Mississippi branch continues to fight injustice

Organized in the 1960s, the result of field work by NAACP field secretary Medgar Evers, the Moss Point-Jackson County, Miss., NAACP branch has a history of political action.

"The branch was formed to make sure that justice was served, especially in the political process," says Curley Clark, the branch's president for 17 years.

"Our voter turnout numbers are high," Clark continues. "In a predominantly Black ward, we are getting a turnout of at least 30 percent."

Located at Mississippi's southern end, Moss Point is less than two hours from New Orleans and only 40 minutes from Mobile, Ala.

The political activism of the Moss Point-Jackson County NAACP branch has changed the political landscape in the Gulf Coast area.

For example, Moss Point's neighboring city, Pascagoula, has a population that is approximately 80 percent white. Yet the branch was able to move Pascagoula from an at-large system of voting, where Blacks were never elected to a political position, to a ward system that included a majority Black ward. Clark explains that the branch used the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the threat of a lawsuit to leverage that accomplishment.

Political activism, however, has not yet changed the attitudes or complexion of an overwhelmingly white police force. According to Clark, Moss Point's police behave as if they are an occupying army.

On Sept. 13, 1999, even Clark was taken aback when Marcus Malone, a 32year-old man arrested for a traffic violation, was found dead in his jail cell.

"When we first investigated the incident, police officials said Malone had overdosed," Clark says.

"Then, the city had a quick autopsy with no details. A grand jury saw no reason to indict anyone."

The Malone family had a second autopsy performed, which indicated that Malone had died of traumatic compression of the neck or chest.

After pressure from the Moss PointJackson County NAACP District Attorney Keith Miller submitted the conflicting reports to forensic expert Michael Baden to be reconciled.

Baden confirmed the findings of the second autopsy and added that Malone was dead before he arrived at his jail cell at the police station.

The NAACP went to work. The usual procedure is to have complainants come to the branch office and submit a written statement. That statement is taken to the mayor and aldermen.

"We then get media involved and hope that we can get public opinion on our side," Clark says. "We do that constantly."

In the Malone case, they went further. There were two marches for justice, and Branch President Clark wrote to the U. S. Department of Justice requesting that it review all policies and procedures of the Moss Point police department.

Armed with Baden's report, Clark and other community leaders asked the district attorney to revisit the Malone case. After reviewing the new evidence, last July a grand jury indicted two police officers and an auxiliary officer for manslaughter. It was an historical moment.

"Although we're about half the size we once were," Clark says, "we're rebuilding. I'm proud our membership helped to create history in the Malone case."

- Phil W. Petrie

Copyright Crisis Publishing Company, Incorporated Jan/Feb 2002
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