Willie “Pig” Stokes, Jr. Stokes was a premiere athlete at all sports at Earl Travillion High, but after high school, concentrated on his true passion, baseball. He was an employee of Milton Barnes Enterprises and was a standout baseball player and later coach and manager for the Hattiesburg Black Sox – a semi-professional baseball team.
Vernon Dahmer, Sr. was a businessman, community and civil rights leader. He served as president of the Hattiesburg NAACP chapter and was a prominent and well-respected leader in the Freedom Summer 64’ project. Dahmer was a driving force for educating and getting African American in Hattiesburg registered to vote. He was murdered January 10, 1966 for his civil rights activities.
