Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee

Definition

The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was a key civil rights organization formed in 1960 to empower students and promote nonviolent protests against racial segregation and discrimination. SNCC became known for its grassroots activism and significant contributions to major events like sit-ins and voter registration drives, helping to shape the civil rights movement during the 1960s.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. SNCC was founded at Shaw University during a conference attended by student activists from various colleges across the South.
2. The organization played a pivotal role in organizing sit-ins at segregated lunch counters, leading to desegregation in many establishments.
3. SNCC emphasized grassroots organizing and encouraged local leadership, making it distinct from other civil rights organizations that had more hierarchical structures.
4. The group was instrumental in the Freedom Summer campaign of 1964, which aimed to increase voter registration among African Americans in Mississippi.
5. SNCC's strategies evolved over time, especially in the late 1960s when it began to incorporate more militant approaches and advocate for Black Power.

Review Questions

• How did the formation of SNCC reflect the needs and perspectives of young activists during the civil rights movement?
  • The formation of SNCC represented a response to the growing desire among young activists for direct action and grassroots involvement in the civil rights movement. Unlike older organizations that often focused on legal strategies, SNCC's emphasis on nonviolent protests like sit-ins allowed students to take an active role in challenging segregation. This reflected their belief that immediate, local engagement was essential to creating change and empowered them to lead initiatives that resonated with their peers.
• In what ways did SNCC contribute to significant events in the civil rights movement, and how did those events impact public perception of racial injustice?
  • SNCC significantly contributed to major events such as sit-ins and Freedom Rides, which brought national attention to the injustices faced by African Americans in the South. The media coverage of these nonviolent protests highlighted the brutality of segregationist responses and galvanized public support for civil rights reforms. As images of students facing violence while peacefully protesting were broadcast across the country, they transformed public perception and fueled demands for legislative change.
• Evaluate the impact of SNCC's shift towards more militant strategies in the late 1960s on its relationship with other civil rights organizations and the broader movement.
  • SNCC's shift toward more militant strategies in the late 1960s marked a significant turning point that created tensions between its members and other civil rights organizations, such as the NAACP and SCLC. While some leaders embraced this new approach as necessary for addressing systemic racism, others felt it undermined the nonviolent principles that had been foundational to the movement. This divergence reflected broader ideological divisions within the civil rights movement about how best to achieve racial equality and often complicated coalition-building efforts during a crucial time in American history.

Related terms

Sit-ins: A form of protest where participants occupy a space, typically a segregated lunch counter or other public venue, to demand equal service and desegregation.

Freedom Rides:

Interstate bus journeys undertaken by civil rights activists in 1961 to challenge segregation in the South, highlighting the injustices faced by African Americans.

Civil Rights Act of 1964:

Legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, marking a significant achievement of the civil rights movement.