Work in Progress: Dave Dennis

As I noted recently, I’m going to use CAMPAIGN TRAILS to highlight some of the research I’m doing for my current project on John Doar and the Civil Rights Division in the 1960s, with special “Work in Progress” features for paid subscribers.

This morning I had the extreme pleasure of interviewing the legendary civil rights activist Dave Dennis, a participant in the Freedom Rides who helped lead the voting registration campaigns in Mississippi and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.

The conversation was, quite simply, amazing — so much so, I asked Dave if I could share it with you all, and he generously agreed.

So if you’re a paid subscriber, after the jump here you’ll find a link to the full interview, which runs for nearly an hour and fifteen minutes. (If you’d like to subscribe to gain access to this post and future ones like it, click below.)

Dave discussed his unexpected path to joining the movement, his memories of the Freedom Rides and Freedom Summer, his experiences with Bob Moses, Medgar Evers and John Doar and some lesser-known activists and ordinary Mississippians too. He also drew some powerful connections between his past experiences and our present moment.

It’s really a remarkable remembrance, and I’m delighted to be able to share it with you.