Hattiesburg native Vernon Dahmer lost his life in 1966 to men who didn’t think Black people deserved the right to vote.
Dahmer never set out to become a martyr. He was a family man. A farmer. A businessman who ran a general store.
But he also was a man of integrity and a man who believed that all U.S. citizens should have the right to vote. Dahmer, who was Black, would help other Black men and women fill out forms so they could attempt to register to vote. He would even help them pay the hefty poll taxes that were required of all voters.
He made an impact in his community, but was hated by members of the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, who made death threats in hopes of stopping Dahmer.
On Jan. 10, 1966, they took those threats to a new level. The men fired their guns into the Dahmer house, then fire-bombed it. Inside, Dahmer roused his family and helped them escape as he fired into the night, hoping to stop the men who were shooting into his home.
Dahmer briefly survived the fire, but died later the same day at a local hospital.
Many young people don’t know much about the costly struggle for equality that many Black men and women fought in the 1950s and ’60s, but now a new generation can learn more about voting and civil rights through Dahmer’s lens with the release of a new book.
Mississippi civil rights:2 sisters, a farmer and a dentist are among those honored with Freedom Trail markers
“If You Don’t Vote, You Don’t Count: Vernon Dahmer’s Fight for Equality” is a children’s book about the slain civil rights leader that tells his story in a way that is easily understood.
The book is written for 9- to 12-year-olds and comes with plenty of illustrations that engage young minds as they learn about history from not so long ago.
The book also shows the power of what one person — one voice — can have in their own community.
Mississippi history:Freedom Summer is remembered 60 years later. Some hope a younger generation is listening
The book was written by Rochelle “Shelly” Dahmer, who is married to Dahmer’s grandson Phillip Dahmer.
“I wrote this book to honor Vernon Dahmer’s legacy and to inspire young readers to stand up for what is right,” Shelly Dahmer said. “His story is a powerful reminder of the importance of voting and the impact one person can make in the fight for equality.”
The book is available for purchase on Amazon at https://amzn.to/4j9nOhB.
Shelly Dahmer is an author, retired educator and social justice advocate dedicated to telling stories that inspire and educate. She has authored another children’s book, “Nightmares in the Little Poster Bed,” and a couple books for adult audiences.
Lici Beveridge is a reporter for the Hattiesburg American and Clarion Ledger. Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on X @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge.
This post was originally published on here
