1. Louis Allen was an African-American logger in Liberty, Mississippi, who was shot and killed on his land during the civil rights era.
19 Facts About Louis Allen
1. 2.
The day before he planned to move out of state, Louis Allen was fatally shot on his property.
3.
Louis Allen was a native of Amite County, Mississippi, where he was born in 1919.
4.
Louis Allen served in the United States Army during the war; he enlisted at age 23 in the service at Camp Shelby on January 12,1943.
5.
Louis Allen built up his own logging business, doing well enough to buy his own land, where he and his family raised produce and cattle.
6.
Louis Allen was joined by Bob Moses of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.
7.
However, Louis Allen later told fellow activists the truth behind Lee's killing.
8.
Louis Allen saw that Hurst approached Lee, who had driven up in his truck, and after a limited amount of discussion, Hurst aimed and shot his pistol at an unarmed Lee.
9.
Louis Allen discussed the incident with Julian Bond, who encouraged him to tell his story to the FBI.
10.
Bond was aware that, in the racially charged atmosphere of Amite County, Louis Allen was at high personal risk if it became known that he had talked to the Bureau.
11.
An FBI memo reported that Louis Allen "expressed fear that he might be killed", but the Justice Department said it could not give him protection.
12.
Louis Allen chose to repeat the official version of events which exonerated Hurst.
13.
Local whites shunned Louis Allen and cut off customers for his logging business.
14.
When Louis Allen was released from jail, he filed an assault complaint with the FBI against Jones.
15.
Louis Allen summarily testified before an all-white federal grand jury; as blacks had been prevented from registering and voting, they could not serve on juries.
16.
Louis Allen stayed in Liberty because he was caring for his elderly parents.
17.
In January 1964, after his mother died, Louis Allen arranged to leave Liberty and move in with his brother in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as he feared for his life.
18.
Louis Allen was killed by two shotgun blasts to the head.
19.
Louis Allen's death is mentioned in the first memoir of civil rights activist Anne Moody titled Coming of Age in Mississippi.