Doris A. Derby
Derby saw a need for the creation of a cultural artistic tool that could be used to involve, inspire, enlighten, and galvanize black people to critically think and create for themselves. The theater provided the opportunity for black people to creatively take on issues within the context of the civil rights movement, segregation and closed society of violent Mississippi. Furthermore, it sparked social change, social justice, equal opportunity and citizenship regardless of race. From 1963 to 1972 Derby served as a SNCC field secretary in various capacities in Jackson, Mississippi, in the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO), the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), the Poor Peoples’ Corporation (PPC), and the Child Development Group of Mississippi (CDGM) Head Start Program. During this period, she worked on preparations for the Freedom Summer, taught in various educational enrichment programs, and promoted local arts and culture. She also helped incorporate Liberty House Cooperative Marketing, an arm of the PPC. Derby was also involved in the marketing, public relations, and training of these groups.
