Fifty years ago, a group of women took on the problem of racism in the American South. We studied this little known story of women collaborating across geographic, racial, and religious boundaries through documentary clips of Wednesdays in Mississippi activists. Watch the recording to explore the challenges and benefits of creating social change through community coalitions and discuss ways to connect this story to conversations about activism within your own communities.

Session Recording

View the recording to hear about this group of brave women activists in the American South and to watch model activities.

Session Materials and Handouts

• PowerPoint Presentation
• Chat Log
• Lino Board with participant questions and ideas about activism in their communities.

Lesson Links

• Lesson Plan: Community Organizing II: Wednesdays in Mississippi from Living the Legacy

Related Resources from the Jewish Women’s Archive

• Community Organizing I: Freedom Summer in Living the Legacy
• “Black History Month: Wednesdays in Mississippi” blog post by Judith Rosenbaum
• Freedom Summer Online Learning Program Recording, Session Materials, etc.

Wednesdays in Mississippi elsewhere on the web

• “Wednesdays in Mississippi: How Jewish Was My Mother’s Civil Rights Activism?” by Holly Cowan Shulman from Lilith Magazine
• “Wednesdays in Mississippi: A Documentary Film” is still in production. To learn more about the film project, its producers, or to support the film, please visit the website.
• “Wednesdays in Mississippi: Civil Rights as Women's Work: Breaking down human barriers & mobilizing women”—An Exhibit Website