21. “By Any and All Honorable and Legal Means“
The black armed volunteers were led by Earnest “Chilly Willy” Thomas, and Frederick Douglass Kirkpatrick, a Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) activist and an ordained minister. Most members were practicing Christians, who sought to serve their community in a Christian manner. Because of that religiosity, the group came to be known as the Deacons for Defense and Justice. The Deacons had strict membership requirements. They accepted only male citizens, 21 or older, preferably married, and with prior military experience. They demanded discipline in the face of provocation, a commitment to act only in self-defense, and turned away those with a reputation for “hotheadedness”.
Per their charter, the goal was “the defense of civil rights, property rights, and personal rights … by any and all honorable and legal means to the end that justice may be obtained“. Deacons had to pledge their lives to the defense of justice, civil rights activists, and the people of their community. Their first show of force occurred when protests commenced in Jonesboro, Louisiana, against the segregation of public swimming pools and the public library. The KKK and local police organized a caravan to intimidate the protesters and the black community. Twenty armed Deacons showed up to stare down the caravan. Confronted with the prospect of lethal opposition, the caravan hastily withdrew.