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Barry Bradford - Frequently Asked Questions
I have had the opportunity to speak to groups around the country and media around the world about our efforts to reopen the Mississippi Burning Case. 
I know that many students, teachers, and reporters have used our site for information and research. If you have a question, you can always reach us through the 'Contact Us' button above.
I know that many students, teachers, and reporters have used our site for information and research. If you have a question, you can always reach us through the 'Contact Us' button above.Here are some of the questions I have been most frequently asked. I will emphasize that these answers are mine and do not necessarily represent those of the students. I hope to do a future update where they can speak for themselves on this page!
Q. What was your reaction when you heard Killen had been convicted?
A. It was a complicated reaction. Obviously, his guilt was clear. Yet his co-conspirators were not charged, which upset many of the people who worked on the case. And while I thought it was very important that he went to prison, I was sad that he expressed no remorse and that he had been allowed to walk free for 40 years.
Q. Did you receive any death threats because of your work?
A. No. We did receive some negative phone calls and a few racist web sites wrote about us in a negative way, but we did not feel as if we were in danger. Jerry Mitchell has been threatened many times.
Q. What was it like to interview Killen?
A. In a word: surreal! On on the surface, we had a pleasant and interesting conversation. On a deeper level, it was unsettling, to say the least, to speak with a man who had organized the murder of three men we had come to care deeply about. And his views were certainly extreme.
Q. How did the Chaney, Schwerner and Goodman families react to you?
A. At first, they were polite but understandably skeptical of the impact that a high school teacher and three students could have. Over time, we became very close with Ben Chaney and Dr. Carolyn Goodman. Shortly after walking out of the courthouse when the verdict was announced, Ben Chaney called me to thank me for my efforts and those of the 'Superhero Girls' who had done so much. Dr. Goodman sent me a beautiful letter, which I will always treasure, in which she thanked us for all of the work we had done to get the case reopened. After her death, her wonderful family invited the students to speak at her memorial service in New York City. Watching them on the same dais as Mayor Bloomberg, Congressman John Lewis, Harry Belafonte,, Bob Herbert of the New York Times, and Ben Chaney was very powerful to me and a memory I'll long remember.
Q. Did the students win first place at National History Day?
A. No.
Q. Can I get a copy of the documentary?
A. Please contact us.
Q. Can you bring us up to date on what everyone is doing since the trial?
A. Killen is still in prison and his lawyer has since been disbarred. Jerry Mitchell continues to write for the Clarion - Ledger and his reporting has led to more investigations of unresolved cases. Allison, Brittany and Sarah are each at major universities and doing wonderfully well. We don't see each other often, but with e-mail we can always catch up quickly. I have retired from teaching and am currently working on a book.
Q. Did you work on any other cases?
A. Yes, I worked with Jerry Mitchell on the reopening of the Clyde Kennard case. With the help of Professor Steven Drizin of the Northwestern University Center On Wrongful Convictions, we were able to overturn the wrongful conviction of an innocent man who was sent to prison because he tried to integrate the University Of Southern Mississippi.
Q. Did the students all get a grade of A in their classes because of their work?
A. They did not receive any grade or academic credit for their work! They did it as an extracurricular project! Allison and Sarah continued to produce great documentaries for subsequent National History Day contests and each has stayed involved with the National History Day program.
Q. Where do they go to school? What are they majoring in?
A. For reasons of the privacy, I never reveal any personal information about the students. On our "Arrange A Speaker" page there is a link by which you can email them.
Q. How did the students manage to get so many interesting and famous people to do interviews?
A. The process was generally that I would track down the leads, do a long "pre-interview" and arrange a time for them to talk. We found people to be very receptive and helpful!
If you have more questions, please use the contact button and I will respond as quickly as I can. Check back here from time to time for updates! Thank you for your interest!
Copyright 2004 Barry Bradfordby Barry Bradford. All rights reserved.
