In preparation for the first national election after the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and the registration of thousands of new African American voters, SCLC launched an intensive multi-county voter literacy and education training project in several key counties in Alabama where Black voters were now the majority. Dorothy Cotton, SCLC Education Director, Septima Clark, CEP director and Annelle Ponder, Educator taught classes at Annie Manie and Miller’s Ferry mission schools for several weeks in the early Spring of 1966.
Jake Irby with Septima Clark talking after Citizenship Education Project training in Wilcox County, AL 1966. Mr Irby was trained to train others in literacy and about their voting rights.
© Bob Fitch Photo Archive Stanford University Library. All rights reserved. May be viewed and shared for educational, personal and nonprofit use only.
Mrs Maggie and Mr Jake Irby attended the SCLC Citizenship Education Project in Wilcox County 1966
© Bob Fitch Photo Archive Stanford University Library. All rights reserved. May be viewed and shared for educational, personal and nonprofit use only.
Sharon and Veronica Hudson with Mr Jake Irby at Annie Manie, AL SCLC Citizenship Education Program training 1966
© Bob Fitch Photo Archive Stanford University Library. All rights reserved. May be viewed and shared for educational, personal and nonprofit use only.
Dorothy Cotton, SCLC Education Director and Voting Rights Project leader with Mr Elijah Shaw in Citizenship Education Project class in Wilcox County, 1966.
© Bob Fitch Photo Archive Stanford University Library. All rights reserved. May be viewed and shared for educational, personal and nonprofit use only.
Dorothy Cotton, SCLC Education Director teaching adult literacy and voting rights during a Citizenship Education Project class in Wilcox County, AL 1966. Adults were trained to train other adults in their communities, to prepare for the first opportunity to vote after the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
© Bob Fitch Photo Archive Stanford University Library. All rights reserved. May be viewed and shared for educational, personal and nonprofit use only.
Wilcox County Freedom Fighters 