Historical Groups

The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement, uniting young activists committed to achieving equality through nonviolent resistance. Alongside other key organizations, SNCC's dedication and courage sparked widespread protests and inspired future generations to continue the fight for justice and social change.

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

By Margaret Henderson

On October 31st, 2016 I was privileged enough to be present for a round table discussion with an exponential leader of the Civil Rights Movement, Mr. Lonnie King. Mr. King spoke with such passion and conviction that it was easy to understand how he was capable of forming the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, also known as SNCC.

They saw the change that needed to happen and took it upon themselves, knowing that their lives were at risk, to make the change that others simply talked about.

Mr. King explained the way the group formed and went into detail about the fact that this group was made up of a number of private, black college students.

They were educated and knew better than to sit by and continue to be treated the way they were. They knew that it was not right both socially and morally to be physically separated from the white community in any situation.

When the time came for the newly formed activist group to make their mark, they knew that it must be handled in a strategic way. Lonnie King assigned Ms. Roslyn Pope to compose a document that would simply explain the reasoning behind their movement.

I believe that it can be argued that had the Appeal for Human Rights never been written, published, and circulated in the manner that it was, the sit-ins would not have made near the impact that it had. This document set the tone of what they were so avidly fighting for.

This group of early twenty-year-old kids forever left their mark on the world. They saw the change that needed to happen and took it upon themselves, knowing that their lives were at risk, to make the change that others simply talked about. SNCC is admirable for creating a movement that did not rely on the need for violence or acts of stupidity to get their point across. Instead, they used their intelligence and with to go forth with their dream. A dream of equality.

The formation of this group was not so blacks could sit with whites at a lunch counter. It was the principle of the issue that they were not seen as equal to everyone else around them. They were viewed as a lower class human beings and that they did not have the God-given rights that every other white person habitually had.

This group still inspires so many people. There is an extreme need for a new group like SNCC to come forth and make a difference in the world. People today are too concerned with themselves and the notion that they cannot make a difference in the world. We have gotten to this mindset because people today believe that if they partake in a social media post with a given hashtag or Facebook profile picture that they are helping in a big way.

Because of SNCC and their actions, they were a huge stepping-stone on the path to equality No. This is not how it works. It takes the passion and conviction that Mr. Lonnie King emulated to my classmates and me as he spoke about his experiences. Perhaps this means that we do not use social media outlets as a place to vent or go on long rants. Instead, we need to use them as a platform for people to unite and plan on ways to come together to make those differences in the world!

The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee is a group of people who need to be recognized as national heroes. Because of SNCC and their actions, they were a huge stepping-stone on the path to equality. It is easy to say that we are still walking along that path , but I believe it is the young people and students of the world that have the potential to make the greatest difference. If we look at SNCC, we have a brilliant guide to finish the walk on the path!

The Committee on Appeal for Human Rights (COAHR)

How Students Started A Revolution

By Shilloh Gill

The sit-ins at Rich’s department store in Atlanta, Georgia are a forgotten story of resilience, hard work, and sacrifice for change. The Atlanta sit-ins were not just an isolated incident, but rather a string of demonstrations.

This points to the determination of the people involved. All too much, we focus on the protests and demonstrations that occur every day, but we often forget to focus our attention on the individual people that make it happen.

Whether a demonstration is agreed with or not, the question must be asked, what made the people involved dedicate themselves to this cause? Who are they? What are their motivations? Did it pay off in the end? For the students involved in The Committee on Appeal for Human Rights, it was worth it.

Their message was something that they deeply believed in and nothing would stop them.

The Committee on Appeal for Human Rights (COAHR) was started originally by students Lonnie King, Julian Bond and Joseph Pierce in February1960. Together they saw a need in their community for equality. The same privileges afforded to others was what they were seeking.

With a nudge of inspiration from the Greensboro, North Carolina sit-in prior, they knew that a sit-in in their community could have some impact as well. They started spreading the word to schools under the umbrella of the Atlanta University Center. These schools included Morehouse, Spelman, Clark, Atlanta University, Morris Brown and the Interdenominational Theological Center.

Each participant had to go through some form of non-violent training and had to sign a promise to uphold that standard

Their initial plan of action was to hold a meeting, but they had to figure out what they were fighting for first. They believed that establishing a foundation of nonviolence in their doctrine and requirements was the right first step. Each participant had to go through some form of non-violent training and had to sign a promise to uphold that standard.

As the group began to swell, university presidents that had students actively involved, began to become a bit unnerved by what was taking place. A common criticism was that they didn’t believe it was within the best interest of the students to participate in demonstrations or anything that could cause harm to them or the name and reputation of the college.

So in exchange for these criticisms, it was advised that the students within COAHR present a letter detailing what issues they saw within their communities, why it was ethically wrong, and why it should not continue.

These grievances were then to be published so others could see them and be endorsed by the student leaders of each university involved.

This document was a suggestion by the presidents to demonstrate that the group was serious, had reasons for its assembly, and could show others that they were organized.

Their document has been described as a letter, list, well thought out plea and even a manifesto of sorts. It changed the course and outlook of this student group forever. With newcomers to the group, Herschelle Sullivan, Carolyn Long, Morris Dillard, and Rosyln Pope, the document flourished with carefully stunning and engaging language.

The group decided to entitle it, An Appeal for Human Rights. The main author, Rosyln Pope, and others took this document everywhere they could. It caught the attention of the masses almost immediately. It was unlike any other student group because they now had a manifesto that showed the world what they were fighting for.

In the next days, weeks, and months, letters upon letters poured into COAHR praising the document for its uniqueness and depth. It was mature, it was relatable, and it was something students in the north and south felt that they could relay around. Students from Syracuse and Ohio University sent letters of gratitude to the students for articulating what had been on the hearts and minds of many for far too long.

It caught the attention of the masses almost immediately. It was unlike any other student group because they now had a manifesto that showed the world what they were fighting for. However, even within the wake of the students’ success, there was still mass criticism from those who did not want to hear nor accept the changes the students were demanding. Critics such as, then governor, Ernest Vandiver thought that the students were bordering the line of Communism. He called the document a “left-wing statement…calculated to breed dissatisfaction, discontent, discord and evil.”

No matter the criticism, though, the students would go on to see the first round of Atlanta sit-ins and much more influence in their community. Their hard work and dedication helped with gaining the support of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the sit-ins at Rich’s, and achieving the main goal of lunch counter desegregation in Atlanta.

The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)

By Amy Pellegrini

The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) was formed in 1942 as one of the leading activist groups during the Civil Rights Movement. CORE was founded by a group of students at the University of Chicago. Founding members included: James L. Farmer, Jr., George Houser, James R. Robinson, Samuel E. Riley, Bernice Fisher, Homer Jack and Joe Guinn. CORE was an extension of the Fellowship of Reconciliation. The Congress of Racial Equality focused on being a pacifist group and wanted to end segregation with a non-violent approach. CORE worked with other civil rights groups in order to launch the Freedom Rides, the Freedom Summer voter registration project and the 1963 March on Washington.

historical photo of Congress of Racial Equality members

In April of 1947, CORE sent eight white and eight black men into the upper South to test a Supreme Court ruling that declared segregation in interstate travel unconstitutional. CORE gained national attention for this Journey of Reconciliation when four of the riders were arrested in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

During the first twenty years of CORE, it was primarily focused in Northern cities. CORE did not establish its presence in the South until 1957. They hired a small staff that provided nonviolence training in the South.

CORE gained national attention after providing guidance for action in the aftermath of the 1960 sit-in at a Greensboro, North Carolina lunch counter. In 1961, after its support of the sit-ins, the organization was able to welcome its first black national director, James Farmer.

Not long after James Farmer became director, CORE organized the first Freedom Ride in order to desegregate interstate transportation facilities. Near Birmingham, Alabama a bus was firebombed and riders were beaten by a white mob. The riders in Alabama were unable to finish their ride, however, thousands of other participants, both black and white, continued the rides throughout the summer.

Towards the end of 1961, CORE had 53 affiliated chapters, and they remained active in southern civil rights activities for the next several years. CORE participated heavily in President Kennedy’s Voter Education Project.
In 1963, CORE was one of the sponsors of the March on Washington. The March on Washington was fighting for jobs and freedom. Over 250,000 demonstrators met in Washington, D.C., and at that time, was one of the largest public protests in the history of the nation.

In 1964 CORE participated in the Mississippi Freedom Summer project; three activists were killed that summer in an infamous case. After that, CORE’s philosophy began to change. The continuation of violence led many CORE members to drift away from having a nonviolent approach. They also began to adopt principles of Black Nationalism.

In 1966, CORE found a more militant leader, Floyd McKissick. When McKissick took over, the organization was disorganized and deep in debt. Although McKissick was a respected leader, he was unable to turn the organization’s finances around. In 1968 he announced his retirement to pursue his dream of building a “Soul City” in North Carolina. After McKissick, CORE chose to bar whites from membership and chose Roy Innis as its national director.

Innis quickly declared the first order of business was restructuring so that Chapters and field operatives were responsible back to the National Headquarters. Innis also developed a new fundraising arm, CORE Special Purpose Fund, and began to chip away at the organization’s debt.