The Civil Rights Movement and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee

The Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee (SNCC) has played an important part in the rise and the overall success of the Civil Rights movement in the US in the 1960s. The civil counter-action of the SNCC aiming at the elimination of the persisting racial inequality in the US, especially in Southern states contributed to the inclusion of African Americans in the voting process and enhanced their involvement in the political life of the US as well as opened larger opportunities for minorities to have equal rights and liberties compared to the white majority. At the same time, methods used by the SNCC were quite different from what other civil rights movements used. In fact, the SNCC did not use any violent methods of struggle. On the contrary, the distinct feature of the SNCC was the devotion to the non-violent methods of struggle, such as sits-in and freedom rides. The non-violent methods of struggle used by the SNCC have proved to be quite effective and successful but, in a long run, the SNCC faced the problem of the persisting competition from the part of other civil rights movement, which stood on the pro-active ground that admitted the use of violent methods of struggle, in case of the refusal of the authorities and policy makers to meet demands of the public.  Nevertheless, the contribution of the SNCC into the success of the Civil Rights movement can hardly be underestimated and the major condition of the success of the SNCC was the non-violent struggle that juxtaposed to numerous cases of violence applied against members of the SNCC and other civil rights activists.

The non-violent methods of struggle attracted the public attention to the SNCC and their demands. The public used to take violent protests and the struggle of civil rights activists, who used violent methods, as marginalized groups, who stood on the radical ground. This is why the public opinion was rather negative in relation to such civil rights movements and organizations (Griffith & Baker, 2006, 132). The use of the non-violent methods of struggle was quite new for the US and raised the public attention since many Americans understood that civil rights activists are not outcasts or radicals but, on the contrary, they are the average Americans, who struggle for the equality for all Americans. More important, the SNCC has managed to show that the US Constitution was the supreme law that could not be ignored on the racial ground. The SNCC uncovered the injustice and discrimination of African Americans as the violation of the US Constitution. In such a way, the SNCC made Americans think reasonably about their demands and take them seriously.

Furthermore, the non-violent struggle conducted by the SNCC attracted the public attention and granted the SNCC with the large public support because the public supported non-violent methods of struggle and rejected the violence, including the violence committed in relation to civil rights activists. As Americans started to listen to their demands and understood the main purpose of their struggle, they have started to support the SNCC and Civil Rights movement. In such a way, the SNCC has managed to raise the nation and to draw the public attention to key issues in racial policies.

Furthermore, at some point in the US history, the SNCC took the lead since the public and policy makers preferred to negotiate with the non-violent organization rather than with those civil rights organizations that promoted the active struggle and admitted the use of violence (Griffith & Baker, 2006, 141). Americans apparently preferred the non-violent civil rights organization to violent ones, which they were apparently afraid of and which they perceived as radical movements that threatened to the public order.

Sits-in used by the SNCC in Southern states, such as Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and others, raised the public turmoil and evoke the heat public debate concerning the problem of the racial discrimination and the exclusion of African Americans. Sits-in have proved to be very efficient because they allowed the SNCC to occupy the target area and to force the local authorities to negotiate and engage the public in the enforcement of legal norms and acts of the US (Hogan, 2009, 192).

The 1963 March on Washignton was one of the major Civil Rights campaign managed by the SNCC. The march aimed at changing policies conducted by the US in relation to racial discrimination. The SNCC and other Civil Rights movement insisted on the enhancement of laws introduced by the US government and Congress to eliminate the racial discrimination and segregation. The march showed the unity of civil rights activist and the urging need of changes which required the large part of the US population (Griffith & Baker, 2006, 145). The SNCC attempted to show the unity of the US population and readiness of Americans to keep pushing on the government to force the policy makers to introduce and enhance legal norms that would put the end to the racial discrimination and segregation.

The SNCC pursued the same goal managing freedom rides, when they rode interstate buses to segregated Southern states. However, such interstates freedom rides aimed rather at the public than at the authorities (Hogan, 2009, 189). At the same time, the strategy used by the SNCC has proved to be quite efficient (Hogan, 2009, 190). At any rate, the SNCC has managed to attract the public attention and to gain a lot of supporters among the general population, which used to be uninterested in racial relations and discriminations issues. On the other hand, the SNCC has forced policy makers to launch changes and enhance anti-discrimination laws and put the end to discrimination persisting in Southern states of the US.

The different strategy used by SNCC contributed to the success of the movement. On the other hand, this strategy has proved to be the major weakness of the SNCC. For instance, by the end of the 1960s, the SNCC leaders recognized that they have difficulties with remaining non-violent. More important, the SNCC eventually changed its name for Student National Coordination Committee that probably marked the departure of the organization from its non-violent principles in 1969 (Hogan, 2009, 195). Nevertheless, the movement kept operating in the 1970s but steadily it had faded away.

Thus, the SNCC has made a considerable contribution into the ruse and success of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. In contrast to many other civil rights organizations, the SNCC used the non-violent methods of struggle, such as sits-in or freedom rides. The SNCC has gained the public attention and support and managed to eliminate the racial segregation in the US along with the enforcement of anti-discrimination laws nationwide, including Southern states of the US.

 

References:

Griffith, R. and Baker, P. (2006). Major Problems in the US History since 1945. New York: Houghton Mifflin.

Hogan, W.C. (2009). Many Minds, One Heart. The University of North Carolina Press.

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
Available at:

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]
close
Haven't found the right essay?
Get an expert to write you the one you need!
print

Professional writers and researchers

quotes

Sources and citation are provided

clock

3 hour delivery

person