Spies of Mississippi (2014)

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Spies of Mississippi was released on February 10, 2014, in the USA. The American film was produced by LOOKSfilm and Trilogy Films. The film was written by Rick Bowers and directed by Dawn Porter. The movie was displaying[1].

Plot

A photograph from the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission records collection[2]

The film reveals the story of a secret spy agency formed by the Mississippi state to maintain segregation and control the white supremacy rights, during the 1950s and 1960s. The State Sovereignty Commission of Mississippi (MSSC) evolved from a predominantly public relations agency to a full-blown espionage operation, spying on more than 87,000 Americans over the course of a decade. The Commission operated a network of spies and informants, including African Americans, to assist infiltrate several of the largest black organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Congress on Racial Equality (CORE). The MSSC was given extensive authority to investigate civilians and private organizations, hold secret files, perform captures, and enforce a state to testify. The organization links its ties to private white supremacist organizations, spying institutions in other states, and civil legislators in Washington D.C to fund the opposition activity[3].

Controversy

Using a variety of espionage tactics, the Commission tried to maintain racial segregation, preserve Jim Crow laws, and prevent the "federal invasion" of Mississippi. The Commission was ferocious and prosecuted an all-out war against change. Perhaps most painful was assembling a group of African American insiders, some of them respected figures within the civil rights community, who briefed the Commission on the strategy and tactics of the burgeoning rights movement, destroyed the lives of people like Clyde Kennard, a black veteran of the Korean War who attempted to enlist in what was then Mississippi Southern College. The Commission organized the planting of evidence used to convict Mr. Kennard of stealing chicken feed. He served seven years in prison. Commission agents also funneled data to local law enforcement institutions (which were infested with KKK Members) about student activists arriving in Mississippi for the "Freedom Summer" 1964, including James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, who were later killed by KKK members[4].

References

  1. Spies of Mississippi (2014). IMDb. Retrieved January 17 2021
  2. Spies of Mississippi. New York Daily News. Retrieved January 17 2021
  3. Dawn Porter. Spies of Mississippi. PBS. Retrieved January 17 2021
  4. What Have We Learned from the Spies of Mississippi?. American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved January 17 2021