Montgomery Bus Boycott NAAC Analysis
The beginning of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference can be accredited to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Black ministers had an unique position in society that allowed them more freedom. While most black citizens had to fear being fired or kicked out of their residences for speaking out about racial injustice, churches however were all owned and managed by blacks. Therefore, with a lack of control being held over them, black ministers made up 2/3’s of the directors on the board of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The SCLC was related with some neighborhood organizations but they intentionally distanced themselves from the famous activist group NAACP. White people associated the NAACP with all that was evil in the world due to the NAACP’s “radical” approach to fighting for justice. The SCLC wanted to maintain a
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peaceful image, for this reason, SCLC advocated and practiced peaceful protesting. Although this doesn’t mean their practices were not meant without scorn. Peaceful or not the SCLC was still ridiculed by whites, for obvious reason, but also more surprising was they meet resistance of their tactics in the black communities as well.
There was a large portion of the black community that believed the way to fight injustice was in the courts, and so, they disapproved the SCLC practice of protesting regardless of if it was peaceful or not. Martin Luther King Jr. was elected to be the leader of the SCLC. It was under his leadership that they SCLC had quite a few successful campaigns, such as; changing the Georgia state flag (which had been a Confederate flag before), spoke out against police brutality, and the most famous “I Have a Dream Speech.” Under Shelby’s scope of nationalism the Southern Christian Leadership Conference would be considered weak black nationalism or rather, pragmatic nationalist. Despite the hardships and criticism the SCLC faced through the civil rights movement, their organization has stood the test of time. They still exist today and practice fighting for injustice and inequality. In fact, they are now a nationwide organization instead of limited to the southern
states.
peaceful image, for this reason, SCLC advocated and practiced peaceful protesting. Although this doesn’t mean their practices were not meant without scorn. Peaceful or not the SCLC was still ridiculed by whites, for obvious reason, but also more surprising was they meet resistance of their tactics in the black communities as well.
There was a large portion of the black community that believed the way to fight injustice was in the courts, and so, they disapproved the SCLC practice of protesting regardless of if it was peaceful or not. Martin Luther King Jr. was elected to be the leader of the SCLC. It was under his leadership that they SCLC had quite a few successful campaigns, such as; changing the Georgia state flag (which had been a Confederate flag before), spoke out against police brutality, and the most famous “I Have a Dream Speech.” Under Shelby’s scope of nationalism the Southern Christian Leadership Conference would be considered weak black nationalism or rather, pragmatic nationalist. Despite the hardships and criticism the SCLC faced through the civil rights movement, their organization has stood the test of time. They still exist today and practice fighting for injustice and inequality. In fact, they are now a nationwide organization instead of limited to the southern
states.