Voices From the Sit-in Documentary

VOICES FROM THE SIT-IN is the true story of a protest, told by those who lived it. Delta State University, in Cleveland, Mississippi, was segregated from 1925 to 1965. The school enrolled its first Black students in 1966. These first students struggled for recognition, for inclusion, and for fair treatment. By the Spring of 1969, as tensions rose, Delta State’s Black students organized a series of actions and protests. These actions culminated in the quickly-escalating events of Monday, March 10, 1969. In VOICES FROM THE SIT-IN, the forgotten history of this moment is revealed. We meet some of the original students involved and relive the tense experience of a significant moment in the Civil Rights movement, exploring history almost unknown to students today.

VOICES FROM THE SIT-IN features protesters Maggie Daily Crawford, Mary Carter, Talmadge Davis, and Muriel McCraney Lucas; 1969 student government association president James W. Powers; Delta State professors Georgene Clark and Dr. Charles Westmoreland; and current student Sykina Butts, who has been recording an oral history of the participants’ stories. Filmed by current Delta State students, this 27-minute documentary brings to life an important story through lived experiences recalled across five decades.

Movie Information

Featuring protesters: Maggie Daily Crawford, Mary Carter, Talmadge Davis, & Muriel McCraney Lucas; 1968-1969 Student Government Association President James W. Powers; Delta State professors Georgene Clark & Dr. Charles Westmoreland; & current student Sykina Butts.

Producer/Director:
Ted Fisher

Associate Producers:
Sykina Butts
Arlene Sanders
Dr. Carrie Freshour
Michelle Johansen
Michael C. Stanley
Tyler Wells

Cinematographers:
Antonia Cannon
Keenen Davis
Ted Fisher

Additional Cinematography:
Conner Dacus
Uyiose Eki
Mickey Farr
Mason C. Smith

Sound Recordists:
Conner Dacus
Audrianna Garvin
Briana P. Henderson
Krystal Schmalz
Daniel Wiseman

Filmed at The Digital Media Arts Center at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi.

Photos from the Sit-in

Special Thanks To

The mission of the MDNHA is to foster preservation, perpetuation and celebration of the Mississippi Delta’s heritage through collaboration and sustainable economic development. The MDNHA is a partnership between the people of the Mississippi Delta and the National Park Service. It is one of 55 National Heritage Areas in the United States designated by Congress that tell nationally important stories, celebrating our nation’s diverse heritage through community-based partnerships and local collaboration.

This project was made possible by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council, through support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the
Humanities or the Mississippi Humanities Council.

  • Delta Music Institute
  • Delta State University Department of Art
  • Delta State University Alumni Association
  • Delta State University Department of Music
  • Delta State University Archives and Museum
  • Delta State University Delta Center for Culture & Learning
  • Delta State University Division of Social Sciences & History

Voices from the Sit-In Premiere Planning Committee

Ted Fisher, Assistant Professor, Art
Brittany Davis-Green, Director, DSU Communications and Marketing
James Forté, Director, DSU Alumni Association and Annual Fund
Emily Jones, University Archivist, DSU Archives and Museum
Michelle Johansen, Coordinator, DSU Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Planning Committee thanks the Office of the President;

Holly Ray and Lucia Chacon Habis from DSU Communications and Marketing;
Professor Emerita Georgene Clark and Professor Emerita Arlene Sanders;
Brittany Reed, LeKetia Bryant, Rhegene Fairley, Dr. Carrie Freshour,Tyler Wells, and Sykina Butts; and Delta Proud Fellows

Thank you to the countless Black students at Delta State who also protested but were not arrested on March 10, 1969. You, too, are catalysts for change.