National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

Organized by a group of black and white intellectuals, the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) came at a time when racial inequality was accepted in American society. Early on the NAACP attacked inequality in the courts, and received its greatest success with its victory in Brown v. Board of Education.

The NAACP was founded in New York City in 1909. It was formed by W.E.B. Du Bois, other members from the failed Niagara Movement, and several liberal whites. Du Bois served as Director of Publications and Research and was the editor of the NAACP’s magazine, The Crisis, until 1934.

The NAACP made getting out the word about the inequality of African Americans its primary focus. It engaged in lobbying activities, spoke out about important issues affecting blacks, and publicized issues through the press.

In addition to these activities, the NAACP extended its fight to the courts. In 1915, it attacked a grandfather clause that was used against black voters in the South and in 1927 it challenged an all-white primary, and won in both instances.

From 1930 to 1955, Walter White served as secretary. In 1939, the organization started the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. Under the leadership of White the NAACP became a powerful force during the civil rights movement. In 1954, the NAACP’s legal council won a victory in Brown v. Board of Education when the U.S. Supreme Court declared that school segregation was unconstitutional.

The NAACP is still active in working toward equal rights, and in the 1970s it expanded its efforts around the world.

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was formed in 1957. It had two objectives, one to use nonviolent protest as a method of resistance to discrimination and the other to appeal to the moral conscience of Americans.

After extensive discussion, the SCLC was founded by Martin Luther King, Ralph Abernathy, Fred Shuttlesworth, Bayard Rustin, and others. King was elected as the first president and Abernathy served as the treasurer.

The SCLC did not seek individual members, but instead coordinated the civil rights activities of local organizations. The SCLC was involved in several protest campaigns. These included the desegregation of downtown Birmingham, Alabama, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, voting rights in Selma, Alabama, and various sit-ins and voter registration drives.

In addition, in an effort to put the civil rights movement in moral terms, the SCLC coordinated the activities of black churches.

In the late 1960s, the group shifted focus from civil rights to attacking poverty. Under the belief that poverty was the cause of inner-city violence, the SCLC organized the Poor People’s Campaign. The campaign took affect after King’s assassination in 1968 under the leadership of the new president, Ralph Abernathy. However, with the absence of King, the campaign was not effective in initiating the enactment of legislation. The campaign ended on June 19, 1968.

The SCLC focuses its efforts on hate crimes, discrimination, and police brutality.

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was organized in 1960 at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Ella Baker, an official of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), organized the first meeting, which led to the formation of the SNCC. The organization was comprised of college students, many of those who had been involved in the early sit-movement. While its members were students, adult leaders, such as Martin Luther King, were restricted to serving in an advisory role.

Marion Barry, a Fisk University Student, served as its first chairman. In 1961, the SNCC became involved in the Freedom Rides, which set out to desegregate buses. The SNCC also participated in the voter registration drive, Mississippi Freedom Summer of 1964.

While at its inception the SNCC had been devoted to nonviolent resistance, was influenced by Christian principles, and black and white activists had worked along side one another, some members began to challenge these views.

In the mid-1960s, the SNCC was plagued by ideological debates, and became influenced by Marxism and Black Nationalism.

In 1966, Stokely Carmichael became the chairman of the SNCC. While in this position he coined the slogan and movement, “Black Power.” The movement was more radical than Martin Luther King’s nonviolent stance. It promoted racial pride, black unity, self-defense, and political and economic power. Even though Carmichael moved the group toward militancy, internal strife still existed.

By the late 1960s, the SNCC was unable to effectively organize civil rights protests. In 1967, Hubert “Rap” Brown was elected as the SNCC’s new chairman. Brown’s advocacy of militancy brought the organization under FBI surveillance. The group began to dissolve as many of its leaders and organizers left. In 1970, the SNCC disbanded.