The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

The American Civil Rights Movement in the late 1950s and 1960s generated massive international following and controversy, which made the movement one of the most important in U.S. history. The movement’s legacy can still be felt today, with the positive aspects, such as voting rights to African Americans and wide spread desegregation of public facilities, still being felt in the United States, and in many similar models across the globe. Although there were many “battlegrounds” where civil issues were debated, many people who know of the movement today would argue that the movement’s heart was rooted in the Deep South, ironically where it could be argued that the mentality of people living in the area at the time were the most violently opposed to such civil rights. In contrast, those who championed the Civil Rights Movement chose the tactic of nonviolence, at least at first, as a tool to dismantle racial segregation, discrimination, and inequality. They followed models that Martin Luther King Jr. and other activists had commissioned, using principles of nonviolence and passive resistance. Civil rights leaders had understood that segregationists would do anything to maintain their power over blacks. So, in consequence, they believed some changes might be made if enough people outside the

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “A Letter From Birmingham Jail,” depicts the fight for equality by African Americans during the civil rights movement. In this letter, King uses tone, rhetorical questions, and allusions to discuss the racial segregation sweeping the nation. King’s letter is a response to “A Call For Unity,” a condemning message written by eight white clergymen who frowned upon the peaceful protests conducted by many African Americans. Although Dr. King is presently seen as an American hero, during the civil rights movement he was simply seen as just another negro attempting to break the social norm. “A Letter From Birmingham Jail,” counters the arguments made by the clergymen in a very effective way by appealing to their

Martin Luther King, Jr. paved the way for the civil rights movement as he was unrelenting in his strive to eliminate segregation and the social system that upheld it. He fought for justice, freedom, and the equality of opportunity. He is famous for his use of civil disobedience to fight without fighting back, to accept the consequences of his defiances, and to use the initiatives of fellow citizens to act in opposition against the laws discriminating against people of color. King was an activist, but first, he was a pastor. He received a letter through the newspaper from other clergymen trying to discourage his efforts. Responding from a jail cell, King wrote a fifty paragraph letter on scraps of paper, justifying his cause and refuting their claims. In paragraphs fifteen to twenty-two, he specifically explains the effectiveness and necessity of his efforts. Martin Luther King, Jr. successfully justifies civil disobedience by utilizing logos developed through skillful syntax, and ethos built by thoughtful selection of detail.

In “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr extensively establishes his ethos and proves his authority on the matter of racial injustice. “I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights” (King 1). King was the focal point of the Civil Rights movement and continues to symbolize the equality of all races to this very day. His authority to advocate on the

The main goal of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was to coordinate and support nonviolent direct action to end segregation and provide new leadership for the now prosperous civil rights movement. Between 1957 and 1968, King covered over six million miles and gave over twenty-five hundred talks, showing up wherever there was an issue of protest, injustice, or action(Martin Luther King Jr.-Biography). It was also in these years that King organized a monumental protest in Birmingham, Alabama. drawing enough attention that soon enough the entire world was aware of what was going on, providing what he called a “coalition of conscience”(Martin Luther King Jr.-Biography).

Dr. King was looking for support from members of society in order to create an effective change in society’s ethics. Moreover, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s large audience and public movement used nonviolent tactics, such as sit-ins, marches, and freedom rides to put the Civil Rights Movement in action. Before directly acting against the law, Dr. King had used other means to try to obtain justice for all; he used the four basic steps of a nonviolent campaign to decide how he would approach this cultural issue of racism: determination of whether injustices exist, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action (King 1). After the first three steps of his nonviolent campaign proved to be ineffective, he decided to seek direct action through a large demonstration of civil disobedience. Dr. King had a tremendous impact on the segregation issue in not just Birmingham, but the entire country, by leading the Civil Rights Movement, which eventually helped influence anti-segregation legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that affected a massive population of the entire country. Although Dr. King’s journey ended in his assassination, his relentless passion for equal rights was empowering to many and helped to create a more just society.

The Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s birthed the most prominent figures in the battle against racism in the United States. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. are immortalized as the men who stood up and spoke out during the most crucial time in US History for African American activism. Though often brought up in the same vein, the two had complete opposite ideology about how to reach equality. Their influence created many prominent groups in the 60s against mistreatment of African Americans, including the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). According to the name of this group, they were a nonviolent team of young black activists that stemmed from MLK’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Apparent in their name, they shared the same peaceful approach as MLK, but over time and as the hardships of the movement began to callous the young group they shifted towards the ‘by-any-means-necessary’ approach of Malcolm X. Through the excerpts in “Takin it to the Streets,” one can see the stark difference between Malcolm X’s more aggressive approach, MLK’s loving approach, and the SNCC shifting its views over time but always maintaining a steadfast commitment to the cause and a youthful bravado.

Martin Luther King Jr, an civil rights activist, fought for the rights of African Americans in 1963. King organized various non-violent demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama that resulted in his arrest. While in jail, King received a letter from eight Alabama clergyman explaining their distress and opposition to King and his followers actions. This letter occasioned his reply and caused King to write a persuasive letter justifying his actions and presence in Birmingham. Although King’s reply was addressed to the Alabama clergyman, its target audience was the “white moderate”. King understood that if he gained support from the average, indifferent white American that the civil rights movement would reach it’s goals much faster. In his

Dr. King begins his argument by declaring he was the president of the SCLC and was called upon by the Alabama Christian Movement to assist in implementing a nonviolent direct-action program in form of protest for the injustices within the black community. Utilizing ethos

Many of the most influential people, organizations, and events were created or occurred during the Civil Rights Movement, which is still known as one of the most pivotal time periods historically. The main reason this movement is so profoundly known and praised, is because of it’s passion and reasoning behind it all. In the 1950s and 1960s, grassroots organizations were able to create social change through Martin Luther King, Jr.’s philosophy demonstrated in his profound written piece, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”.

On 25 March 1965, Martin Luther King led thousands of nonviolent demonstrators to the steps of the capitol in Montgomery, Alabama, after a 5-day, 54-mile march from Selma, Alabama, where local African Americans, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) had been campaigning for voting rights. King told the assembled crowd: “There never was a moment in American history more honorable and more inspiring than the pilgrimage of clergymen and laymen of every race and faith pouring into Selma to face danger at the side of its embattled Negroes” (King, Address at the Conclusion of the Selma to Montgomery March, 121).

The 1960’s was the peak of the nonviolent civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King Junior. MLK Jr. traveled all along the South fighting against racial discrimination and equality between all races. MLK Jr uses sit ins, protests, demonstrations and marches to fight for his cause; he always stayed nonviolent even when there were police and white supremacists using violence against him. During one of his marches in Alabama, MLK Jr. was arrested, not for the first time. While in jail, MLK Jr. took the time to respond to a letter written to him by eight different religious leaders. Even though some people may argue that Martin Luther King Junior’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is not radical, his letter is radical because he refuses to conform to the world’s expectations and he expects the same from the religious leaders whom he is replying to.

Martin Luther King Jr., the leader of the Civil Rights Movement, was arrested and placed in Birmingham jail after leading a non-violent march to protest racism in the streets of Alabama- a highly segregated state at the time. There he received a newspaper containing “A Call for Unity,” which was written by eight white Alabama clergymen criticizing King and his movement’s methods; this prompted King to write a letter in response to the critics. Martin Luther King Jr. employs ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade and demonstrate to the critics and other readers the many injustices of segregation.

The Civil Rights Movement, which turned ten in 1964, grew worse as the 1960s neared the halfway mark. It was at this time where rivalries were mad, only to be pushed aside so groups can work together to get to one goal: gaining civil rights African-Americans have been fighting for since the Black Codes were put into place in the 1870s. With this, Student Nonviolent Coordinate Committee (SNCC), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and many other organizations created under one of these group’s members worked together to pave way for African-American civil rights during these times. While they did have the nonviolent strategy through and through, the only

America in the 1960s was not the finest time for African Americans, especially in the South. There was racism, injustice and inequality. However, the ‘devotees’ of the civil rights movement were dedicated and passionate about making a difference. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of those pioneers that remained true in what he believed in no matter what the circumstance.