Outlying

Some of the most influential contributions to the Civil Rights Movement came from outlying cities in Louisiana. The Deacons for Defense and Justice, an armed self-defense group that protected Black citizens, was formed at the Freedom House in Jonesboro. Efforts to register Black citizens to vote took root all across the state, from the Masonic Lodge in St. Francisville to the Friendship CME Church in Lisbon and the East Carroll Baptist Center in Lake Providence.