Special to The Mississippi Monitor
The site of Vera Mae Pigee’s Beauty Salon on Ashton Street in Clarksdale represents one of the most meaningful yet often understated chapters in the local Civil Rights Movement. Although the building at 407 Ashton Street no longer stands after a fire destroyed it several years ago, the work carried out within its walls helped shape the fight for equality in Coahoma County and across the Mississippi Delta.
Vera Mae Pigee was not only a respected beautician but also a determined advocate for civil rights at a time when speaking out could cost a person their livelihood or even their life. Her salon was a thriving business that drew women from across the community, making it a natural place for conversation, trust, and connection. Pigee understood the power of that setting and intentionally transformed her salon into a safe and reliable space for organizing.
During the height of the Civil Rights Movement, the salon became a hub for members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the NAACP. Activists met there to plan voter registration drives, discuss strategies, and coordinate efforts that challenged long-standing systems of segregation and disenfranchisement. Because beauty salons were viewed as ordinary community businesses, they often escaped the level of scrutiny placed on churches or public meeting halls, allowing organizers to work more freely.
One of the most important functions of the salon was its role in literacy education. Many African Americans were denied the right to vote through literacy tests designed to exclude them, regardless of their intelligence or understanding. Classes held at Pigee’s salon helped residents learn to read, write, and interpret the materials required for voter registration, empowering them to claim rights that had long been denied.
The salon also served as a place of refuge. Civil rights workers traveling through Clarksdale often faced harassment, arrest, or violence. Pigee opened her doors to provide shelter, protection, and support, fully aware of the risks involved. Her courage made it possible for organizers to continue their work in a hostile environment.
Today, the absence of the physical building does not diminish its legacy. The site of Vera Mae Pigee’s Beauty Salon stands as a symbol of how everyday spaces and determined individuals fueled the Civil Rights Movement. It reflects the bravery of local leaders who used what they had to make change possible and reminds the community that history is not only made in grand halls, but also in small businesses where ordinary people took extraordinary stands.