Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee

Definition

The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was a civil rights organization formed in 1960 to empower and organize students in the fight against racial segregation and injustice in the United States. SNCC played a crucial role in the Civil Rights Movement, focusing on grassroots organizing, nonviolent protest, and voter registration efforts, particularly in the South. The organization became known for its bold activism and commitment to social justice, contributing significantly to the broader movement aimed at achieving civil rights for African Americans.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. SNCC was founded in April 1960 during a meeting at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, where students from various colleges came together to coordinate efforts against racial injustice.
2. The organization was instrumental in organizing sit-ins, starting with the Greensboro sit-in, which sparked similar protests across the South.
3. SNCC shifted its focus in the late 1960s towards more radical approaches and community organizing as tensions within the civil rights movement grew.
4. The group faced significant violence and intimidation from white supremacists, especially during voter registration drives in Mississippi and Alabama.
5. SNCC was one of the first organizations to emphasize the importance of youth leadership and activism, paving the way for future generations of activists.

Review Questions

• How did SNCC contribute to the strategies of nonviolent protest during the Civil Rights Movement?
  • SNCC was pivotal in advancing nonviolent protest strategies like sit-ins and freedom rides. The organization encouraged students to actively participate in demonstrations against segregation, empowering youth to take a stand against injustice. Their commitment to nonviolence helped set a tone for civil disobedience that characterized many successful actions during the Civil Rights Movement.
• Discuss the impact of SNCC's grassroots organizing on voter registration efforts in the southern United States.
  • SNCC's grassroots organizing significantly impacted voter registration efforts by mobilizing local communities and encouraging African Americans to register despite systemic barriers. Through initiatives like the Freedom Summer campaign in 1964, SNCC worked tirelessly to combat disenfranchisement and educate voters on their rights. Their efforts not only increased registration numbers but also highlighted the ongoing struggles faced by African Americans in exercising their right to vote.
• Evaluate how SNCC's evolving strategies reflected broader changes within the Civil Rights Movement throughout the 1960s.
  • As SNCC evolved throughout the 1960s, its strategies began to reflect broader changes within the Civil Rights Movement, including a shift from integrationist approaches to more radical expressions of Black nationalism. This transition illustrated growing frustrations with the pace of change and revealed divisions within the movement regarding tactics and goals. The organization's increasing focus on community empowerment and self-determination showcased a desire for systemic change beyond legal equality, thus influencing subsequent movements focused on social justice and civil rights.

Related terms

Freedom Rides: A series of bus trips through the American South to protest segregation in interstate bus terminals, organized by civil rights activists including SNCC members.

Sit-ins: A form of nonviolent protest where participants occupy a space and refuse to leave until their demands are met, prominently used by SNCC in challenging segregation at lunch counters.

Voter Registration Drive: Efforts, particularly by SNCC, aimed at increasing voter registration among African Americans in the South to combat disenfranchisement.