MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2011 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Horhn, Jones, Simmons, Jordan, Blount, Fillingane, Frazier, Jackson (11th), Jackson (32nd), Stone
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION MOURNING THE PASSING AND COMMENDING THE LIFE OF MRS. A.M.E. LOGAN, THE "MOTHER OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT."
WHEREAS, Mrs. A.M.E. Logan of Jackson, Mississippi, known as the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement," passed away on February 5, 2011; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Logan once cooked for the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., in her home. She was known for opening her house to almost anyone. Friends say she was especially hospitable to The Freedom Riders, who stayed with her when they visited the Capital City. Mrs. Logan retired from Jackson State University's Margaret Walker Alexander Research Center in 2008. Mrs. Logan was 96 years old; and
WHEREAS, born in the small country Town of Myles, Mississippi, just eight miles below Utica, to the late J.C. (John Collins) and Nellie Rembert Marshall, Mrs. A.M.E. Logan was a spry elder in the community who seemed to have such boundless energy that even an Olympic marathon runner would envy; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Logan's father was such a strong believer in his religion that he actually named his eighth child African Methodist Episcopal, or A.M.E. for short; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Logan met her husband when she was a teenager, and they soon married. She and her late husband, L.S. Logan, moved to Jackson in the early 1940s, building a house on Biloxi Street in West Jackson in 1944. They shared this home together for the 40 years they were married, having also raised a family with strong Christian beliefs and unwavering faith. When they moved to Jackson, Mr. Logan worked for the railroad company, while Mrs. Logan was self-employed as a hairdresser and seamstress. Her first job was as an Assistant Manager at Williams Grocery Store, once located at the corner of Dalton and Lynch Streets. She also attended Campbell College, working as an assistant cashier and waiting tables; and
WHEREAS, her sense of pride led Mrs. Logan into a life of civil rights activism at a time in our nation when the average African-American was afraid. When the Jackson Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was reorganized in the late 1950s by Reverend A.W. Wells, Mrs. Logan attended the meeting at Hair's Tabernacle A.M.E. Church located across the street from her home on Biloxi Street. She was the only woman there, and was elected as its first Secretary. Even though she was pregnant, she went door-to-door trying to recruit her neighbors to join the NAACP. Some did, but some slammed the door in her face. Undaunted, she continued recruiting, eventually selling enough memberships to again have an active branch. Once this feat was accomplished, the late Medgar Evers had a base to work from; and
WHEREAS, in the early 1960s, she met leaders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and was asked if she would host a meeting, where they decided to form the first Jackson Chapter of SCLC, and Mrs. Logan became its first member, serving as Secretary. When she returned home one late afternoon from delivering Avon products, her house was filled with Freedom Riders from all over the country. She said her neighbors were frightened and unhappy with her about the constant stream of strangers, eventually numbering into the thousands up and down Biloxi Street, in and out of her home. When Medgar Evers had dignitaries coming to Jackson with the NAACP, Mrs. Logan was also responsible for meeting SCLC leaders like Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King when he came to Jackson for a rally or protest. Mrs. Logan had no problem talking about her escapades as a civil rights leader; and
WHEREAS, the Jackson City Council is in the process of naming Biloxi Street in Mrs. Logan's honor. "Mrs. Logan was just a very lovely lady," Council President Frank Bluntson said. "She always had a smile. She was respected by all of the people of Jackson who knew her"; and
WHEREAS, A.M.E. Logan was the oldest working Avon lady in the country, the company said. At 96, Mrs. Logan still drove and delivered Avon products to her customers; and
WHEREAS, A.M.E. Logan made history during one of the state's most racially charged eras. Yet, she maintained an inexplicable love for her fellowmen, no matter who they were, and it is with sadness that we note the passing of this beloved civil rights figure:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby mourn the passing and commend the life of Mrs. A.M.E. Logan of Jackson, Mississippi, the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement," and extend our sympathy to her surviving family on her passing.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to the surviving family of Mrs. A.M.E. Logan and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.