Draft:Peggy Jean Connor

Peggy Jean Connor was born on October 29, 1932, to John Henry and Esther Gould in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Connor was introduced to the fight for voting rights from an early age by her father, whom she said was "outspoken" and "civic-minded". He participated in organizations like the Committee of One Hundred, and involved his children in his activities, encouraging Connor to write letters for the Committee. Connor was also likely motivated by her sister Joyce Gould’s experience after graduation, where she was forced to move after being unable to find good jobs in Mississippi, despite having a degree.

Connor attended Eureka High School, one of Mississippi's few brick high schools for African Americans. In a citizenship course at the school, a teacher encouraged the students to attempt to register to vote once they turned 18, further exposing her to the injustices within the voting system. She graduated in 1950, the last graduating class from the school.

African American women during this period dealt with an exponential amount of racism due to the framework of intersectionality. They endured double oppression because they were part of a subordinate group, women, and a minority (African American). Connor’s early exposure to unjust laws allowed her to view the system more critically. She felt encouraged to participate in activism because she was “fed up with the … way things were going” (Oral interview). The beauty shop she owned was across the street from the COFO office, and it was this proximity that led her to meet Lawerance Guyot, who was looking for influential female business owners to get involved. He encouraged her to attend meetings at St. John Methodist Church in Palmer’s Crossing. At the first of these meetings that she attended, she was impassioned by a speech given by Fannie Lou Hamer and wanted to continue her involvement. (Oral interview)

Peggy Jean Connor got her beauty license at age 14 after finishing a course at her aunt’s beauty school, Garret’s Beauty Salon. She founded Jean’s Beauty Shop at age 21. This shop was located on Mobile Street in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, which was the heart of the black community’s social and commerce life. Connor served as the secretary and treasurer of the Council of Federated Organizations. She also served as co-founder of the MFDP, and she was chosen to be one of their delegates at the DNC.

The SNCC was a key organization in the American civil rights movement, playing a large role in Mississippi’s Black Freedom Movement. Founded in April 1960 amidst the Southern student sit-ins, the SNCC played a leading role in advancing civil and human rights through grassroots activism and nonviolent direct action. Its early initiatives included organizing sit-ins, participating in the Freedom Rides, and coordinating voter registration drives. The SNCC was instrumental in projects such as the 1964 Mississippi Summer Project, also known as Freedom Summer, which focused on voter registration and the establishment of Freedom Schools. Many women who participated within the SNCC went on to be more radical members of the feminist movement, taking what they learned in protests and demonstrations with the SNCC to other avenues of activism.

Connor was well acquainted with the SNCC’s local and regional operations and had several experiences with prominent members, such as Lawrence Guyot and Doug Smith (Oral interview). She was impressed by their leadership and influence in organizing activities in Hattiesburg and took up her own initiatives alongside them.

In 1964, Connor was a founding member of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MDFP), which was "open to every individual - regardless of race". The MFDP was established to challenge the racial exclusivity of the regular Mississippi Democratic Party during the Civil Rights Movement. It sought to represent all citizens and brought issues of voting rights and political inequality to the national stage, particularly during the 1964 Democratic National Convention.

The MFDP wanted representation in the delegation at the 1964 Democratic National Convention, as the Democratic Party’s planned delegation was all-white. However, President Lyndon B. Johnson only offered the MFDP a compromise, consisting of two at-large seats, when they had 68 delegates. The MFDP delegates, including Peggy Jean Connor, rejected the offer because they were not adequately represented.

Connor was a chairperson for the library precinct and the executive secretary within the MFDP. She focused on the people who were typically ignored in politics, “The Mississippi freedom movement nurtured and depended on a new cohort of nontraditional, grassroots community activists because the established middle class was reluctant to participate.”. This is an example of the MFDP’s reliance on individuals like Peggy Jean Connor, who had the determination and resilience of local, working-class activists, vital to the party's efforts in challenging systemic racism and disenfranchisement​. Connor's work within the MFDP demonstrated the party’s focus on amplifying the voices of those marginalized by both racial and economic barriers​.

The Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) was an umbrella organization formed to unify efforts among civil rights groups and provide support for activists, including those arrested during the Freedom Rides. Its purpose extended beyond immediate crisis support to fostering broader campaigns for civil rights, especially in Mississippi.

Connor became involved with COFO after a chance meeting with Curtis Hayes and Hollis Watkins, who were opening a COFO office across the street from her beauty shop. Within COFO, Connor leveraged her skills as a citizenship teacher to educate and empower others. Her work focused on voter registration and civil rights education, aligning with COFO’s broader mission to challenge systemic disenfranchisement. Her leadership extended to administrative roles, serving as both the secretary and treasurer for COFO in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, at different points in time.

In the Supreme Court case of Connor v. Johnson, Peggy Jean Connor filed suit against the governor of Mississippi for unfair voting districts. In Mississippi courts, the districts were found to be fair under the Mississippi State Constitution in Amendment Chapter 57. However, Connor appealed with help from the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and argued that there was no rational reasoning that senators from Washington County represented almost 20,000 constituents while counties such as Claiborne and Jefferson represented less than 7,000. Connor argued that the gerrymandered districts were unfair under the Equal Protection Clause in the United States Constitution.

After multiple appeals by Connor, the case was presented to the Supreme Court. The original ruling was overturned in favor of Connor and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. The case's defendants tried to claim it "necessary" to remove the “unincorporated association” of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. Still, the courts found this unnecessary as it did not affect the outcome of the case, and the original case was filed by a citizen invoking their constitutional right to sue another.

The Supreme Court made its final rulings using federal analogies from previous cases such as Roman v. Sincock, Lucas v. Forty-Fourth General Assembly of State of Colorado, and Reynolds v. Sims. In the end, the Supreme Court also adopted a statement from the final ruling of Tooms v. Fortson. The Supreme Court mandated the Mississippi Legislature to reapportion the voting districts in a fair and nondiscriminatory manner for all citizens.

Peggy Jean Connor was married to Dennie Frank Connor. They had three children together: LaJoyce, Dennie Jr., and Felecia Denise. LaJoyce died of polio in 1959. Connor owned her beauty shop until her death. She stayed in her hometown throughout her life and expanded civil rights within the town and nationally. She died at the age of 85 on January 13, 2018.

The Peggy Jean Connor Research Award is an annual grant of up to $1,000 offered by the Center for the Study of the Rights of Women (CSRW) at the University of Southern Mississippi. It is designed to support staff or graduate students pursuing professional development related to gender issues. Renamed in 2013 to honor Peggy Jean Connor, the award commemorates her contributions to the civil rights movement in Mississippi. The award funds projects that advance gender equality and social justice.

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