i"irt-ina ?or Juiia r,Jilder at five vears

in"i[I-p.niteniiirv on t4av 3] ' le79'

The attitude of local officia'ts toward black voting drive 911 
bt sumrned up

ln a statement'in"6li.ilu""- igar;-6v F'; i;hn;;;; io-ntt" media in Birminsham'

il rePotted bY the qefender:

.,Theycouldhavebeen.arrestedonotherchargessince.their
conviction.' Their etrorti-ii-tn! polrs have continued' They

are not satisfied witn ,oiing.themselves. They have been

brlnsing'pioii"-into tn"-ioiil;g p'lu!::' watchins them vote'

tnststi,ls'it[v-ui iitowea' to asiist people."

o'.
a

-f



rh+J

6.

The Atabama court of appeals reiected the women's appeal on the technical

il;r;A;-irlit tn.-iurv tbuld convict on testimonv-?l-ll:!-o?:.*itness even

[f,ougf, att the other witnesses brought by the prosecutiol !there l',ere no

defense r';i tnesseii-f,uO ind1cated there hld been no t'rrongdoi 19' The

Alabama supreme-i6u;i, thi.h trid been expected to reverse the conviction'
aenita a wi^it or iertiorari and did not hear the case' presumably because

oi a fack of p.o..ariui v'ioiations in the first triais. The united States

Supreme Court this fall also aeniea Cert and did not hear the appeal' (The

ffi;;" ;.i;;iiy -ii.i"t-onli i smat 1 percentase or appea'l s ' )

Julia and Maggie operated in 1980 much as they had in 1978, despite the

convictions. A-twlive-member committee vtas formed. None of the members

tria a-iar, but tliey covered most of the back roads in the county.

To ensure that voter registrations would be reported to.the correct-polling
pi.Iiiil llaggie insisted the.ornty glect]ons board provide a copv of all
it.-i.giiliitionr-6.orgr,i in. -oeipite this, a number of black voters t'rho

ile;;gi;i"i.a-ui.r. i.po"t.Jty toti there was no record of the registration
when theY aPPeared to vote.

A run-in with Deputy Sheriff I'lcBride occurred when two white professors. from

t1,e University-ol-Aiauama took-plctures.of deputies taking Pictures of black

voters as they ru"t.J their papEr Uit'lots on bpen-!l!]e: (there were still
no closed voting-i66ini in pi.[.ns county in the'1980 elections.)- l^lhen a

qroup, inctudi;; M;;;i;, iorght out JudgL Junkin to file an assault charge'

[e pbintedly refused to file the charge'

After the 1979 conviction, Maggie Bozeman's public services (gas' electricity'
ilG;,-jna t"ruir.'on.-ri.i.'shul-off the next day and her state Farm insurance

oolicies on her house and car vJere imrnediately-canceled,.what many felt was

5;'o6;i;ui'inuttation for arson. So many black votes had been registered'
troweve., that the Alabama governor's campaign manager for the area inter-

,:ii;;j: 'fne utilities were restored and arringements were made for Maggie
,..ib-mii. her insurance payments direct'ly to the state office of State Farm,

bypassing the locai agent-

Maggie was, however, suspended from her teaching position fol'lowing the-con-
vii[ion penalng tf,e'compietion of appeals. After the Supreme Court failed
to act, her diimissal became effective.

,lulla Wilder's financial situation has not changed greatly,.as she is a

wiaon wi th a imal 1 pensi on . t'laggi e Bozeman, however, I ost her sal ary and

iiii Ue"n unabie to bbtain publii-welfare or food star,rps, living for the
past two years-on tne help'of relatives and friends. She has accumulated

i-i..g. nirmber of back f,ills and is, at the time of the writing,'our
monttri behind on her house payments in Aliceville'

ot, ' ..



LEa

7.

Recent Events

Maggie and Julia were scheduled to be sent to Tutwiler State Penitentiary
for l,lomen foliorvi;;'; pilbiiion.ty hearing on. Decer"rber 3' l98l ' When more

than 350 persons i..irla at the clurthous6, which holds about 200' Judge

iiiriir n-poitponea ii nat sentenci ng unti'l January 'i I ' I982 '

During this period, attempts were made to negotiate various compromises in

order to keep tne-women oirt of the penitentiiry. One of these rvould have

been assignment to"i *o.r. reteaie-plogri* !n -t-ne 
custody of the black sheriff

ln l4acon County, where Tuskegee initliute is located. At the end of a

reasonable period, six or eignt montns, a probationery hearing wouid have

been held before iras; Jun[in. M;ggig'ana'.:utia fe]C such an action might

comoromise their defense effort;d; believing they had not done what they

;#E'I'r,iii.i y1itn,-opt.d to take the sentence to Tutwiler'

By January 11 other groups had.been made aware of the women's plight' Anne

Braden of the Sorif,.tn-Organi.]!;-a.t!rittee for Economic and Socia'l Justice
played an impori.ri-i'6f . i. nqUiiciiing the case. The NMCP, the Ljnited

church of chr.iril"inL-ienter'io" cinitituiionat R'ights, anq others offered

legal assistanc.'in iur"ying oyt ipn.its., .Joe Reed, Associate Executive

Dlrector of the-niiui*a "Eauiation-[isociation-and president of the Alabama

Democratic Contere... pfJV.a a mignificent-rol,e in building state support'

ln bringing po)iticar irreisure iiom utack leaders in the state' and in
organizing fundi-;;e frbuiing for'ine-*o*.n, which t'ras not to be provided by

the state. The Soui6""n Cfriistiun i"ia""sntp Conference played the major

role in local community organirinsr--l; ..inbrt t'ime l8 nitional organizations

came together i; th;;ilaii6nat iiriiition to Free Maggie Bozeman and Julia
lfiij.i ind Extend the Voting Rights Act"'

As January 1'l affived expectations and involvement heightened' A prayer vigi'l
ln Carrollton, the county seat,-tio-Jivt p"to".to the ientenc'ing, brougll.9p0

people. l,lhite iuia.ii ii pi.t .ni'ad;"tt had alwavs claimed l4aggie and JdJia

had no support iffi-iocal blact<i. iln.l the sentencing, blacks have'con-

tinr6A io'bacr< public meetings in Pickens County

The January 1l hearing opened to a full. courtroom, with many remaining outside'

Flfteen wttnessei-tei[ified to'ine gooa iharacter of.t4aggiq 3.nd Julia and

oleaded for clemency. Judge .luntiinl as exPected, sentenced l'laggie and Ju'lia

6-i[.-Srry-prescri6ed four-and five-year terms'

Flve police cars had arrived 1! the Aliceville school to take Maggie off the

schooryard in tioni-oi tne-cniiaru. dur.ing the schoot day when charges had

frrst been brought. Nitnesses'tiv gi-i.pities were presLnt at the hearinq'

Seven were apparently considered necessaiy to bring the women to the peniten-

ii;il,';iir, rbri^-in iraggie,s car and three with JuIia.

o"



., L.-

8.

l.,laggie Bozeman had been briefed on the probability of going directly to
the penitentiary front the.heari^gl irJ had made pians for taking care of

her house anA aitaiis. The same=*ui ippi..ntty not true for Julia t'l'ilder'

lrlitnesses said she appeared to Ue"in shbct< and- did not apparently recog-

nrze ord fr.iends. Boyd Lewis oi-t'taiionar pub'ric Radio tord me how attorney

seay attempted ii g.i" her keys to iock _gp lgr house after she had been

olaced in the poliie car. l,then-iuiii-tihar.ly responded, a deputy slammed

[tl-ioo."u.iJtE-ine-coutd hand the kevs to seav

Appeals to Governor Fob James-and the state parole board began immediately'

Nine days after 1laggie and .lrfia-weni ii-iJti'i1er, the goveinor approved

their transfer to-i-wort< releasl ;;;t& in Tuskegee under iurisd'iction of

sheriff Lucius Amerson, on .oniitlln't[.v ,to.!. in-community service plans'

rvlaggie is teachifi'il i.i.nooi-iJ.-i:.iiifed cni'rdren' some of whom have

told the press ;ii; ia irrl rrrst i...h.. the.v ever had rvho,treats them like
real peopl e. ,:riiu 

' 
is 

-worki 
ng 

-i 
n-i-ionval eicent program for 

- 
the aged and

ls enjoyins it,-iiinough-uoilr"want-ana intena to return to Pickens county

as soon as they;;;.--il n." trEu-tiil, t'laggie is naik'ing and riding a

btcycle to lose *.iir.'t,.nJ,:rii;,-;h;'ry.ig!: less than ioo pounds' is

Jotnins tviass.i.'iii-,i.,E.iing ina iiiriil-.it1-!he manv old friends from the

Tuskegee ur.u and elsewh6re who come to visit'
'- i1

JEI Carro'lJ ton to Montqomer,v March

Led by SCLC and other organizations pa$]9lp.a.!inq in the National coalition'
ilre ,,March to Free Maggj. eor.*ii"lni-iriia'uli'ld6r and Extend the voting

tiint'r-h.i,,-i.it-cu""6irion in Ficrens county on Februarv 6 at noon'

Traveling appro*iil.ili, iAO^mifLi-if,to,gh nticeville' Eutaw' Greensboro'

lrtarion, Set*u,-inJ-[o*ia., Couniy,-in.-f,itglPti arrived in Montgomery' the
. state capitat oi"il"an.iaiv, r.t.',,,,i.v iz, ryitn i maior march and-rally planned

on Dexter nr.ni. ili;;ei;;-f6 tnu staie capital the next dav'

The Selma-to-l,1ont9omery portion was-e1Pecia]].y poignant in view of the past

hrstory. Rev. Joseph Lowery,'in.-icic"p..iiai,ni, ir'o'ted the march the fu'll

dtstance *us joiila'it-riiit,rr-iiinii,o! nit'ionu'i fieures, including coretta

iiigl A.ay yorng, Julian Bond' and others'

New songs and chants, many calling attention to i'laggie' Julla' and the voti'g

Rrghts Rct, rraie-iir.rqo;a. n popriir chant ii t..-.uit "Fired upr" repeared

by the aud'ience-r.r"iui'times' i[E; *itn-the call' "Ain't Gonna Take It t'lo

Morel,, The selma newspaper, ini.["riliiiiv isnor.i the march through the city'
as welr as the rarly at Brown;;-['1.r6per, *-n".e'*uin or the rg65 act'ivities had

centered, reportea inat Angelu"OIriil'*no is from Alabama, had attended a

consressionur 
'biI;<,-Lircus-nui.iiil.;1 4i votins R'ishts Act, but 'isnored the

content of the testimony. Th; irii.re then ciaimeo-that when Joe Lowry had

appeared uetore-cirii .ignts !uipJ.t.ir, ir,. i[ini-tio been "0n Firer 0n Fire!

0n Firel rl

a .'.'



9.

gne of the ironies is that Maggie and Julia, who supported.Clatus Junkin
ior election as probate judge,-had opposed conservative Fob .lames for
goveinor in the blection in-which charges were brought.

Junkin is the judge who sent the women to iail. He may have been imrnortal-
i;aa uy Jo. ro*eiv-r,rro-.irled him a "shy'lgak". as the march left carrollton.
I showia Lowery t"he February G _Post artlcie about the march wh'iie we sat
in-iront or grAwn'ii g1,upet.- Tniljudge nas identified in the article as
iCf uytur ihylock'.lrnkin,-4.l ." Shtlg;f i:. nol.Junkin's middle narne' The

aitiife is 6eing..piinied this Gek in the At'lanta Joulngl and will un-

aoJUi.AtV be us6d by other publications as source materiai

Fob James, on the other hand, is under pressure both from the b'lack community
and from a white backjash due to agreement to place I'laggie and Julia in the
work re]ease program. The Pickens County Advertiser vrrote a bitter editorial
claiming that Pick-ens lounty had been "Fobbedl" and canceled his weekly cojumn.

I arrived in Tuskegee on Friday, February_'12 and found both Julia and Magg'ie

in-ibii-ipiiiti. iney are reaionably comfortable in the home of a forn'rer

prtncipal and super;;i.;;;.i-iil;-is'the brother-in-law of llEA's Sam EthridEe. )

iirev-.[joy-tf,.i i' 'rrork, but are determi ned once agai n 
- 
tP 

. 
be 

. 
free and to resume

their eit6rts to advance the cause of black vot'ing rights'in Pickens County.

0n Saturday, I iourneyed to Eufala, on the Georgia line,.with Billie Jean

Ysunq of Rural GJrlci in Jackson, l4ississippi, to speak briefiy to 200

persSns at the convent'ion of F0CAL, the Federated Organization of Child Care
Centers of Alabama:

}{e then returned to Selma, where a mass ralIy had been called at Brown's Chapel.
Rev. F. D. Reese, utho had led the black teachers in 1965, convened the meeting.
Aside from statements by ministers, three speakers vrere scheduled (Bernard
Lafayette, one of the original freedom riders in 196.I and the SCLC civil rights
worker in Selma when the drive for voting rights broke loose in 1965, myself,
and Punta Bozeman, Maggie's '19-year-old daughter, who is now attending
Howard University in Washington, D. C.

Lafayette, who found his w'ife in Selma, Ied the'198.I Fre.:dom Ride in trhich
iO p-e"soni, including myself, plus Joe Lourery of SCLC, cnartered a Greyhound

io visit civi'l righti sites from New 0rleans to At'lanta in a replay-of the
oi.tgi nat Freedom il'iae ZO years earl i er. When the bus arri ved i n Sel ma ,

Beriard was named an honorary citizen of Selma by l'laior Joe Smitherman, who

had achieved national notoriety as the Selma mayor in .l965._-Smitherman pro-
nounced "Freedom Rider's Day" in Selma and we recei'1ed d po'lice escort as we

marched across the infamous Edmund Pettus Bridge, wnere state troopers had

clubbed Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis, and other marchers so savagely
in 1965.



10.

I had the opportunity to recall. these events before 700 people at Brown's

Chapel , as wel I ;;'i'n.-;f'l"r*i:!" Critons synrbol izing the lost cause of
Sheriff Jim CIarl when I rode a *oioiCvctl througn.s-.-l1ra-in the sunmer of
1965, contrastir; ihi; *itt', tf," itaternlnts of Sheriff Co'leman in Pickens

in 1982, and witfi ifre-current OuOgei-crts.for-education and civil rights'
and told some ot'tlre-eiiorts of ftfiggle and Julia to improve conditions in
Pickens County.

lle were fo'l'lowed by Joe Lowery, who brought the cro;d to its feet' The

next day Lowery uni nis wife,- iot',n Lewis] James Orange' Leon Hal1' and

other veteran ciiii i:iShti *o.[iii iua +,OOO peoo]e icross the Edmund

pettus bridge tor ttre iiiit reg-oi the tinat bo-inire march to t'lontgomery.

A special moment came as rr. mut.h.d the spot where John Lewis' vtalking

directly before *. in the front line of the march, and others had been

beaten 6Y state trooPers in 1965'

As the march continued tolard l'lontgomery, anxiety developed over the re-
tusit-by the Montgomery City Counc'i1 to permit the route to retrace the
i965 piin-ao*n Deiter Avenul to the Capitol past the church uthere Dr. Martin
iui[.] King, Jr., had begun his preaching career and from which he vras

ariiiea to"iead ine Uont|omery Improvement Association and the successful
Uirs Uoy.oit in '1956. Thiough- the march from Carrollton, Joe Lowery had in-
Slsted the march would follow the old route through Montgomery.

0n Monday, February'15, Joe Reed of the Alabama Education Association brought
otte" meinbers oi tire City Counci'l r.rithin one vote of permitting the des'ired
iout". lrjhite Council meilibers claimed the march would be bad for business'
6u[ ttrese c]aims were refuted vthen SCLC presented the results of a pol'l of
Dexter Avenue businessmen, who supported the proposed route.

Through all this, the Ku Klux Klan had been invisible, but had announced

olans-for a counier-dernonstration 'in Montqomery on Thursday. Feelings are
[igii-in-ntiUimi over the rise in Klan membershiPr_visibility, and violence
in-tt.'pust three years, and there were fears a clash was'likely.

The strategy of the Citlr Council clearly was to harass the marchers and to
oortrav the march ir an- i'llegal activity. There were presumab'ly re1iabl e
F.porii ihat the city's stralegy would be to arrest the Klan demonstrators
filst, then arreri t-hu march tiiaers'in a pretense of even-handedness. 0n

WiAneiauy, aftei the marchers had arrived in Montgomeryl an appeal to the
ieJeraf l6urt was turned dor^rn and the authority of the Council to restrict
tfie route of the march was uPheld.

Almost at the last moment the Klan announced its withdrawal of P]ans for the

counter-demonstiition and postponement of the date for their ra11y. -Another
last-minute compromise was'reached with the :ity and the marchers walked



Il.

down flve of the slx blocks on Dexter Avenue- that had been covered ln the

ia6! v;iing nisr,tr'i,iu.it l -Th; 
ieioersnip of Joseph _Lorverv.and scLc had

been vindicated ii tii..uses of Naggie Bbzeman-and Julia 1,1ilder and the

nliiriitv'i..-ir,e-renewat of a str6ig voting Rights Act had been brought

to the attention of the nation.

Fa
.a



12.

Addendum

As the appeals continue for-l'laggie B-ozeman and.Julia l'lilder, help is
i.eJ.a ibi..11,.ir-iupport. ns 6ie or the conditions for the work release

igr..r.ni, the st;t!'f,ui no obligation^.for their support and, although
;i56jt his been-irrangea through the l'lacon County Sheriff 's Department'

t}e coirnty has no funds for their maintenance.'

Julia wi'lder is a widow living on a sma'l'l nels.ion and has faced few

iinanciaf hardships which wouid otherwise not have been present'

Maggie Bozeman has had a much more difficu]t time. She has been unem-
'di6i.a ioi over ino V.uit ind has had no income at all other than con-

tributions from i;iu;ea and relatives. She has not obtained welfare'
;;;-i;'ini aut. io'Juiitn tooa stamps. At the time of this writins'
ffi; p;t;"iuE-*ortgage_payments ior [he past four months amount to nearlv

$1500. Her daugii.i-prniu-has iust entbred Howard University and is in
need of supPort.

A number of organizations have been invo'lved which deserve contlnuing
;rffi;I tor ineii own efforts on the case. For those wishing to make

a direct contribution, howe'ter, donations may be sent to the following
address:

Maggie Bozeman Assistance Fund
Post 0ffice Box 6233
MontgomerY, A'labama 36i0'l



R.eporter's Notebccil: Rignts }{archers' F; ldc
8Y REGINALD STUART

SPa.l ro TIE lrd YortTrmr

MOIIGOMERY. Ala.. F-eb. 19 -ften the Carrollton-tol,{ontgom-
rv march lor vottrrg nghts ended
eh: Thursday, it had Proved more
ran a test of strt ngth ftlr the move-
lent to extend the Voting fughB
ct ol 1965.
It was also seen as an amustng of

ormant emotions. reflected most
y the marcheru' chant of "Fired

For manY who watched the march
losely. it ias also a tqst of it.s lead-
r. the Rev. JosePh Lowery' Prest-
lent of the Sourhern Chnstian Lead'
,rsfupConlerence.

Since taking contml o( the leader'
.rro conference in the late 1970's'
,ir. t.owery, 57 Years old. has be'en

',ruggling for recr.rgnitron as a le-

rrtiniite-civil righG leader, after
;erving on the movement's Pen-Ph-
:ry in the daYs of the Rev. Dr. Mar'
.rn Luther King J r.

'salvation for All ol Us'

On the night beforo the march
xean, aimlng to enlist suPPort for
rn extension of the voting Rights
{ct and forthe dismissal of voting
iraud coovictions of two black civil
nshts activists in Pickens CountY,
r1"r. Lowery stirred emotions in his
audience, declaring: "Tokenism
has robbe{ ,us of our militancY.
fhere is not salvation for any of us'
unle5s there is salvation for all of
us.tt

tn Selma, where marchers weFe

beater with Police nightsticks U
vears before, he arouscd his listen-
irs again-and inspired their conft-
dence.

That confidence was reinforced in
Montgomery, on the night before the
frnal -day, when he told hundreds
eathered in a church that ne would
iarher go to iail than bow to the deci'
sion of white city leaders that the
marchers could not cover the full
srx-block stretch of Dexter Avenue
leading to the Capitol, retracing the
rotrte of the Selma-tolrlontgomery
marchol 1965.

"Fired up! " the audience chanted
as Mr. lowery stressd that Nlont-
gomery was the only crty along the
mute that sougtrt to impede the
marci.

Bv sunrise a deal had been struck.
Mr.'towery agreed to a city Pro
rxrsal that *old allow the march to
l. liow live of the srx bltxk-s o[ fx:x'
i,. r.

Therc would be no confnrntatton,
and suddenlY m:rnY ol !he milrchers
*ere questioning their leader's tac-
trc5.

"ln a sens€. they defeated us."
said 2iYear<rld wrllie L. Davis ol

b

: -i:t.r

.rith!&L.8-!ud.:r

somewhere in the fir::i :nornents, h.,
had become quite conf 

' 
r .r-d.

o
To many young blacls alon;1 r1'"

march mute, t;rlk ti;..t the n.1ht .,:
vote mtBht be urken 3,;.1y 2l,l 41fi;.,
righB might be lo.:t srrundal [;rr.
letched.

"I simply can't ir.:rfline that,"
said Kim Davis. 24, a lr:levision i+-
Fprter in Montqoms;y.

Mrss Davrs tound rt rliltrcult to he.
lieve that iu.t 3tt 'vt:l'; r3o t,i. . <

adulls in mrrst of t} : r'il-h we:'.: '.-
gally barred from volr.g and rryou:1

never have dreamxl ef havtng a :.,::

like hers.
Her mterest was stirred, howei'.:,,

and she sfrent her n:.nt olf at :' :

church raiiy, ltsten:n? '.r.) th8 !;ar.:-.
ers, talhrl8 wtth tiri. :-:'rtle l"r':,'1,:
her in tite pew. A,ii:-':ivarCs, r;--,
talked about f inding a riisstng tln.;..

"The worCs 'civii n3r'tt.s' harrl
more of a sigrificant meirning to mc
now," she said.

a
In its attraction for the you;'..

particularly collegc str,dent:;, :: ;

march wlrs simrlar to lirase rrl t.lr:
l96C's. Student.s frorn -<everal Sul:l-
ern states were jorn.3 Dv a cara','iin
of almost 50 lmm tiie University' c{
Pennsylvania, almost all of thero
wNte. They locked arms, .iubilanrly
chanting "Fired unl"

"People have becorre vern, com-
placent about civil r: iits tn tn?
Norih," said l&year<,lJ r'icii iX ':r-
stein r.rf Natick, Mas. "They thti*.
the problem is over. "

She and otiers came to show they
realized that it i6 not over, she said.
She joined the march in Selrna arrd
on the final day helpe.i cirri; tr;,.' i

the tlanners up Dester Aventlr rli
tront of the march, snouttng wtlh t;e
crowd, "Firal up! "

o
Not all whites were as excrt&l 35

those in the march- Sc'titrment a:r,r.,;
fhe l4Lmile march rout€ F&O & e,l tr'

8amut. There were I:'itnrllv sm.::.:
in Aliceville betwu-cn m:lrcners l: j
spectators who knew c)nc anc)i-h,rr.
There were ambival('nce and tnc'.:'
nation amonB others. pinicularl'i :,
a line of whltes waitrr.: l't buv rnL ri "
tickets last SundaY tn Scirnl li l:'.:
Cahaba Tnrin Thqrters on Hts'ii :;
80 As the demcnstrttors Pes-r.o
over the Edmund Pcitus Bri,:...:.
several in the tine were &sked L:c.i
thoughs.

"Nocomment," said one man.
"I don't care what they do," s.ird

one man. his angry eyes lired on thc
n,.:i\'lt:s. "l r::rr.,l :' , '.'rl u..r-,'
busrncss."

"t d;n't thlnk it'.i :..i{Lui.l:-"
Srid Cherles Sinrs Jr. tr( Sr'lmr. ri1

fus $'s. "Ot course, il tiir-'y do, I r.r
all for rt. "

Added his wife, Barbara. "t don't
think any colored Peonle havc ttt u'
ble voting now. "

sS*4'. i,

:1., ..i
'..'l
' ,,i,4

,,1,,t

4
, i.. 11

,i

:

'-:
;

i.tl.
ir:!:

. *.-', ". :'-

l::.

rl:: /r.

i* t"
':t<?,i

f,.
!.'.
I
I

: :...1P' i,
i.;
^. ?,,:

,!

.'i .

i

L**-i .".o-"-,.1'idi-li.' *
I 

Unltcd PF s lnl'orlldl '

I ft. n.u. Jc',':.h Lo:ven" lpft' tqldlns mrrcl': r.r f:'sm lrra:qr Chrn"l tn
I Selma. Als. ulith hlm are hls $lJe, Evelyr, end Joiur Le*tJ, en Atlants
I c.ruiie ilmin vho trxrk part lrl dre 19,i5 Seinra-tc}-i,looigoatery rnarctr.

white of frcills ln.I the crtnrprtlmise on the crrltl ntorninq ol Feb. ti in Car'
march route. rollton, hut he walked the final hun'

Mr. Davis had started with pride dred yanls to the capitol with much
piiktns County. referring, to the less 

-enthusiirsrn, ctrrrfirlng, that

* f ,

:\

fJ.Y. Tt ,r,tr Es Fea. a-o, r? trz-