Interview with Wendell Paris, November 1, 2016

Partial Transcript: Around her kitchen walls...

Segment Synopsis: Wendell Paris, a former student activist relates a story of how Fannie Lou Hamer, a civil rights leader, would collect food preservatives in the instance that someone in the community would need them. Paris recalls that in the '60's, blacks who registered to vote in Mississippi often lost their jobs on plantations. Paris then describes the moving speech Lou Hamer delivered concerning civil rights in Mississippi at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. Paris explains how the poor, black delta-farming community would organize to provide support for those who became unemployed after registering to vote.

Keywords: Civil Rights Movement; Democratic National Convention; Fannie Lou Hamer; Lyndon B. Johnson; Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party; pesticide

Partial Transcript: Did Ms. Hamer ever talk about herbicides?

Segment Synopsis: Paris talks about the creation of the Mound Bayou Health Center, an African American hospital founded by Tufts University to assist in black patient care. Paris explains that the hospital often treated cases involving malnutrition, as herbicide poisonings of black crops by white landowners resulted in many blacks not having access to fresh produce. Paris states that land was eventually purchased from the Office of Economic Opportunity to grow vegetables for the African American workers.

Keywords: Alligator, Mississippi; Fannie Lou Hamer; Federation of Southern Cooperatives; Mississippi bayou; Mound Bayou; Office of Economic Opportunity; Sargent Shriver; Tufts University; herbicide

Partial Transcript: So what were you doing with community health center...

Segment Synopsis: Paris recalls that as a member of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, he worked to pursue litigation against white landowners who were denying the distribution of payments given by the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Services to black tenant farmers in Sumter County, Alabama. Paris states that as a result of the litigation, the plantation owners retaliated by evicting 250 families off of the plantation. Paris adds that, the black community, along with civil rights organizations, came together to provide shelter and food for those evicted.

Keywords: Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Services; America Friends Service Committee; Federation of Southern Cooperatives; Student Nonviolence Coordination Committee (SNCC); Sumter County, Alabama; Voter Education Project

Partial Transcript: But anyways, we incorporated Panola land buyers...

Segment Synopsis: Paris explains that the Student Nonviolence Coordination Committee (SNCC) eventually purchased land to provide monetary support for the 250 tenant families evicted from their plantation as the result of a federal litigation case. Paris then recalls how he originally came to be involved in the case, as he began his civil rights career at Tuskegee Institute during the 1960's. Paris explains that he eventually came to work at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives in Alabama, where he came to be involved with the Panola Land Buyers Association.

Keywords: Federation of Southern Cooperatives; Panola Land Buyers Association; Southeast Alabama Self-Help Association; Southern Cooperative Development Program; Southwest Alabama Farmers Cooperatives Organization; Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC); Tuskegee Institute

Partial Transcript: And then, here comes this federal suit against us...

Segment Synopsis: Paris explains that after the land was bought through the efforts of Panola Land Buying Association by the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, a federal suit was placed on the Federation of Southern Cooperatives from an indictment of conflict of interests among its members. Paris explains that the suite forced the federation to sell assets in order to pay for legal services. Paris then talks about a seed-sharing initiative stated by the Federation of Southern Cooperative in the effort to encourage black economic participation in rural southern areas. Paris recalls that in retaliation, the Farmer's Home Administration prohibited farmers from buying the seeds if they had to buy a government federal loan. Paris talks about other farming initiatives pursued through the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, and the ways in which the USDA countered the food selling initiatives.

Keywords: Farmer's Home Administration; Federation of Southern Cooperatives; United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); corn seeds; discrimination

Partial Transcript: The government was using almost every kind of tactic...

Segment Synopsis: Paris recalls how the food distribution initiatives created through the Federation of Southern Cooperatives were hindered by efforts from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to eliminate agricultural competition. Paris explains that the African American owned cooperatives were often shut down, as he claims the United States government perceived the independent black owned businesses as a threat to the existing economy. Paris then recalls that white land owners in the Mississippi delta region often applied defoliant to the gardens of black farmers to kill off their produce. Paris adds that this was performed with the intention of moving blacks away from the area.

Keywords: Federation of Southern Cooperatives; United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); discrimination; produce; racism

Partial Transcript: So you said to make it on a smaller farm...

Segment Synopsis: Paris emphasizes the importance of cotton crops as one of the few agricultural industries blacks could take advantage of during the 1960's-70's. Paris explains that white farmer's herbicides often contaminated the waterways used by black farmers for food, which eventually forced many blacks to relocate.

Keywords: Mount Bayou; Shirley Sherrod; United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); cotton

Partial Transcript: What sort of ways is this discrimination in loans reproduced?

Segment Synopsis: Paris explains that during the '60's, many black farmers were discriminated against in receiving their loans from the US Department of Agriculture. Paris recalls that loans given by the US Department of Agriculture were mostly distributed to large-scale farms. Paris talks about how, as a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), he worked to promote representation of black farmers in the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS). Paris describes the importance of black representation in legislation.

Keywords: Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS); Oklahoma; Pickens County, Alabama; Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC); US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Partial Transcript: So the most rapid land loss period that we've suffered...

Segment Synopsis: Paris talks about the positive correlation between the gradual rise in social mobility and the loss of land for black farmers. Paris uses this connection as evidence for the presence of land as a symbol of power. Paris explains some of the legal methods utilized by white farmers to acquire land previously owned by African American farmers. Paris talks about the loopholes in Alabama's legislation that ensured that historically black-owned land would be easier to obtain.

Keywords: Federation of Southern Cooperatives; Georgia; Mississippi; Sumter County, Mississippi

Partial Transcript: It called for a grand jury investigation of the federation...

Segment Synopsis: Paris recalls how, in his fight to win back land owned historically by black farmers, he eventually caused the Federation of Southern Cooperatives to come under government investigation for its involvement in local politics. Paris explains that because he was not originally on the federation's staff, the investigation did not result in any litigation. Paris states that his previous
political involvement prevented him from working in US government sectors in the future.

Keywords: Federation of Southern Cooperatives; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); Sumter, Mississippi; Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Partial Transcript: By being organized, and being able to interface with folks...

Segment Synopsis: Paris explains how the Federation of Southern Cooperative's organizational power discouraged further indictments from the federal court. Paris then talks about how the Environmental Protection Agency failed to remediate a Superfund site located in Sumter County, Mississippi in which, Paris claims, some of the buried chemical waste originated from Love Canal. Paris explains that the buried chemicals in Sumter, Mississippi are located in close proximity to the county's aquifers, and are buried without adequate isolation from the surrounding environment. Paris explains that the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, which was later given authority over the situation, failed to produce any changes.

Keywords: Alabama Department of Environmental Management; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Federation of Southern Cooperatives; Shirley Sherrod; Superfund site; aquifer; chemical waste management

Partial Transcript: We found some barrels...

Segment Synopsis: Paris recalls some of the failures of the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure and protect human and ecological health in Mississippi. Paris explains that the EPA is presently ignoring evidence of contamination from the toxic chemical waste near poor black communities. Paris then talks about how, in the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, he fought against the government buying land from black farmers for the construction of the Tombigbee Waterway. Paris reminisces about his father and the ways in which he helped black farmers receive loans from the Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Services (ASCS). Paris explains that his father's clients were often refused land from the ASCS because they had joined civil rights organizations.

Keywords: Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Services (ASCS); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Federation of Southern Cooperatives; George Paris; Soil Conservation Service; Tombigbee Waterway; racism

Partial Transcript: But I'm saying, they've got a plethora of stuff....

Segment Synopsis: Paris explains how, during his father's time, black farmers were denied loans from Department of Agriculture based on their involvement with civil rights groups such as the NAACP. Paris recalls the strict regulations that were placed on black farmers and how programs benefiting black farmers are excluded from the budgets created by the Department of Agriculture. Paris talks about his wish to write about the injustices in Mississippi. Paris recalls living on his father's farm and talks about his mother's job as a nanny after she graduated high school.

Keywords: Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Services; Birmingham, Alabama; Federation of Southern Cooperatives; Mississippi; US Department of Agriculture; United Mine Workers of America; civil rights

Partial Transcript: My daddy walked off the plantation...

Segment Synopsis: Paris talks about how his father, George Wendell, became a member of New Farmers of America, an organization which would host meetings at Savannah State University in Georgia. Paris explains that after his first meeting, his father walked off of the plantation in order to go to school at Savannah State University. Paris relates that his father worked to pay for college and eventually came to attend Tuskegee University. Paris states that his father stayed in the south to help the small farming community of Alabama.

Keywords: George Wendell; Morehouse College; New Farmers of America; Savannah State University; Tuskegee University

Partial Transcript: Did you know much about the cooperative farms...

Segment Synopsis: Paris recalls that as a member of the Student Nonviolence Coordination Committee, during his early civil rights years, he worked with Fannie Lou Hamer and the Freedom Farm Cooperative. Paris explains that the Freedom Farm Cooperative experienced corrupt management, which was common, as many farm cooperatives lacked enforcement and accountability among management. Paris talks about the diverse crops grown by farming cooperatives at the time. Paris then explains that many doctors of black farm workers would not diagnose workers who were suffering from illnesses related to pesticide exposure.

Keywords: Fannie Lou Hamer; Freedom Farm Cooperative; Student Nonviolence Coordination Committee; agricultural cooperative; cotton

Partial Transcript: I went down in south Texas...

Segment Synopsis: Paris explains that in south Texas, the average life of farm workers was 48 years, which Paris attributes to complications caused by pesticide exposure. Paris recalls that black farm workers were not given any sort of protection despite being in direct contact with herbicides and insecticides. Paris talks about an attempt by Dr. Walter Gough, who worked at the Delta Health Center, to report the illnesses caused by pesticide exposure. Paris emphasizes that Gough's statements did not result in any change. Paris explains that the "romantic" appeal of environmentalism associated with human's impact on ecology outweighs the focus of environmental health concerns of people in rural areas. Paris explains that the lack of civil rights groups in rural areas reinforces the lack of concern given to the people in the area.

Keywords: Delta Health Center; Dr. Walter Gough; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Mound Bayou; defoliant; pesticide

Partial Transcript: In fact [there's] a big farm...

Segment Synopsis: Paris talks about a farm he knows of located close to a hazardous waste site in which, Paris claims, the owners are fearful to test the livestock of chemical contamination. Paris than talks about how working in a farming cooperative in the early '70's helped him to attain effective pesticides for black farmers at a lower price. Paris talks about the methods utilized by farmer cooperatives to distributing the pesticides purchased from large pesticide manufacturing companies.

Keywords: Little Rock, Arkansas; Southern Farmers Association (SFA); Treflan (herbicide); chemical contamination; hazardous waste; livestock

Partial Transcript: A lot of those supply houses were co-ops themselves...

Segment Synopsis: Paris talks about the selling tactics used by south pesticide suppliers to maximize profits. Paris recalls a particular incident in Tennessee, in which gasoline suppliers refused to sell black farmers gasoline. Paris then explains the need for farmers to form cooperatives and the need for organization among small farming initiatives.

Keywords: Memphis, Tennessee; farming cooperative; gasoline; pesticide

Partial Transcript: Like our church here, if we have a funeral....

Segment Synopsis: Paris talks about the need for initiatives to be made by small farmers to sell their produce to the local community. Paris emphasizes the economic and health benefits to be gained by the partnering of urban communities and small farmers.

Keywords: United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA); local; obesity

Partial Transcript: At some point, we're going to start selling...

Segment Synopsis: Paris states that encouraging black farmers into selling to the local community might result in marketing conflict with large businesses. Paris explains potential opportunities to be made by small farmers selling to schools and churches. Paris talks about the need for local farmers to provide convenient products for their consumers in order to effectively compete with larger produce industries.

Keywords: Chicago; Marks, Mississippi; local

Partial Transcript: It is necessary for us...

Segment Synopsis: Paris talks about the need for local farmers to distribute product lines that are not in competition with large produce manufacturers. Paris talks about the ways in which black farmers participate in politics, as he claims black farmers have the highest proportional voter turnout in the African American population. Paris explains the ways in which the United States Department of Agriculture has failed to provide security, inform farmers of their rights, and form relationships between small farmers and the government. Paris ends the interview by emphasizing the need for personability in today's school systems.

Keywords: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); manufacturer; politics; voting