A Legacy of Courage and Advocacy
A prominent civil rights activist, Vernon Dahmer was born in 1908 in the Kelly Settlement of Forrest County, Mississippi. He was the son of Ellen Louvenia Kelly, a biracial woman, and George Washington Dahmer, a Caucasian farmer known for his integrity and work ethic. Despite being light-skinned enough to pass as white, Vernon Dahmer chose to live as a Black man in the segregated South, fully embracing the challenges and responsibilities that came with his identity.
Dahmer’s early years were spent in the rural community of Kelly Settlement, named after his maternal grandfather. He attended Bay Spring High School until the tenth grade. His upbringing instilled a strong sense of justice and equality, values that would later define his life’s work. Dahmer became a farmer, businessman, and community leader as an adult. He owned a grocery store, sawmill, planning mill, and cotton farm, providing employment opportunities to both Black and white residents without discrimination. He also served as a music director and Sunday School teacher at Shady Grove Baptist Church.
Dahmer’s commitment to civil rights activism began in earnest during the mid-20th century. In 1949, he encountered firsthand the systemic barriers Black citizens faced when attempting to exercise their right to vote. While trying to re-register as a voter, he was denied by Luther Cox, a segregationist in charge of voter registration in Forrest County. Cox employed discriminatory tactics, such as asking impossible questions like “How many bubbles are in a bar of soap?” to disqualify Black applicants. In response, Dahmer joined fifteen other Black community leaders in filing a lawsuit against Cox in 1950. His testimony in court highlighted the pervasive racial discrimination in voter registration practices.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Dahmer emerged as a key figure in the civil rights movement. Alongside Medgar Evers, he co-founded a youth chapter of the NAACP in Hattiesburg. Although the chapter was short-lived, it marked the beginning of his deep involvement with the organization. Dahmer later served two terms as president of the Forrest County Chapter of the NAACP, where he spearheaded voter registration drives and advocated for racial equality. His wife, Ellie Dahmer, described him as “a good progressive Christian man” who saw the good in people regardless of race.
Dahmer’s farm became a hub for civil rights activities, hosting volunteers from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and serving as a base for voter registration projects. He worked closely with organizations such as the Coalition for Free and Open Elections (COFO) and the Delta Ministry. In late 1965, he took the bold step of keeping a voter registration book in his grocery store to make it easier for Black residents to register. He even offered to pay poll taxes for those who could not afford them, declaring, “If you don’t vote, you don’t count.” This mantra later became his epitaph.
Dahmer’s activism made him a target of violent white supremacist groups. On January 10, 1966, the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan attacked his home with firebombs. The blaze destroyed his house, grocery store, and car. While defending his family from the flames, Dahmer suffered severe burns and smoke inhalation. He succumbed to his injuries later that day. His death marked a devastating loss for the civil rights movement but also galvanized efforts to achieve racial justice.
The aftermath of Dahmer’s murder revealed both the resilience of his family and the deep-seated challenges of achieving justice in Mississippi. Four of his sons, who were serving in the U.S. military at the time, returned home to help bury their father and rebuild their family home. The Hattiesburg community rallied around the Dahmers, with local businesses donating materials and students from the University of Southern Mississippi volunteering their labor. The Chamber of Commerce even established college funds for Dahmer’s school-aged children.
Authorities indicted fourteen men connected to the Ku Klux Klan for the attack on Dahmer’s home. Of these, thirteen were brought to trial, resulting in four convictions on charges of arson and murder. However, three of those convicted were pardoned within four years. Eleven defendants also faced federal charges of conspiracy to intimidate Dahmer due to his civil rights advocacy. Sam Bowers, the Imperial Wizard of the Klan who orchestrated the attack, was tried four times but invoked the Fifth Amendment during each trial, leading to mistrials.
In 1991, decades after Dahmer’s murder, Mississippi reopened the case. After seven years of legal proceedings, Sam Bowers was convicted in 1998 and sentenced to life in prison. He died in 2006 while serving his sentence. Dahmer’s legacy continued through his wife Ellie and their children. In 1992, Ellie Dahmer was elected election commissioner for District 2 in Forrest County—the same district where her husband had been killed for advocating voting rights. She served in this role for over a decade, earning the support of both Black and white residents.
The contributions of Vernon Dahmer have been commemorated in various ways. A street and park in Hattiesburg bear his name, and a memorial was dedicated at the park in 1986. In 2007, William Carey University established the Vernon Dahmer Collection to honor his life and work. In 2016, on the 50th anniversary of his death, the Mississippi State Legislature designated January 10 as Vernon Dahmer Day.
Vernon Dahmer’s life exemplifies courage, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to justice. He sacrificed everything for the belief that all citizens deserve equal rights and opportunities. His work not only advanced the civil rights movement but also left an enduring legacy that continues to inspire future generations.