William Lewis Moore

William Lewis Moore was a white postal worker raised by grandparents in rural Mississippi and a Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) member who staged lone protests against racial segregation. He was assassinated at this location during a 400-mile protest march from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Jackson, Mississippi, where he intended to deliver a letter to Governor Ross Barnett supporting civil rights. Five unsuccessful attempts to complete Moore's march were made by civil rights activists. Hundreds, including actress Madeleine Sherwood, were arrested near Gadsden, jailed, and sentenced to six months hard labor for "Endangering the Customs and Morals of the People of Alabama." The sentences were ultimately vacated. Folk singer Phil Ochs wrote a song in Moore's honor. President John F. Kennedy called Moore's murder an "outrageous crime" and Alabama Governor Wallace said it was a "dastardly act."

Alabama · United States