Itta Bena is a Mississippi city located in the Leflore County region. The name was derived from the Choctaw phrase "iti bina," meaning "flower". It was initially a trading post for a cotton plantation. Eventually, the city became an agricultural center and incorporated in 1898. The city is now primarily an agricultural area, but is working towards being a "College Town." The Mississippi Valley State University is located within its borders.
In mid-June, 150 Blacks hold a "Medgar Evers Memorial" voter registration mass meeting at a rural church in Itta Bena. Klansmen circle the Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church and throw tear gas under the church's wooden floor boards. SNCC organizer Silas McGee leads the Blacks from the building, but is accompanied by Klansmen who hurl rocks and missiles at them.