Lee County Stockade Girls gain support from Greater Good

AMERICUS — As the 1963 Lee County “Stockade Girls” gain support for a Presidential Medal of Freedom, word has gotten out to various organizations about their plight. One such organization, as a sign of its support, has committed to helping raise money for the Boys & Girls Club of Americus-Sumter County in honor of the women who were young members of the civil rights movement when they earned the name by which they’re now collectively known.

The Boys and Girls Club of Americus-Sumter County provides after-school and summer programs for at-risk youths. Greater Good, based in Seattle, has stepped in on behalf of the Stockade Girls to help youngsters in Sumter County gain the resources that can be hard to come by.

Shirley Green-Reese, one of the surviving women and board president of the Boys & Girls Club, is leading these efforts on behalf of the Stockade Girls through Greater Good. While raising money for the Boys & Girls Club, the organization is also calling on supporters to sign a petition for the group to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The donation amounts range from one hour of tutoring for one child at $5.50, to two month’s access to after-school programs for $80. All of the donations will go to the Boys & Girls Club as part of a grant from Greater Good.

A change.org petition had already been established by Boys & Girls Club CEO Brittany Dawson in July in support of presidential recognition, which had slightly more than 30,000 supporters as of mid-afternoon Friday. At the same time, Greater Good’s petition had gained nearly 4,700 supporters since Aug. 19.

One such supporter for the Greater Good petition was Suzanne Tromblay, who wrote: “It’s unbelievable to think that this could have happened in a supposedly civilized society. Their freedom of speech and freedom to peacefully congregate were violated. They need to be recognized for their courage and sacrifice, even at this late date.”

In addition, Greater Good had also sent a letter to President Barack Obama on behalf of the women.

“We believe that awarding these women this medal will help further the equality movement to address the problems that unfortunately still exist in our nation today,” the organization wrote in its letter.

In the summer of 1963, 15 girls, ages 12-15, who would become known as the Stockade Girls, were imprisoned for two months. They were part of a group of 200 people participating in a peaceful protest march in Americus before they were taken to jail in Dawson. The following day, they were taken to the Lee County stockade without their parents being told their whereabouts.

For those two months, they were denied basic necessities such as bedding, sanitary products or working plumbing. They were finally released after photographs of them in the stockade surfaced and circulated throughout the country.

Earlier this year, the nine surviving members of the group broke their silence and began telling their story. They were nominated for the Medal of Freedom by three Georgians from the U.S. House of Representatives, including U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, in April.

The group’s fundraising page can be accessed at theliteracysite.greatergood.com/store/lit/item/79344/honor-the-leesburg-stockade-girls-by-empowering-youth. To sign a petition in support of the group’s Presidential Medal of Freedom nomination, visit theliteracysite.greatergood.com/clickToGive/lit/petition/leesburg-stockade.

More information on the organization can be found at greatergood.com.

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