“He just wanted to make a contribution”
Andrew Goodman was only 20 years old when his life ended. Despite the tragedy and deep sadness surrounding the circumstances, what must be taken away from his short life is the undeniable difference he made in the world. He and many other young people refused to stand by complacently as African Americans in the South were denied their fundamental equal rights. Andy and many others of his generation were driven to action by their deep ideals and convictions and they made a positive difference in bringing equal rights to all in this country.

Why did Andrew join Freedom Summer?
Two powerful influences shaped Andrew Goodman’s youth - his family and the escalating Civil Rights movement of the early 1960’s. His activism was a direct result of his family, which was a self-proclaimed activist household with a long tradition of “doing well by doing good”. Andrew learned by example, seeing that his parents would go out and picket whenever their help was needed for better conditions for working people. His parents were involved in the fight against McCarthyism, and in their youth they organized support for farmers cooperatives and the anti-fascist forces during the Spanish Civil War. Growing up in that socially and politically active family, Andy was influenced by discussions of politics and social justice. So it was no surprise when Andy asked his parents for permission to join the Freedom Summer in 1964.

A life both typical and extraordinary
From an early age, Andy showed a strong belief in fairness and justice which fueled his desire to work toward a better and just world. For a school project, he traveled to interview coal miners in West Virginia who were campaigning for mine safety. He interviewed baseball great Jackie Robinson, who had broken the game’s color barrier years earlier. He fervently studied the life of another of his heroes, Mohandas Gandhi. Andy’s life was both typical and extraordinary for his generation. He loved baseball, the Beatles, the theatre and jazz and was an avid student and talented actor and musician. Yet his sense of compassion for the downtrodden was the greatest force in his short life.

“He was my brother and he died so his brothers could be free”
The words of Simon & Garfunkel in their tribute to Andrew Goodman capture his legacy. It has been said that the best way to remember Andrew, James and Michael is to passionately promote and fight for civil rights and social justice - the very ideals that motivated them to join the Freedom Summer in Mississippi that fateful June, 1964.

Learn about the history of the Andrew Goodman Foundation >