Canton Freedom House receives Mississippi Freedom Trail Marker

JANS – Visit Mississippi and the Mississippi Humanities Council unveiled a new Mississippi Freedom Trail marker in Canton on Tuesday honoring the Canton Freedom House. 

Remarks were delivered by civil rights veterans, local and state dignitaries, with a special performance by the Rembert Washington Memorial Chorale. 

The Canton Freedom House served as a crucial headquarters for the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) during the Civil Rights Movement. Canton residents George and Rembert Washington rented the home to CORE organizer and Freedom Rider George Raymond, providing him a safe base for organizing protests and voter registration drives. 

In 1964, white supremacists fired shots into the house and attempted to bomb it. Civil rights leaders – including Martin Luther King Jr. and James Meredith – used the Freedom House as a safe place and planning site. 

Today, it is the last surviving CORE Freedom House in Mississippi. Restored and operated as a museum by Glen Cotton, grandson of the Washingtons, the home features photographs, articles, and memorabilia. Guided tours are available by appointment. 

“The Canton Freedom House stands as a testament to ordinary people who risked everything for freedom,” said Visit Mississippi director, Rochelle Hicks. “Its place on the Mississippi Freedom Trail is a part of ensuring their courage and accomplishments never fade from our collective memory.”