COFO staff found office space and living quarters at Freedom Houses in Gulfport, Clarksdale, Greenwood, Canton, Jackson, and elsewhere. Located in Black neighborhoods and business districts, Freedom Houses were either rented or donated, often by local middle class Black people with financial independence from Whites. On shoestring budgets, volunteers set up makeshift offices to run fliers and voter registration applications. They used payphones and WATS lines—Wide Area Telephone Services—to create a vast network of communication to ensure volunteer safety, get important news, and pass along vital information.
Pictured: A black and white photograph of two volunteers working in a Freedom House. One volunteer is standing and talking on a phone. The other volunteer is seated is seated and taking notes from a call on a different phone.
Credit: MDAH Ed King Collection
