Rita Schwerner Bender

Rita Schwerner Bender is an American lawyer and civil rights activist. She is known for her work with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) during the 1960s, and for her lifelong advocacy for social justice. Her life was profoundly shaped by the 1964 murder of her first husband, Michael Schwerner, a pivotal event during Freedom Summer.

Early life and education

Rita Levant was born on July 13, 1942, in New York City. She was raised in a politically aware, Jewish family, which influenced her early commitment to social justice. She attended Cornell University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. It was at Cornell that she met Michael Schwerner, a fellow student who shared her passion for civil rights. They married in 1962 and soon after moved to Mississippi to work full-time for the Congress of Racial Equality.

Involvement in the Civil Rights Movement

In 1963, Rita and Michael Schwerner moved to Meridian, Mississippi, to work as field organizers for CORE. Their work focused on voter registration drives, establishing Freedom Schools, and organizing the local Black community. Rita Schwerner was one of the few white women living and working in the deeply segregated and dangerous environment of Mississippi during this period. She worked closely with other activists, including those from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and was involved in community organizing efforts in Meridian and surrounding areas like Philadelphia, Mississippi.

Freedom Summer and the disappearance of Michael Schwerner

The Schwerners were key participants in the 1964 Freedom Summer project, which brought hundreds of northern college students to Mississippi to bolster civil rights efforts. On June 21, 1964, Michael Schwerner, along with fellow CORE workers James Chaney and Andrew Goodman, traveled to Neshoba County to investigate the burning of the Mount Zion Methodist Church. The three men were arrested by deputy sheriff Cecil Price and later released, after which they were abducted and murdered by members of the Ku Klux Klan.

In the immediate aftermath, Rita Schwerner displayed remarkable courage, publicly confronting officials, including FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and Mississippi Governor Paul B. Johnson Jr., demanding a serious investigation. Her persistent advocacy helped keep national media attention on the case, which became known as the "Mississippi Burning" murders. The federal investigation, part of the FBI's "Mississippi Burning" case (MIBURN), eventually led to convictions in 1967, though on federal civil rights charges, not murder.

Legal career and advocacy

Following the tragedy, Rita Schwerner returned north. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Washington School of Law and began a long career as a lawyer, specializing in family law and advocating for children's rights. She married attorney William Bender in 1967. Throughout her legal career in Seattle, she remained committed to social justice, often taking on pro bono work for marginalized clients. She served on the board of the ACLU of Washington and was involved with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Later life and legacy

Rita Schwerner Bender has continued her activism into the 21st century. She has frequently spoken about the Civil Rights Movement, the lessons of Freedom Summer, and ongoing struggles for racial equality. In 2005, she testified at the retrial of Edgar Ray Killen, the former Ku Klux Klan leader ultimately convicted of manslaughter for orchestrating the 1964 murders. Her life and resilience are documented in numerous histories of the movement, including books like "Freedom Summer" by Doug McAdam and "The Race Beat" by Gene Roberts and Hank Klibanoff. She is remembered as a steadfast figure whose personal loss did not diminish her lifelong fight for justice, embodying the courage and sacrifice of the many women in the Civil Rights Movement.