▁to ▁release ▁the ▁students . ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁ 4 5 ▁residents ▁of ▁I tta ▁B ena ▁were ▁arrested ▁in ▁Le fl ore ▁County ▁while ▁protest ing ▁an ▁attack ▁on ▁churches ▁where ▁vot er ▁registration ▁drives ▁were ▁being ▁held . ▁ ▁The ▁Civil ▁Rights ▁Division ▁file d ▁suit ▁against ▁the ▁county ▁to ▁obtain ▁their ▁release ▁as ▁well , ▁but ▁to ▁no ▁avail . ▁Pass age ▁of ▁national ▁civil ▁rights ▁legisl ation ▁by ▁Congress ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁began ▁to ▁change ▁the ▁ground ▁rules . ▁ ▁Organ izers ▁and ▁march ers ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁county ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁March ▁Again st ▁F ear , ▁initi ated ▁by ▁James ▁Mer ed ith , ▁who ▁was ▁shot ▁and ▁wounded ▁by ▁a ▁white ▁man ▁two ▁days ▁into ▁the ▁march . ▁Major ▁civil ▁rights ▁leaders ▁and ▁march ers ▁from ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁organizations ▁v owed ▁to ▁continue ▁his ▁march ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁ 2 2 0 ▁miles ▁from ▁M emph is , ▁Tennessee ▁to ▁Jackson , ▁Mississippi . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁they ▁reached ▁Green wood , ▁several ▁hundred ▁persons ▁were ▁in ▁the ▁group . ▁They ▁worked ▁to ▁organ ize ▁and ▁register ▁vot ers , ▁as ▁most ▁black s ▁in ▁the ▁county ▁still ▁lived ▁in ▁fear ▁and ▁had ▁not ▁registered . ▁After ▁previous ▁registration ▁drives , ▁the ▁white ▁county ▁board ▁had ▁cut ▁off ▁federal ▁comm od ity ▁subs id ies ▁to ▁the ▁black ▁community , ▁threaten ing ▁the