“Actions’ Group Plans Service For Election Day,” The Mount Holyoke News, October 30, 1964

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“Actions’ Group Plans Service For Election Day,” The Mount Holyoke News, October 30, 1964

This article describes the Civil Actions Group’s Election Day initiatives in Springfield, as well as their long-term goals. Members of the group planned to raise “poll tax” money and babysit for voters—direct action that would impact the local community as well as people across the country. The money they received in the poll tax fundraiser would go to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, benefitting voters in Mississippi, which required its citizens to pay a fee of $2 (equivalent to about $16 in 2019) to register to vote. The Civil Actions Group had no membership list and required no formal commitment for going to Springfield each week, so it is hard to tell how many students participated, but, as stated in the article by co-chairman Roberta Aber ‘65, it offered “an opportunity for every girl to become involved in worthwhile community service.”

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The Mount Holyoke News

October 30, 1964

Newspaper

English

rg32-s01-19641030