Monday, April 11, 2011

The Sad Case of Louis Allen: Why The Civil Rights Era Isn't Over In Mississippi

60 Minutes' in-depth investigation into the unsolved Civil Rights-era killing of Louis Allen in Liberty, Mississippi, brought to life how troubling life can still be for many African Americans in the state and their pursuit of justice. From the files of the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission, here are links to files on the Louis Allen case. If you don't know, the MS Sovereignty Commission was the taxpayer-financed arm of the state that spied on people and watched and harassed "agitators" working for racial justice.
In the Allen case, it is likely the perpetrators remain hidden in plain view in Liberty, MS, but I could find no evidence that the state's attorney general, Jim Hood is investigating the case. Instead, I found an article touting his advocacy of a new execution drug. That's Mississippi-style progress.
Like many things in Mississippi, Louis Allen's death appears to only bother black Mississippians with white Mississippians and local law enforcement quite blasé about the whole matter. The FBI has given the matter one part-time investigator who is rather overwhelmed given that she has more than 100 cold cases to work on.

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