Bosma Business Card; Article on Voting Rights

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FOR YOUR
INFORMATION,

BOYD BOSMA
Human Flelations

Specialist

NATIONAL EDUCATION
ASSOCIATION

Teacher Righls
1201 Sixteenth Street, N.W.
washington, D.c. 20036
(202) 8€'*tfits

reA- ?%a
Human & Civil Rights Programs



Chorles Moore I Black Star

While mnry of us weighed the merits
(or lack of them) of the vaious
candidates in the November, 1980,

elections, black voters in Pickens

County, Alabama, faced a different
dilemma than whom to vote for. For
them it was a choice of whether to
vote at all. It wasn't a question of
apathy - it was a Problem of safetY

and security.
A pattern of outright resistance to

the demands of black voters has

emerged in this small southwest

Alabama county. Voting Rights Act or
not, black ciilzens in Pickens Count-v

finrl themselves subiected to threats,

harassment and iail sentences if they

challenge the all-white power structure'

The intimidation and Prosecution
seems especialb' directed against those

who register blacks to vote or whct

shoro others hoty trt use the absentee

ballot tct increase blackt'otirtg stength.
ln the last n\)o Years, two black

women and one black man hove beett

cottvicterl of charges ranging front
voting .fraud trt disturbirtg the peace

(at o polling Ploce). Their stoics

folktx' a generol description tt.f' tlte
political atrttttsphere itt thc c'tttutt.t' bt'

Geroldine Satlt'er.

GERALDIl{E SAWYER

Geraldine Sawyer grew up in Pickens

County. After graduating from high

school there in 1967, she went to

Flint, Michigan, where she became

involved in community organizing'

She came back in 1976 to helP her

mother care for an aging aunt and is

now mayor of the small unincor-
porated residential communitY of
McMullen iust outside Aliceville'

Tire only way we can survive is bY

voting. I started trying to be a deputy

registiar because I knew blacks and

some whites, when You say court-

house, theY freeze uP, theY been

scared off. If I were a deputy registrar,

I could meet You on the street and

say. here's your card, fill out this

application, and when the time comes

to-vote, you can vote. Rather than

trying to get up gas money, picking up

all tl-.ese people and taking them there'

But theY said. "We don't need anY

deputy registrars' We can't PaY'" I

said. "l don't want pay' I'm doing it
for free. I got six other people that's
going to do it for free. The Pickens

County Comtnission doesn't have to
pay us one cent." But we couidn't
get it approved. we never got it.

So we went door-to-door, getting
people to the courthouse and getting

them registered to vote. I walked all

sumlrler. each project. every area.

You know. that's time-consuming
when you're talking to PeoPle that

don't understand. We got over 800

people registered tl'ris year. working
out of srnall areas - Pickensville,
Gordo. Reforrrr. These are some of the

areas that have been whitewashed all

tlre tinte. that whatever "Mr. Write-
rnan" says goes. You don't run. you

don't put black people to run for city
council or county commission or any

kind of board.
Not onlY that, but the Police are

a problem. We've had a number of
deaths with no explanation. last year,

a guy was coming down the highwaY

from Carroliton, the Poiice were

chasing him, and he goes off on the

ieft side of the street rather than going

off on the right. Then the car is ali

bent up, and then You see gunshot

holeS all through the car' Now, that's

never been explained. They bring them

to a funeral home and Pronounce
them dead. and theY don't even have

a doctor.
It's bad for blacks not to be able to

speak out, or saY I'm filing a suit,-
W. got a black guY here now that fiied

a lawsuit against one of the stores

in downtown Aiiceviile' Then he and

another biack guy got into it at tile
pool hall. The other guy decided he'd

irop the charges, but the state decided

to go on and prosecute. That's the way

they get You, see. TheY sent a guy uP

for 25 years just last week, said he

was a peePing tom. And just going on

hearsay.
The first Year I came back from

Michigan. I aPPlied to one of the

banks, but mY face was black. I was

trained as a teller, but I didn't get the

job. Even at the police station, I was

irained in that job, too. Ali you do is

type the card, the color of Your hair,
your height. how mucir You weigh

and what kind ol incident You were

involved in, and then You file it. I
went for that job. But my face was too
black. And I was qualified for it'

It's not what You know. it's who
you know here. If You know some-

body's daughter's grandfather, and he

can talk to Mr. Wiritey and say, "This
person, they're all right. TheY eat

95

+tFIi#



--,tr*y

Charlcs,lfu nre I Blac k S tat

cheese, and no matter what you do,
they don't open their mouth," tlten
you're hired because you're good
black folks. That's the way it is. And
we sit and talk about it. We just need
a great big change.

We had a march in November of
last year. You know what the white
man told Willie Davis? He said. "You
know. that was ridiculous you got up
and stood on the steps and said what
you said. You have a brother that's in
a little trouble. Iyou hadn't said what
you said. things would be better

96

Voter registration fonn used in Mississippi

for him."
I sat in on Mrs. Bozernan's trial.

and it was the worst chopped-up,
botched-up trial I ever saw in all my
days. They took the older people that
we were going around to. explaining
what the absentee ballot was about.
What they did, they took these old.
old people that didn't really under-
stand. they took thern in a private
roorn with no tape recorder, and had

thenr say. yes. they give us rltis. rlrt'r.
signed this lor us. Yt>u're in tlrert'.
you're being badgered. you're liable r,,
say anything to nlake them leave y0rr
alone. And then they get the peoplt'
on the stand. "Didn't you say suclt-
and-such on such-and-such a day in rrrr
office'1" "Well. yes. I said that."

MAGGIE BOZEMAil
Maggte Bozenwtt is a liJ'ektng resitlorr
of Picketts County. She taught irr
the public schrxtl I'stent rhere .fitr
27 years until the su,rttner of 1979.
when she was Jired al'ter being cott-
victed of votirtg liaucl bv an all-white
iury.

Mrs. Wilder is the chairperson for the
Voters League here in Pickens Countl'.
and I arn the coordinator. We were
involved in voter registration. We had
a big campaign going in 1978. The goal
was getting people registered and
encouraging them to get out to vote.

The second big thing was conducting
workshops trying to teach people the
importance of getting to the polls,
and their rights after they got there.
On September 13, 1978. tl.re Attorney
General sent out an opinion on the
voting procedure for helping the iilit-
erate. We used this opinion in tl're work-
shops. stressing to people not to be
ashamed, but to be aware that there
were people available to assist those
who did not understand the ballot.
The third thing was, we encouraged
them to get absentee ballots, if they
were out of town or if they were sick.

In 1978. we had a young woman
running for the Pickens County Board
of Education by the name of Minnie
Hill. She qualified against a Republi-
can, an established banker in town.

The day before the election, tl'rat's
when I was picked up at school. Poor
fool, I was just out there with my
kids, as usual. having ttn on the
playground. I looked to the left
of me and I saw the police, five cars.
The kids and I said, "Somebody
must have stolen something, what has

happened?"
I got into the classroom with no

lear, didn't know arrything. I had
gotten in there. hot and all that. and
over the PA the principal said, "Mrs.

^.Y.'.

\1



Bozeman, will You come to the office
pieas.l" I didnit know what was going

fn. The sheriff was in the office'

He said. "You're under arrest'" I

said. "For what?" He said. "You will
have to go with me to Carrollton'"

There were three in the office just

like I was a crinrinal or something'

Three people in the office to pick me

up. I said. "We11. I'll get rny bag' I

don't l'rave to go with you. I'll go on

m)'own."
The sYstenl tricked and convicled

us. Tlrel' saicl we sent applications for

absentee balltlts lo people who rvere

not aware. The applicatitln specificalll'

spells otrt: where do yott want )'our

ballot nrailed? You see. if rtrv nlother

can't read and write. and I anl the

daughter. she wouldn't know the

ball6t wlren it got to lter hotrse' so I

wouid have it collre to ni)'box' You

have a right to have that ballot go ttr

anybody's house you wrnt it selll t()'

We taugnt in the worksliops that tlte

person-voting nlust understand the

ilallot. what thel' are voting olr' and

mark their own ballot'
I never did get notice for the trirl'

One of the witnesses called nre the

nigh, btfot. arottnd. 11 o'clock' The

da"y after I was convicted' the Pickcns

Itthite terror in the nineteettlh certtur\

elnied ,oting rigltts .for most blacks'

CountY Board of Education met ln a

special session at seven o'clock' The

superintendent called me and told me

not ,o ,.port to class anymore' I said'

"With this short notice, you mean to

tell me I'm not supposed to go back to

school?"
"Yes. ma'aml I am sending You a

registered letter in the morning"' he

,uid. "You just stay there until you get

the letter. and you will not report

back to school until further notice"'I
haven't worked since then' It's rough'

I got four Years. and Mrs' Wilder

got dve. The woman that ran for tlie
'Board of Education was indicted witii
the sante charges. but they dropped

hers at the end of my trial' She iost

that race. If she had won, they would

have prosecuted her sure as the world'

Here in the JulY. 1980, election'

we had tire oPinion saying a voter

coulci ask a person of their choosing

to go in the voting booth and heiP

them. If they would select you. say'

"Wouid You Piease come here and

assist rne." under tl.re 1aw, you have

the right to do that. But they carlle up

rvith in old larv where it said the onll'

way you could assist a person is if the

inspector came and got You' It was

mais confusion down there at the

polls. There were many Persons who

never could vote on JulY 8'
We challenged that right away, and

we were thrown out of the court-

house that day. Well, I wouldn't stay

thrown out. The Policeman came in

and said, "lf You don't get out, we

are going to throw You out'" So we

had to call the Justice Department'

Some changes were made bY the

iederai observers being here' Before

the federal observers, you walked into

the polling Places here in Pickens

County, and it was like walking into a

church. EverYbodY saw You vote'

everybody was looking at Yo! to.see

what youwere going to do' Now theY

have it blocked off, curtains are there

where You go on the inside'

This Year. October of 1980,1went
up to pick up some appiications fo.r.

ubr.nt.t baliots, and the sheriff told

me. "You're getting some more of
them. Maggie Boz6rnan wili get them

to vote if she has to vote them in

herself. We're going to get you this

time." An elected official said that'

This election - the presidential elec-

tion. November 4 - we ran into all

kinds ol Problems. I was told to get

out at that eiection because I was

assisting a person. And in Reforrr-r'

Wiliie Davis was arrested because he

was assisting a Person.
You see. Davis is from Reform'

Alabama. where the voting strength is

four-to'one white' So we had some

workshops again, and we stressed that

in that area we need some black voting

strength because we don't have a voice

to cr! with. We got a small grant from

the NAACP. and theY lormed a com-

mittee to sponsor a voter registration

drive this past summer' And just prior

to the November election, Willie Davis

got 105 PeoPle registered from one

i4ondaY io the next MondaY' I-'ook

what happened to hirn. Got arrested

in the polling place. and one of tl.re

officials said. "All these niggers

wouldn't be here if it wasn't for that

Willie Davis." I mean. the guy who

got the folks registered. they got him'

It's obvious.
It's a struggle here,just a struggle'

Sotnetinles I just wonder how we're

going to survive. if it's not any better

yet.
There was one white Person on the

day of my conviction that said' "lt's
a living shanre." One. 

gj

,lt

_:- L

Courtcsr I'oter Lluanlnn Prol(cl

,JF



WII,J-IE DAVIS

Willie Davis grew uP in Reform'';i;;,;;' in"d g'oa'orcd in te78

T.* aiai*o i'o" [JniversitY wilh a

';;;r; in education' He has been

;;;;ir-to find work in Pickens Coun'

7- *nrrr'*ere is a great need for
';;"';';;;,i;i, n, is president of
"Hckens 

CountY SCLC'

Around four o'clock on TuesdaY -
;i;;il; auY - I returned to Reform

"tJ-*., 
two Young ladies and gave

;il;;;ote uauJt' rheY knew what

;;;;J;' iheY wanted to vote for'

iri-aiar', understand the amend-.

**". fftt Police came uP and told

;;iii.; alreadY voted and couid not

;;;i;;, ile Potls' I told the Police

i *ut iit.t. to trelp' They told me to

ilii;;;k 3o reei' I kePt asking.them

"r.tit."t' 
tr.ren they just carried me'

:;;;;;1;rt and one on the right'

;;; ;i ii'e Polts' one hollered at me

Iio i r'torrtitd back' The other one

handcuffed me''^-'iir.y 
took me to Carroilton' and

,r.. +.rlff told the deputy to get.on

ii. ,iton. and call Peo Johnson [the

ffi,1;^;,;;n'vl' rt.'eY carried.me

ffi; t; 
-unotr'ti 

Lttle room' I asked

flo* fong they were going to kt:1..T:'

una *flui they were charging me wltn'

;n.;;; PtP Johnton nad to rnake

,ir.'O*iti"' tln whether ttl Iock me up

una *t u, charges to place' Pep John'

son called then' and ihey charged me

98

courtesY SCLC

Albartt,, (ia., t'oter registration clinic' 1962'

oldest Person there'-'*w" 'rtrv.d in iai'l lrorn Saturduv

ninf,t ,ntit MondaY afternoon' But

ffi-go, tired of us, I'm honest about

,r- i."."ur. we were verY noisY' We

vane all night and slePt all daY'
"-"3o 

uit.t then, he didn't hire any-

r,.,Jv rieht off, but we were boYcot-

Ii"n'g',ir;Pt..e. and he had to throw

;;; ;"'much stuff until he did

hire some blacks'"^'i":OS, 
we got 200 folks registered

*ittin-itr.t ionths time' right here

i, e,fi.t,,fft' and more in Etheisviile'

;;;;;; a"'ollton and Gordo' we did

*.irliirl it. Been doing pretty well

since. but that's the most success

I've had.' i'Jion', know anYthing about

.ut."l..t and such things other thln

*f',ut tit. probate judge told tne ltrtlut '

ilI.i,;il;L'r ."0 the slrerirf of

it.f."t CountY' I said it on the

;-il; ti*a' i told them I remember

in"i ,n*-;tdn't challenge a single

;;i"; ;'ht" theY were running it'

ffi;;';*h, be how come I sot rive

"..". f f,on't know l told them I was

;;i;;. remember them when it cunte

ffii;; ii*' tna the same tYPe oi

innr.n.. that I used to helP to get

,ili; there,I'm going to use. to get

;i-,;;;;;' itold them there that I 
'

il;;';;;G to quit' because I feit like

;;;, i;tt ioing was right' and I was

J"Lrr^," [tto aolng it' I didn't do-.

i"v,iti"g but ask people if they want-

ed to vote'"" 
i'{'., .u,tt' how rough it gets',I'rn

g"i-g ,"'it here' because I don't have

^nvolace 
eise to go' They used to put

i- trnnt saying' "Enough is enougu'

^lJ 
i g" atong wittr that' because

l"""t,io tnougll But I went a little"

ilil:; uno tuii' "Too mucn stinks"'

And I'm still saying it'

on December 10' 1980' Willie Davis
"*,or- iinrirt,cl in Pickens Countv
'Couitnurt, 

of tlisturbing the peace'

ii*rr- irnrrncetl to 3o tlavs in iail tr
'"-siob n,' Davis' case is being
",;;;ir:;;; a circuit court jury tiat
1ii corrt tions of Maggte Bozematt

)'ri-i"tio lhilcler have tutw beett

;;r;i;; on the grounds ttf itt*f''ririru, 
evitlent'e ttt the '4labama

'[,,i,'r, ,'1 soneals in ]ltttrtgotrlen''c

Judt'Hund is the prrtiacts L'()t)rLlindl(),r

",ii', l, r-s),,, it t e r n o r gu n i: i t t s C t ) nt t t t t t'

,r'r"i),r" i'"ttt)tttiL JLtstiL'c' ScoII
'i'.,r,itot is a n'ite' in Birmingharn'

Alabanta'

with disorderlY conduct

I've had a lot of messages since then

rr..n iit. pofice through people who

;;';*h il.' rnv familY and friends'

-luinn ,f"t., shouidn't run with me'

nna ift.v teil PeoPle to stay away

fr".-ftfiggit Bo"*un and Julia

wild.r. s6"t ."tte it mY business to

be seen with them'

TULIA WILDER

lulia Wilder grew uP in Olnelt'
"iirir-i,,isht miles.front Alice.'

1tiir.-sii bicame activ.e durins the
'i'irit {ini,uovement in 1968 ' an<l has
-xro, tie chairPerson of the Voters

\iri, of Hckens CountY for manv
"rrri. 

aiors with Maggle Bozeman'
'"ho ,vas convicted of voting lrauu
-during 

the summer of 1979'

'qivtv-eisht was my waking-up period'

;"1;: ;;; ; PigglY-wigr1, store here'

irr.'"'ir.t r.,ui-nut cashiers and no'

oir.r l"ti'"ts' So we had a dernand

;;;;;';i;.,t 'ast'ie's 
we had tlris

."r."f, if-r.-fttt part of '68' He had tlte

;li;; ;;"r"d. and 13 of us went ttr

fiiI;l; that bunch' I was the