Andrew Goodman’s mother remembers

On Nov. 24, the nation’s first African-American president awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest U.S. civilian award, to three civil rights workers who were murdered in 1964, Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Chaney.

Dr. Carolyn Goodman, mother of Andrew Goodman, the civil rights worker who was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan in Philadelphia, Mississippi, tells her story in the book “Jewish Mothers: Strength Wisdom Compassion,” by Lloyd Wolf and Paula Wolfson (Chronicle Books, 2000): “Children learn from their parents. Even as a child, there was something that I felt inside – a feeling, a sensitivity to mistreatment, to prejudice. While I was at college I became involved with issues of social justice, just like Andrew. Andrew believed in the Constitution, equality and justice. These were his guideposts. When the Mississippi Summer Program began recruiting for volunteers to organize civil rights efforts, Andrew came home from college and said, ‘Mom, I want to go.’ We discussed it as a family. Of course, my husband and I said yes, but my heart was in my mouth. We knew it was dangerous; we had already seen on television the violence directed at the Freedom Riders.”

Andrew was in Mississippi for only 21 days when he, James Chaney and Mickey Schwerner were stopped for a speeding violation and taken to jail. They disappeared, and it took 44 days to discover their bodies. “It was a hard time. I couldn’t go to the trial. I had to think in my own mind how I could somehow or other deal with the people who murdered these three young men.”  How did Carolyn cope?  “For myself, I know now that Andy’s commitment, Andy’s dedication and Andy’s death in his early adulthood would have no meaning if I retired to some place and was so stricken by it that I couldn’t move forward, move with today’s young people. And I love them.”

Carolyn and Robert Goodman established the Andrew Goodman Foundation to support organizations that share Andrew’s diverse interests and concerns. Carolyn worked diligently on the Foundation’s video “Hidden Heroes, Youth Activism Today.” She notes, “There are many young people doing great, great work throughout this country, many more than people know. I hope my documentary will inspire others.”

TOBY ROSSNER (tobyross@cox.net) was the director of media services at the Bureau of Jewish Education from 1978 to 2002.