Eyes on the Prize II; Interview with Mary Jane Jackson

Mrs. Jackson, I want you to tell me about registering to vote in Lawns County. Yes ma'am. Tell me, me tell you because it was, it was, it was the mess and I was counting. It didn't want you to vote. Why not? Why not? Yes ma'am. Because if you line 70, they didn't know. No, they didn't want you to vote. But we voted in high, right and have them where they started. And my husband said, some of the folks want to go home. He said, you don't know, you've been running to that 10 years. So I ain't going to leave

me and all my folks and we didn't leave and have them that the first place I went to vote. What happened when you went down to vote? How were you treated? Treated. Yes ma'am. Treated like dogs. Talked to you like you. Good human. I went and my husband had boosted me up. He said, I'm a vote and you won't vote before I leave him. And both of us vote. Fred Polk was scared to vote. I was scared but I didn't vote unless he told me. He didn't. But a lot of folks left and wouldn't vote. Why were you not afraid to vote? I was scared of

them. But my husband told me to stay in vote and I stayed on in vote. I always would do what he said. Now they tell me that you went to mass to big meetings and that one time you had your gun in your purse. I did. I carried it everywhere. Tell me what happened at that meeting. What do you want? What do you mean? The one where you said that you'd take your gun out. You took my husband. Yes ma'am. What happened? Nothing. You want to tell me about it? What do you want nobody? When you went to the meeting and you had your gun in your purse,

what did you say? What did I say? You don't want to hear what I said? Okay let's stop for a minute. Okay Miss Jackson, what happened? That night. Didn't nothing happened to us. But other folks were different varieties. I heard they got beat up. But we didn't cause every one of us had us gunned and I had my life. Me and John Jackson was together. He said to make one five, say let's make two. And I was ready to meet him. But we didn't have to shoot. But I carried my husband girl and I'm

got it right now. So what did you say? What did you say when you had your gun in your lap? You didn't hear it. You're going to tell me? You're going to tell me? Let me ask you this. When you and John would go out to where you were born, you'd tell people about registering the vote. Can you tell me about that? They didn't vote. They were scared to vote. I'd never have been scared to go. I never had, you know, of John Jackson. Me and him got together. I said, well, if you want to go, I'll go with you. And I went with him. I went with him. He said,

you're scared. I was scared of what? I ain't scared of nothing. And I won't. Yeah, me and John Jackson were together. What was it like for you to vote? What was it like for you to vote? Your first time voting? The what was I like? What was it like for you to vote? How did you feel? I feel all right. I feel all right. I feel all right. Did you feel like you had done something important? I knew that. What did you do? What did I do? Yes, ma'am. Well, I won't tell all of you.

I won't tell what I see. I see something like the thing. Some of the years. Some of the good years. Okay, then hold off just a minute. Okay, now you're telling me about Stokeley and Bob Mance and what happened? Both of them was my best friend, Stokey and Bob Mance. Stokey left me and I was from back a minute time. A minute time. But when he left, he said, I won't be back. But Bob Mance, the year's year, he comes around. I told Stokey that. What did Stokeley and Bob Mance do to help you

in Lowns County? What did he do? He made me a brave woman. That's what he does. Made me a brave woman. I was already brave, but no. But he made me wasn't. How did they do that? By talking and telling me what to say. First, got there. Okay, yes sir. What did they tell you? Tell me don't dodge. Tell me don't dodge. I didn't hear you. You didn't do it. Thank you. Okay. Mr. Jackson, do you remember the Black Panther and the Black Panther Party?

Black Panther. Mm-hmm. You devote the Black Panther and then go home. Do you remember that? The Black Panther. Black Panther, what about in Lowns County? Do you remember vote the Black Panther and then go home? Did I go home? Do you remember vote the Black Panther and go home? You don't? Do you remember the independent party that you all formed in Lowns County? The party? Party? Yes ma'am. Where about in Lowns County? The Black Panther Party in Lowns County. Do I remember? Do I remember everything in Lowns County? Yeah ma'am. What part of Lowns County? The Black Panther Party. No? Do you remember the State Troopers coming to the mass meeting? Yeah. What happened? Nothing. Why not? You scared.

Yeah, they were. They didn't have. They didn't know. They didn't have to us talk. But they were there. Okay. Thank you. That's it.