The 1965 SCOPE Project
"The Second Freedom Summer"
THE 1965 SCOPE PROJECT
(Summer Community Organization and Political Education) was the summer 1965 voter registration project run by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
Expecting the Voting Rights Act to pass in June, Dr. King invited hundreds of college students to come South in order to help people register to vote under the relaxed rules of the VRA. Since the VRA did not pass until August 6, project workers brought people to be registered both under the old rules and the new in six Southern states.
A ballot box in 1965
Andrew Young (standing)
Dr. King (speaking), Dr. Abernathy, Rosa Parks, Fred Gray
A ballot box in 1965
CPM Global presents "Sounds of Change: Freedom Summer 60th Anniversary Docuseries," a compelling and timely tribute to one of the most defining moments in the Civil Rights Movement. Hosted by acclaimed civil rights activist and storyteller Chelsea Miller, this two-part series commemorates 1964 Freedom Summer – a bold campaign to register Black voters in Mississippi despite fierce racism and violent opposition.
References to the 1965 SCOPE PROJECT
Video 1: @ 4:38 | Interview with Neil Reichline, Veteran of the 1965 Scope Project
Video 2: @ 4:44 | Interview with Lanny Kaufer, Veteran of the 1965 Scope Project
Historical Markers
SCOPE Freedom House
Pineville, Berkeley County, South Carolina
In 1965, this was the Berkeley County headquarters of Summer Community Organization and Political Education (SCOPE), a voter registration project of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
Location: 33° 25.633′ N, 79° 59.435′ W.
It is on South Carolina Route 35, 0.1 miles north of Route 45, on the right when traveling north. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2227 N State Hwy 35, Pineville SC 29468, USA
Troy & Pike Pike County SCLC SCOPE Project, 1965
Troy, Pike County, Alabama
On July 9, 1965, SCOPE workers arrived in Pike County and set up offices in Troy and Brundidge.
Location. 31° 48.432′ N, 85° 58.397′ W.
It is on East Church Street, 0.1 miles north of Love Street, on the right when traveling south. Marker is at or near this postal address: 120 E Church St, Troy AL 36081, USA