House Resolution 11

A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE GREAT LIFETIME ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MR. FRANK CRUMP, JR., UPON THE DEDICATION OF A MISSISSIPPI STATE HISTORICAL MARKER TO COMMEMORATE HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.

WHEREAS, on January 16, 2017, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen for the City of Vicksburg, Mississippi, in partnership with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History Board of Trustees unveiled a Mississippi State Historical Marker to commemorate Mr. Frank Crump, Jr.'s contributions to the Civil Rights Movement; and

WHEREAS, born on May 26, 1927, in Vicksburg, Mr. Crumb earned a bachelor of science degree in industrial arts from Alcorn A&M College in 1951 and a master of science degree in vocational education administration at the University of Southern Mississippi in 1978; and

WHEREAS, in the summer of 1964, a time when African Americans were systemically excluded from voting, Mr. Crump united with local organizers, and out-of-state volunteers with the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) who came to Vicksburg to register African-American voters during what became known as Freedom Summer of 1964; and

WHEREAS, in spite of the opposition and violence surrounding the Civil Rights Movement, Mr. Crump, a Navy veteran and high school math teacher, had no reservations about acting on his convictions; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Crump was one of the few educators who joined the movement, and when asked if he was fearful of being fired, Mr. Crump was known to respond, "I was looking for a job when I found this one"; and

WHEREAS, on July 31, 1964, Mr. Crump was elected as one of eight delegates at the Warren County Convention of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which was formed in April 1964, to challenge the state's Democratic Party, which for decades denied African Americans the opportunity to participate in the electoral process; and

WHEREAS, on the front line and behind the scenes, Mr. Crump, clergy and local leaders, including Eddie Thomas, Sr., Tommie Lee Williams, Frank Summers, Pink Taylor, Dr. and Mrs. Aaron Shirley, Mr. and Mrs. James Chiplin, Sr., William Triplett, Sr., Charles Chiplin, Mildred Cosey, Maude Phelps, Dilla Irwin, Lee Willa Miller, Albert Lassiter and countless others, helped bring national attention to the struggle for racial equality in Vicksburg; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Crump was a voice of consciousness during the 1972 boycott when citizens of Vicksburg, led by Mr. Eddie McBride instituted an economic boycott to protest discriminatory hiring practices by city officials and downtown merchants; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Crump walked the picket line and was vocal in challenging discriminatory pay practices for teachers, and the boycott opened the door to jobs historically closed to African Americans; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Crump's career as an educator spanned more than six decades, beginning in 1951 at Alcorn A&M College and from 1960-1969, he taught mathematics at Rosa A. Temple High School and was Chairman of the Mathematics Department, ultimately retiring in 1986 as the Dean of Vocational Technical Education at Utica Junior College; and

WHEREAS, after retiring, Mr. Crump continued to advocate for change and equal opportunity, and in 1987, he led a boycott to challenge proposed leadership changes and inequities in the Vicksburg School District; and

WHEREAS, in 2013, Mr. Crump was honored by the 113th United States Congress for his unwavering dedication to social justice and education; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to recognize and commend the lives of great Mississippians, such as Mr. Crump, whose memory will serve as an inspiration to the young people of this state for many years to come:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby recognize the great lifetime accomplishments of Mr. Frank Crump, Jr., upon the dedication of a Mississippi State Historical Marker to commemorate his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the Board of Aldermen and Mayor for the City of Vicksburg and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.