JANS – On Saturday, May 25, 2024, at the Mississippi Democratic Convention in Jackson, MS, Ambro Martin, a Ruleville, MS native, had the honor of meeting Pastor Clifton R. Whitley Jr. Whitley is a triple Bronze Star combat US Army veteran and a political activist from Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement era.
Pastor Whitley served as the vice chairman of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), with Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer as the chairwoman. He was one of the MFDP delegates at the 1964 Democratic National Convention.
Their efforts led many Black Mississippians to switch from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party and encouraged them to exercise their right to vote. Pastor Whitley, a legendary pioneer of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement, currently resides in Aberdeen, MS.
Martin, a retired Army Officer, recently moved to Gluckstadt, MS from Virginia. He grew up in Ruleville, the hometown of Mrs. Hamer. While attending K-12 grades, one of his classmates was Jacqueline “Cookie” Hamer, the youngest adopted daughter of Mrs. Hamer. While often returning to Ruleville to visit family and friends, Martin would stop by the Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial to pay homage to someone who has done so much to improve the voting awareness of the people in Mississippi and the country.
