Memorial service for James Chaney

Over our children ages spares for years to come. Now the creator of all mankind and the judger for old man old guard who come for Stefan's of mankind who are able to equal a soul to a task. Bless this mother the family events here in bereavement. You know got extended to you even to even the to even thing it's hosting do make them more than a match for discourage you meant stand enough time to write the Hope's name he shouldn't give a faith that we will not shrink. Give a cookie to trust on him that God had never lost a battle. We realize the battle out but if it is a you mean lead us on wheat gravy and all God for these. These young folk men and women left them whole. Hundreds and thousands came here to try to make this community in this state this land better police in which to leave your

protection around them to live in not even seen in none seeing the God we pray thee to take care them give them courage and not become discouraged with discouraging surroundings but even when we pray David tasks make them more than a match for this bondage. Give them hope. Young these days of struggle are to me fight on. The great porch shade my stove there. We realize Holy Father the price that we crave the freedom to live that's all we have. God we pray thee to bless those families that's in New York and other parts of the country where this sons who went down with this young man and the pain out thoughts turn to now not stand by them. I don't know what it is but not in vain the crowd are marching on me behind their determination and won't till victory is won. Be with us we

ask these questions in the name amen. The program you're about to hear is an edited tape recording of the memorial service for James Chaney one of three murdered civil rights workers held in Meridian Mississippi on the evening of Friday August 2nd. AS. The principal speakers at the service where Mr. David Dennis is a veteran Corps Field secretary in Mississippi and assistant director of the Mississippi summer project. And. The reverend. Bernice King. Of white Mississippi. And Chaplain. Collins. Just north of Jackson Mississippi. At this time we would like.

The first of our guests to make his remarks Mr. David Dennis the assistant program director of the Mississippi summer project. I'm not here to do the traditional thing. Such a gathering. Of telling a great person. The great works that the person is involved in etc.. I think we all know because he walked the streets of Meridian and around here long before I came here with you and around you played with your kids. And I want to talk about. CHENEY Because the fact I feel. A fuller life than many of us will.

I feel that. He's got his freedom. We're still fighting for what I want to talk about right now it's to live in debt that we have among our myths not only in the state of Mississippi but throughout the nation. Those are the people who don't care. Those who do care but don't have the guts enough to stand up for those people who are busy up in Washington and other places. Using my freedom in my life to play politics with. That includes the president on down to the governor of the state of Mississippi. This is. An. Opinion. Stand here. And not only blame the people who pulled the. Trigger. But did the beating of. The whole with the show. It's not fair. But I blame the people. In Washington D.C.. You know down in the state of Mississippi for what happened just as

much as our plane goes. Who pulled the trigger. Because I feel that a hundred years ago it was proper thing have been done. By the federal government of this particular country. And by the other people responsible people the response we're going to call in the nation. We wouldn't be here today to moan the death of a brave young man like James Chaney to see. The SAS done here a lot of things passed through my mind. The Emmett Till case what happened to him and what happened to the people who killed him they walk in the streets right now on the go them one is a police officer in a place called Rue Ville Mississippi. Remember back down here. Right below us here. A man by the name of Max Parker on exactly what happened to him. And what happened to the people. Who beat killed him and drove them down the streets and threw him in the river. I know that those people were caught. But they were never brought to trial.

Back in Birmingham. The four young kids who upon the new church money just went to the service and I know what is happening to the people who killed them. Nothing. Remember the 30 year old kid who was shot in the bank. And they used to shot him it was a white guy Birmingham got off with three months of that now. The Medgar Evers case I'm back with the person who was governor of the state at that particular time going to be shaking his hand when the jury said that he cannot come to a third. Of that. Town in the southwest. We have six new girls who've been killed. Half a million of these. And all these were to the people who know what has happened to those who have been killing them. I know what's happened to the people in the church in the homes are doing the beatings around the same state and country.

Getting sick and I'm sick and tired of going to memorials and took a couple of days on the field but got a bit of vengeance. Tonight consider tell your kids on the field. You see deep down inside I'm not going to stand here and ask him to come in here not to be angry. Yeah we have a loving the whole world we've had for years and years in this country on the battlefield to protect the people in this country. We've gone out it will was 940 to millions of us don't want to you see we want their standard we have people in this country today with no one. To defend this country the kind that TO DO want. To live there say I'm sick and tired of the. Congress both the stand here. Got a lot more I want to say.

You see we all talk. You see I know what's going to happen I feel it deep in the holiday plan the people who killed those cars in the show the colonel. You got to come up to the state of Mississippi on your material because they. Know what they're going to say not guilty because no one saw them pull the trigger. I'm tired of that scene another thing that makes me even turn to the. That is the fact that we as people here in the state in the country. Has to continue to happen. Even us and thankful. So look at the young kids here that's something else that we've about been Cheney here and the other ones like oh it's one of the streets. I agree because some turn they make me feel that maybe they have to go through the same thing

and they want to go through the same thing. Unless we as individuals begin to stand up. Thanks in a change in this that basket can't really see. That. We have the standard demand because the law obeyed it could be you or don't you. See one thing the word about is just exactly what are we going to do is people. Resigned to what happened to this what is God For now all the people who died for. We don't come to this memorial here. Say oh what a shame. Go back slowly pray to the Lord we don't for years. They go back to work and some like those kids in the world. And forget about the whole died last thing you see. Only of the old thought

Don't get caught with your hands. Each and every one of us as individuals are going to have to take upon yourself to become leaders in our community. Blah. Blah blah. Sit down a cynic that can't escape. That state throughout this entire country taken out by those very stern look close enough to do the dishes to the final good to the article I tell it they're not too bad because we did anyway. So we have to do with people we can't take it in along with the white or blue faces. On the get the people of gray as I hear the tab is in the face. Think about the millions of those apart that you create me as a child the actions that it took to chop it for $10 a week $25 a week whatever you could get to eat.

Who was the people here who go out there you wash dishes and you cook for them. Put the whites in the community and those same ones you cook for 40 km then I would say our kids sit down eat the sun and a good thing like that until you see. A ton of the time the gravity hates me. Make a statement it was food as children all of that but yet when you want someone to babysit for me it's not like my little hole at the Ivy. How does he do that. Because it done beside me he can watch me board. Then I use the boat. Need to watch me take some type of 2000 estate and he can sit down as our we love we have just had his will of me for years you see. This is our country to become the only bozo here. Now you know statement over and over again about me to go back to

the Med. That's the day when only Jews oppose the Russians the Germans in l go back to that country where they came from to see they have to remember that they took this land from the Indians. It is just as much as it sounds to me. Who got the spanner. The best thing that we can do for. Them is to Cheney. Thank you good men. To stand up and demand the rights. All these people you never going to morning from this one coming is coming to the next demanding we can always say they've done here. People you've got relatives in places like the show the Connacht to them. They're at a

disadvantage. They only have 12 percent of the population that's got over that. Said Methinks you don't want to know that. But we go in at the AB We go in there. We look at those three legs to the both of them as okay we are just 12 percent because that 12 percent is part of that almost 50 percent of this whole entire state. Don't just look at me and the people here to say that you've been to nice service a lot of people came dancing newsmen or anything like that but your work is just beginning to tell you deep down in our feel right now. If you do go back home is it gonna take it god damn your soul. Stand. Those neighbors down and. Come to

this memorial. Take them to another mill or will. Pick them up and take them down and. Make them register the boat in you register the other one for this house register go down and do it. At Meadows funeral last summer we sang Oh freedom. In Birmingham we sang of freedom. When our brother John Kennedy died in the students had heard we sang Oh freedom and I think this is a time that we should sing of freedom.

You can help latest poll was was. Cold cold was the new the war. I am a a. Load. Was. NOLA.

Lol. Lol. LOL LOL. A I am close. Oh and no burning churches. Oh I am loathe to say LOL. LOL LOL.

Will be. He. Will. Be. Thank you. I'm glad Dave got angry tonight. Any of you who are not angry and you will not find the stream to go on. You have to hate this thing that has been done and then have to somehow to be able to forgive the people who have done it. But I don't think we start magically forgiving if we cannot admit when we feel

when we feel anger when we feel hate and we are not using the feelings that God gave us. Hatred should be to destroy the system that is destroying the souls in the bodies of men. Dave and I have been to several funerals together. I think I know how the feelings. I don't know that I can know fully how another brother feels. But Dave did not say I must say as we begin tonight here talking about a crime that has just been committed in Mississippi. We are not here to talk about the love for one who will not again walk in our midst in this life. This murder was not just done. By a sick white Mississippians. You and I know and we're probably not

supposed to say it out loud but these men would not be dead if the U.S. government care. The government may care now the lives of other people may be protected because of the sacrifice. But if the Justice Department. And the FBI. Had done the minimum that we requested going to Philadelphia when we first asked these men might not have. Of course people are killed frequently in Mississippi and we do not say that our government could protect every person who believes in democracy from being murdered by those who don't. But the US government must bear part of the responsibility along with the murderer who sits in the governor's mansion in Jackson and the rest of the murderers who tolerate murder in the state and the

American people must examine themselves for allowing our government to allow white Mississippians to kill black Mississippians at will and now because white blood has been shed all of our country is looking for the first time. Come before you. Some of you know me some of you don't. And the chaplain at the college around the lieutenant governor was there in the last Fall. My wife is from Jackson Mississippi. My parents used to live in Mississippi before they were run out of Mississippi. But the same kind of people who do this kind of thing and they're the silent people who are

just as guilty and are more than in their souls because they know it's wrong. But I've said enough about the country will just about come before you to try to say that my brother killed my brother my white brother killed my black brother. And somehow. You have the greater burden. To be able to hear people do this and through your forgiveness bring salvation to them while they are in a living hell and will not admit it. Their souls are being the straw and other the fear. They they're going to all of us. For the first time bloody in the show as had the red

blood of black men in the red blood of whiteness in Richard saw. I don't think we will ever forget this. Too often in Mississippi in these last three hundred years the negro mother negro wives negro brothers and sisters have had to cry along have had to go into the white kitchen and wipe away the tears so that nobody would know it mattered. When a person. We're now saying that no longer will the person die and the society and the world not know it and this country and the people of this world not grieve with us. If we can die together in Mississippi surely we can find a way to live together to grow together to learn together to love together. This will

take great great courage. God alone can give. I met Andrew Goodman only you know how I remember him as a person who seemed to be full of love for himself for his fellow man a quiet easygoing friendly fellow. I wish I could have known him better. I know James Chaney a little better but here in Mississippi people like it when King from Vicksburg and James Chaney from Meridian are not supposed to be able to know each other as brothers and people killed James Chaney so that we could not live in a society where a white man a negro man in Mississippi could know each other at met James when he was with the Shriners.

I had heard Mickey Schwerner say wonderful things about James Chaney. I have heard Rita Schwerner this summer say wonderful things about James Chaney James Chaney help support the shore and has to give them green when they came the strangers to this community full of love for this community. James befriended them and worked with them and truly they were brothers. Rita has often talked this summer of how important genes was to this project. He said he was willing just as Nikki was willing just to she was willing to give all of this project for this freedom. Rita has lost her husband. People here have lost a son that they had known through 20 years. You have lost a friend. The tragedy at a time like this is that like me many of you realize I

never came to know James Chaney. What a wonderful person he must have been. I wish I could have known him better. But I will remember change Cheney and I will remember his friends and I will remember what he gave his life for. The greatest tragedy that has occurred here is not just these deaths but the failure in the white community that brought this up that has brought this about that has tolerated it many white people talk of being Christians. They are afraid of Christianity as much as they are afraid of you and they are afraid of you. They are afraid because of a guilty conscience afraid that you would treat us as we have treated you. I don't believe it will be that way but that is what they fear. So their fear allows us few men to commit murder. But it doesn't matter if a few

men do the murders and burn the churches the rest of the people are responsible. The white Christians of the city of Meridian who are not grieving with us tonight here need your prayers because God Almighty sees them and knows in his eyes that every white Christian who did not come to this church is no Christian. The symbol of white Mississippi today is a burning cross as it has always been a symbol of destruction of the Christian way a symbol of this drawing the thing they say they are holding. And it is very interesting that they must burn a cross and leave it only a charred ruin a thing with no power. But our process is not a burning cross. It is the one cross of Calvary that is stained with the blood

of Jesus God's Son. God gave His Son for all of us. And this is the Cross that we cross that means victory not emptiness and like a cross that means victory over death but victory in this life the cross that means we can forgive. God will help us to love the cross. That means we will have a new beginning a new resurrection new birth. All of the members of the Meridian staff. Staff please come up to the front and join hands and lead in the singing of We Shall Overcome. Ross began. The

the the. Yes. Ed the the way the law only be the goal the goal. Did you lead the way. I am. I OK. Oh OK. It.

He is. He. You may see a price to the mercy of the God of peace who brought again from the dead oh Lord Jesus Christ the great through the blood of the I am a lasting covenant. Make you perfect in every good work to do is working in you that which is well pleasing in his through Jesus Christ. And

really really. Thanks I say I. Gave the key I say good. Thanks a

way I am a good let's say. You have been listening to an edited recording of the memorial services for James one of the three murdered civil rights workers held in Meridian Mississippi on the evening of Friday August 7th.