Civil Rights Presentation by Charles Prickett

March 6, 2023

I propose to present an engaging program addressing justice, civil rights and equality in a civil society. The program puts you in the trenches of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. These are the events that lead to the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. In our country, we have a history of marginalizing people based on skin color, nationality, ethnicity, religion, sex, LGBTQ, disability, age, and poverty. We can eliminate these inequities by realizing what we do individually and as a society, and taking steps to change our laws and behavior.

I present programs about Civil Rights in America. My presentations include speaking about my experiences as a 1960s civil rights worker, a video of activities and events illustrating issues confronted by underserved populations in the 1960s and today, and leading question-and-answer sessions resulting in open-ended discussions.

I have presented my program to numerous community colleges, primary and secondary schools, civic groups, universities, and Amnesty International in the U.K., for nearly 40 years.

In 2019 I received the Carter G. Woodson Memorial Award (The Father of Black History) from the NEA and ASALH for my decades of engaging audiences about civil rights.

Carter G. Woodson Memorial Award

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I speak about attending the 1963 March on Washington, where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made his famous “I Have A Dream” speech.

In 1964, I assisted Richard Beymer (actor and filmmaker) in filming A Regular Bouquet, the only film record of the Mississippi Freedom Summer.

Footage from that film has been used extensively by filmmakers for decades, including PBS's Eyes on the Prize, and, more recently, Fannie Lou Hamer’s America.
An important part of my presentation is showing a 28-minute version of A Regular Bouquet where I appear a dozen times as a 20-year-old.
I describe being a project co-director during the Mississippi Freedom Summer of 1964.
I speak of teaching Freedom School, which included children and their parents.
We tried to help register Black citizens to vote, but barriers such as literacy tests and poll taxes prevented most Black citizens from registering or voting.
Organizing the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party was a highlight, which challenged the all-White Mississippi Democratic Party for seats in the National Democratic Convention held in Atlantic City, N in 1964. We secured no seats.
Organizing Black farmers directly targeted the inequalities of the farming economy. Black farmers voted to elect their first representative to the local U.S. Department of Agriculture ASCS board.

In 1965, I joined Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. working as an organizer for the Selma-Montgomery March. I had a one-on-one with Martin (as he was introduced), and marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge with him.

My book, Remembering Mississippi Freedom Summer, is a memoir of my experiences in the 1963 March on Washington, the Mississippi Freedom Summer in 1964, and the 1965 Selma-Montgomery March. This book is available on Amazon.

I am an attorney and hold a Ph.D. in Education