Lowndes County Freedom Organization

The Lowndes County Freedom Organization (LCFO), later known as the Lowndes County Freedom Party, was founded in Alabama in 1965. Initially created in collaboration with members of SNCC in the wake of the 1964 Democratic National Convention, where the integrated Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) was denied seats, the LCFO was originally a grassroots operation that sought to help the majority-Black population of Lowndes Country gain political power. John Hulett, a resident of Lowndes Country and the only Black person registered to vote, worked closely with Stokely Carmichael (later Kwame Ture) and other members of SNCC to educate and empower his community to increase political participation despite oppressive and restrictive segregationist policies. After the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed, the voting power of the Black residents of Lowndes County increased dramatically, and the LCFO continued to help the community register until the majority of the voting body in the county was Black. In 1966, the Lowndes County Freedom Organization received enough votes to officially be known as the Lowndes County Freedom Party (LCFP) and continued to encourage and empower the Black community to exercise their collective power. The LCFP was active until 1970, when it merged with the state-wide Democratic Party. Several former LCFP candidates, including John Hulett went on to win political office in the county.