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Making Waves

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Convergence

Aaron_Henry_1964 cropped

The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party challenged the Democrats’ racial politics. Here, Aaron Henry, chair of the MFDP delegation, reads from a document while seated before the Credentials Committee at the 1964 Democratic National Convention, Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Black-and-white photo. An African American man in a white shirt, suit and tie is seated at a table reading. Several white people stand over him as he does, mostly men, some in sunglasses, expressions ranging from hostile to indifferent. A file cabinet behind the reader to the left has a hand-written sign, “Freedom Registration File 2”; a sign taped to a lectern identifies the credentials committee.