The League of Women Voters in Mississippi: The civil rights years, 1954-1964

This study examines the Mississippi League of Women Voters between the years 1954 and 1964 to assess the impact the civil rights movement had on the League and the position the League took on civil rights questions. This effort also explores the stance the League adopted on other issues during those years, including jury service for women, legislative re-apportionment, water conservation, the United States' role in the United Nations, election laws and their applicability, and United States loyalty-security concerns.;The League of Women Voters of Mississippi Papers, in Special Collections at the John Davis Williams Library of the University of Mississippi, was the primary source of information for this study. Other sources included newspapers from various communities in Mississippi and numerous studies of women and politics in the South.;While the League of Women Voters does not have a reputation as a radical or extremist organization, during the years in question the Mississippi League faced a great deal of criticism within the state from those who did not approve of the moderate position it took on issues related to civil rights such as the League's support for fair and equally applied voter registration laws for blacks and whites. This stance generated considerable opposition to the League, as it did not promote the traditional "Southern way of life" that for decades had prevented blacks from participating in the political arena. The Mississippi League was not a liberal organization, but by its moderation on race issues and by the visibility it provided for women in politics, it still violated the prevailing standards of social roles accorded to women.;The civil rights years were difficult for the Mississippi League, but in spite of the loss of some members who were unwilling to adapt to changing circumstances, the League survived the tumult of the 1960's and continues to provide Mississippi with information on public policy issues and a place for women to affect the government and politics of the Magnolia State.