Southern Christian Leadership Conference facts for kids
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| Abbreviation | SCLC |
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| Formation | January 10, 1957 |
| Purpose | Civil rights |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia |
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Region served
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United States |
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National President/CEO
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Charles Steele, Jr. |
| Affiliations | 17 affiliates; 57 chapters |
| Website | www.nationalsclc.org |
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) is a group that works for civil rights for African Americans in the United States. It played a very important role in the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the first president of the SCLC.
Today, the SCLC is a group that helps people. It is open to people of all faiths and backgrounds. The SCLC works for fairness in society, the economy, and politics. They believe in using non-violent actions to make these changes happen.
Contents
How the SCLC Started
The SCLC was formed in 1957. This was after the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott, which helped end unfair rules on buses. On January 10, 1957, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. invited about 60 Black pastors and leaders to Atlanta, Georgia.
At first, their main goal was to end segregation (keeping people of different races separate) on buses in the Southern United States. They all agreed to use only non-violent ways to protest and bring about change. Their motto was: "Not one hair on one head of one white person shall be harmed." This showed their commitment to peaceful action.
About a month later, the group met again in New Orleans, Louisiana. They decided to work on ending segregation everywhere, not just on buses. They also chose Dr. King as their president. This is when they officially became the "Southern Christian Leadership Conference."
The SCLC also created a group of leaders called the Board of Directors. This group was in charge of making big decisions and planning how to reach their goals. Some churches and civil rights groups joined the SCLC. However, it was hard to get many churches to join. Groups like the Ku Klux Klan and the White Citizens' Council used violence against civil rights workers. Police in many states also acted violently. Some churches that joined the SCLC were bombed or set on fire.
SCLC's Important Work
Citizenship Schools Program
In 1954, civil rights activists started "Citizenship Schools." These schools taught African-American adults how to read and write. This helped them get driver's licenses, fill out forms, and open bank accounts. It also helped them pass unfair literacy tests. These tests were often used to stop Black people from being able to vote. The program grew across the Southern states. These schools were first known as the "Highlander Folk School."
In 1961, the state of Tennessee took away the Highlander Folk School's land. The SCLC then took over the Citizenship School program. The teachers in these schools pretended to teach only reading. But secretly, they also taught about democracy, civil rights, and how to be a good leader. They taught people how to organize protests and understand politics. All these lessons were very important for the Civil Rights Movement.
Eventually, nearly 69,000 teachers taught in Citizenship Schools across the South. Most of these teachers were volunteers and were not paid. Many adult leaders of the Civil Rights Movement either went to or taught at these schools.
SCLC's Role in the Civil Rights Movement
The SCLC was involved in many key events of the Civil Rights Movement:
- They led a major effort against segregation in Albany, New York (1961-1962).
- They led a campaign in Birmingham, Alabama. This effort successfully ended segregation in the city's downtown stores (1963).
- They helped plan and organize the famous March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (1963).
- They helped organize a protest march where about 25,000 people walked from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama. This march supported equal voting rights for African-Americans (1965).
- They ran the Poor People's Campaign. This campaign aimed to reduce poverty for people of all races. About 3,000 people set up a "tent city" on the Washington Mall. They stayed there for six weeks (1968).
- Ralph Abernathy had to take over this campaign after Dr. King was murdered on April 4, 1968.
SCLC from 1968 to 1997
Ralph Abernathy became the President of the SCLC after Dr. King's death. Under his leadership, the SCLC continued its work:
- They continued Dr. King's Poor People's Campaign. This campaign brought together poor people of all races from across the country (1968).
- The campaign helped convince the U.S. government to create programs for poor people. These included the Food Stamp Program, free meal programs for poor children, and programs for work, child care, and health insurance.
- They protested the Apollo 11 launch in 1969. They argued that the government was spending too much money on the Space Race. They felt this money could be used to help poor Americans instead.
- They helped hospital workers in Charleston, South Carolina get better pay and working conditions.
Abernathy was President until 1977. Joseph Lowery then took over and served as President until 1997.
SCLC from 1997 to Today
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Since 1997, the SCLC has worked on several important issues:
- They have fought against Police brutality (when police use too much violence against people).
- They worked to change the Georgia state flag. The old flag had a large Confederate cross on it, which many saw as a symbol of racism.
- After the SCLC's efforts, Georgia did change its state flag.
- They have spoken out against Racial profiling. This is when someone is treated differently or suspected of something because of their race. For example, assuming a Black person is a criminal just because they are Black.
- They work to protect Prisoners' rights.
- They educate young people and adults about being responsible, being leaders, and helping their communities.
- They continue to fight against discrimination (treating people unfairly).
- They support affirmative action. This means taking steps to make sure people from groups that have faced discrimination get fair chances.
- They continue Dr. King's Poor People's campaign to help those in need.
Related pages
Images for kids
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Martin Luther King Jr. at the March on Washington
See also
In Spanish: Conferencia de Liderazgo Cristiano del Sur para niños
