Civil Rights Leader Lawrence Guyot Dies at 73

Pioneer of early African American voter turnout campaigns endured Deep South beatings

Lawrence Guyot, a civil rights leader and pioneering member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, died over the Thanksgiving holiday, his daughter Julie Guyot-Diangone told The Associated Press on Saturday. He was 73 and had a history of heart problems and diabetes. Guyot served as the director of the 1964 Freedom Summer Project, which mobilized thousands of young black people in Mississippi for voter registration drives. At the time, very violent pushback and intimidation by racist authorities in the Deep South meant SNCC members were risking their lives by encouraging black voter participation. Guyot was jailed and severely beaten several times in the notorious Mississippi State Penitentiary for his civil rights activities. He continued his voter turnout efforts until his death, including encouraging people to cast ballots for President Barack Obama this month. (AP)

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