The MISSISSIPPI Civil Rights & Delta Blues BOOKSTORE

"Pick of the Week" from the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission Files

Following is a letter placed at  "MDAH Archives and Library Sovereignty Commission Online" http://www.mdah.state.ms.us/arlib/contents/er/index.html. I have done no editing to this file. All Sovereignty Commission Online files appear here exactly as they are displayed on the MDAH site. sk

The Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission (Commission) was created by an act of the Mississippi legislature on March 29, 1956. The agency was established in the wake of the May 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling. The Commission's objective was to "do and perform any and all acts deemed necessary and proper to protect the sovereignty of the state of Mississippi, and her sister states . . ." from perceived "encroachment thereon by the Federal Government or any branch, department or agency thereof." The governor was appointed ex-officio chairman of the Commission and other ex-officio members were the president of the Senate, who was vice-chairman of the Commission; the attorney general; and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. In addition, the Commission comprised the following members; two members from the Senate, appointed by the president of the Senate; and three members from the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker. The governor, attorney general and legislators served on the Commission during their tenures in office. The three members appointed by the governor served for the duration of his term. The agency itself was small consisting of a director, public relations director, clerical staff and a handful of investigators. (Information from Agency History and Access Chronology)