With little time and a goal of 200,000 votes, COFO staff raced to produce campaign materials, schedule rallies, arrange for polling sites, and print ballots. Despite ongoing harassment by Whites, Aaron Henry and Rev. Ed King campaigned around the state for governor and lieutenant governor, respectively. To assist the campaign, Allard Lowenstein raised funds from Northern donors and recruited student volunteers from Yale and Stanford. The decision to invite White students was passionately debated. Some staff thought it might threaten the sense of empowerment felt by local people. But the need for help and the argument for integrating the Movement carried the day.
Pictured: A black and white photograph of demonstrators holding protest signs. On the left, an officer speaks into a megaphone. On the right, two demonstrators walk past the officer. The man in front is holding a sign that reads: "We Want to Vote!" There is a police bus parked in the background.
Credit: Wisconsin Historical Society, WHS-97866
