Ted Seaver was in Rutland on this day in 1965, as part of a statewide tour explaining a new project to Vermonters. Four months later, Ted and Carol Seaver and their two young sons headed for Mississippi to work for the Vermont Civil Rights Union.

The VCRU project was called “Vermont In Mississippi,” and the Seavers would help build a neighborhood community center in Jackson.

Through the VCRU, they kept Vermonters informed of the progress made on the building, while noting a great need for education. The Seavers recognized that lasting equality for blacks had to include educational opportunity.

Image courtesy the Tyler Resch of the Bennington Museum.