Interview with Wendell Paris, November 1, 2016

Wendell Paris grew up in Mississippi and attended Tuskegee Institute where he studied agriculture. During his time as a student, he joined the Student Nonviolence Coordination Committee (SNCC). Paris eventually came to manage the Panola Land Buyers Association where he conducted work in preserving land for African American families who were evicted off of plantations. In this interview, Paris talks about his experience in the SNCC. He talks about working with Fannie Lou Hamer, the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, and as the manager of the Panola Land Buyers Association. Paris also talks about his father’s work and the Environmental Protections Agency’s impact on the poor farming communities.

2016-11-01

RBRL420MA-018

170 minutes