Jan. 10, 1966: Voting Rights Activist Vernon Dahmer Murdered

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https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/vernon-dahmer/

On Jan. 9, 1966, Vernon Dahmer announced on the radio that he would pay the poll tax for anyone who could not afford to register to vote. (Despite the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a poll tax was still charged in local elections in Mississippi.)

The next day, Dahmer’s home was firebombed by the Ku Klux Klan. Dahmer guarded the front door while his wife and children escaped out the back. He died the next day from severe burns and smoke inhalation.

Here is a brief description of his extraordinary life of activism, excerpted and adapted from the excellent profile of Vernon Dahmer on CRMvet.org.

Vernon Dahmer: Brief Background

[marble falls]

1. A real American hero, who proved its what we all do individually that makes a difference, too.