‘We will not let our history be erased:’ Civil Rights vets share lessons with educators
Despite efforts to restrict the teaching of Black history, civil rights veterans are crafting college courses for educators to share.
‘Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power’ Review: A Movement That Changed America
We are engaging in a battle for our freedom. Everything we have achieved over the last 60 years is now up for a vote tomorrow.
“A newsletter—The Student Voice—was created and circulated to student protest groups. It mainly provided information about what the various SNCC-affiliated campus-based organizations were doing.”
A newsletter—The Student Voice—was created and circulated to student...
“Across the country, and especially in the south, SNCC veterans are influential leaders and activists. Once young and mentored by “elders” who had long...
Across the country, and especially in the south, SNCC...
“Blacks were deliberately and systematically kept illiterate (and the public school system was part of this) while at the same time literacy was the...
"Blacks were deliberately and systematically kept illiterate (and the...
“Five SNCC veterans have been recipients of MacArthur Foundation Genius awards. Former SNCC communications director Julian Bond became board chair of the NAACP. Former...
Five SNCC veterans have been recipients of MacArthur Foundation...
“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” – Shirley Chisholm
"If they don’t give you a seat at the...
“In April 1960, SNCC Executive Committee member Charles Jones declared that “this movement will affect other areas beyond [lunch counter] services, such as politics...
In April 1960, SNCC Executive Committee member Charles Jones...
“MFDP—enabled SNCC to provide a political voice for the politically powerless and inarticulate black poor.”
MFDP—enabled SNCC to provide a political voice for the...
“No civil rights action in history had ever swept the South the way that the sit-in movement did; certainly no action driven and led...
No civil rights action in history had ever swept...
“No Kings” Rally – Columbus, OH – Hasan Kwame Jeffries
Video of SLP Board Member Hasan Kwame Jeffries speaking at the "No Kings" Rally in Columbus, Ohio on October 18, 2025.
“SNCC talked about issues that no white Mississippi politicians had ever dreamed of mentioning-ideas which resonate even today.”- James Forman
"SNCC talked about issues that no white Mississippi politicians...
“SNCC was in the vanguard in demonstrating that independent Black politics could be successful.”
SNCC was in the vanguard in demonstrating that independent...
“The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party: In Mississippi and throughout the black belt, the savage never-ending oppressive cycle that kept black people politically disenfranchised had...
The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party: In Mississippi and throughout...
“Violence and reprisal was the response to any Black effort aimed at gaining the political franchise; but because few blacks were willing to brave...
"Violence and reprisal was the response to any Black...
“What is new in your fight is the fact that it was initiated, fed, and sustained by students.”
What is new in your fight is the fact...
“Civil defense and economic power alone will not insure the continuation of Democracy” – Charles Jones
“Civil defense and economic power alone will not insure...
“Democracy itself demands the great intangible strength of the people able to unite in a common endeavor because they are granted human dignity. This...
“Democracy itself demands the great intangible strength of the...
“I maintain that every civil rights bill in this country was passed for white people, not for black people.” – Stokely Carmichael
"I maintain that every civil rights bill in this...
“Music is a motivation and organizing tool.” – Bettie Mae Fikes
"Music is a motivation and organizing tool.”
– Bettie Mae...
“My spirit speaks in songs and moans.” – Bettie Mae Fikes
“My spirit speaks in songs and moans.”
– Bettie Mae...
“Songs are the things that keep me.” – Bettie Mae Fikes reflecting on her love for music and movement
"Songs are the things that keep me.”
– Bettie Mae...
“The fascists can’t stop us!” — Judy Richardson at Teach Truth Rally
In her remarks at the Teach Truth Day of Action in Washington, DC, SNCC veteran Judy Richardson explains why she chose Hands on the Freedom Plow to donate to the “contraband book drive.”
“The humanity of all Americans is diminished when any group is denied rights granted to others.” – Julian Bond
“The humanity of all Americans is diminished when any...
“The North was a different thing,” CORE Director James Farmer wrote. “Civil rights organizations had left the Northern poor to Malcolm X…”
“The North was a different thing,” CORE Director James...
“The South resented giving the Afro-American his freedom, the ballot box and the Civil Rights Law.” – Ida B. Wells
“The South resented giving the Afro-American his freedom, the...
“We didn’t come for no two seats when all of us is tired!” – Fannie Lou Hamer, 1964 DNC
"We didn’t come for no two seats when all...
“We were the community’s children,” wrote SNCC’s legendary Mississippi project director Bob Moses in his book Radical Equations. “And that closeness rendered moot the...
“We were the community’s children,” wrote SNCC’s legendary Mississippi...
“When the federal government passed bills that supposedly supported Black voting and outlawed public segregation, SNCC lost the initiative in these areas”- Cleveland Sellers
"When the federal government passed bills that supposedly supported...
“You’re not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can’t face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it.” – Malcolm...
“You’re not supposed to be so blind with patriotism...
150 Years and Counting | Understanding the Vote
The Struggle to Secure the Promise of the 15th Amendment.
2022 Mid-term Elections
We are engaging in a battle for our freedom. Everything we have achieved over the last 60 years is now up for a vote tomorrow.
2023 Accomplishments & 2024 Vision
The accompanying document details the various SLP 2023 accomplishments and its work plans for 2024.
65 years ago, sit-ins were born. Has their time come again?
This February marks the 65th anniversary of the sit-in movement, which started in Greensboro, North Carolina.
A Blue(s) (Notes) for Sterling Brown
I am a child of children who were the children of Sterling Allen Brown. The project of Africana Studies—what some have called Black Study—is enlivened through his understanding and development of a way seeing what we might call a project of Black living.
A civil rights veteran’s advice for the next generation: Move beyond the protests
Today, at age 80, Courtland Cox can look over the nation’s political landscape and see progress that was virtually unimaginable in his activist days.
A Labor of Freedom, Then and Now with the Movement History Initiative
This roundtable discussion with Judy Richardson, Emilye Crosby, Hasan Kwame Jeffries, and Christian Thomas will engage audiences around the SNCC’s labor in the field.
Algebra Project Family Reunion
Algebra Project Family Reunions will be pot luck gatherings in current and previously active sites that engaged with an Algebra Project affiliated organization.
An Interview with Lonnie Bunch by Anthony Bogues
Explore Anthony Bogues’ 2015 interview with Lonnie Bunch on building the National Museum of African American History and Culture and telling America’s story.
Announcing the passing of former SNCC Chairman Jamil Al-Amin aka “H. Rap Brown”
The family of Jamil Al-Amin aka H. Rap Brown announced his passing on Sunday, November 23, 2025 at the Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina.
Bettie Mae Fikes, SNCC Veteran & Member of the Freedom Singers, attends 2024 State of the Union Address
White House guest list for the First Lady’s Box for the 2024 State of the Union Address includes American singer and civil rights advocate, Bettie Mae Fikes.
Black Women and the Brown Decision
Black American women such as Pauli Murray, Constance Baker Motley, Mamie Phipps Clark, and Ruby Gainer were the architects of the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education.
Bloody Sunday: Restored Photos Show the Violence That Shocked a Nation
'Spider' Martin's newly restored photos reveal firsthand the racist violence on March 7, 1965 in Selma, Alabama. This day is commemorated as Bloody Sunday.
Book Talk: Hubert Harrison: Forbidden Genius of Black Radicalism
On February 2, 2026 Dr. Brian Kwoba will be at Columbia University for a book talk on his new book Hubert Harrison: Forbidden Genius of Black Radicalism.
Bridging The Movement: Charlie Cobb & Monifa Bandele
Charlie Cobb and Monifa Bandele
Thursday, September 23, 2021, 7:00pm-7:30pm
Charles...
Bridging The Movement: Dr. Judy Richardson and Darrien Johnson
Dr. Judy Richardson and Darrien Johnson
Thursday, September 23, 2021,...
Bridging The Movement: Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons with K. Agbebiyi, Da’Shaun Harrison
Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons with K. Agbebiyi, Da'Shaun Harrison
Thursday, September...
Bridging The Movement: Jennifer Lawson & Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson
Jennifer Lawson & Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson
Thursday, September 30, 2021,...
Bruce Hartford Remembers the March on Washington
Today, history knows how the march turned out, but as we rolled south that night we had no clue what we were headed into.
Celebrating The Life Of Hollis Watkins Muhammad
Beyond the frontlines of the civil rights struggle, Hollis Watkins Muhammad was an educator, a mentor, and an advocate for civil rights education.
Charles Jones, SNCC Executive Committee member, said, “Civil defense and economic power alone will not insure the continuation of Democracy.”
Charles Jones, SNCC Executive Committee member, said, “Civil defense...
Charlie Cobb Remembers the March on Washington
As many observe the anniversary of the 1963 march, there has been a great deal of celebration of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream and of black and white feet dangling together in the reflecting pool, while the violent climate below the Mason-Dixon line has largely been forgotten.
Cleveland Sellers Remembers the March on Washington
I decided to volunteer for the March and was assigned to the headquarters tent on the grounds of the Washington Monument, where the buses would park and let out their passengers.
Collaboration with Duke University – 2013 to Present
The SNCC Legacy Project is collaborating with the John...
Congressman John Lewis: “Stand Up and Make Some Noise”
SNCC 50th Anniversary Conference
Volume 28 - Luncheon Keynote: Congressman...
Constitutional Law At The Center: The Perennial Struggle Black Voting Rights
1. THE 3/5TH COMPROMISE
What it means
The Three-Fifths Compromise refers...
Courtland Cox Remembers the March on Washington
My involvement with the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (MOW) began some 10 weeks before the August 28 gathering.
Dear Representative; We Support You!
We, veterans of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), send our support and appreciation for your determined efforts to stand up for the rights of the people of Tennessee.
Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom Highlights Tour
Learn how African Americans flourished in their own communities during the Era of Segregation 1876-1968 despite the turmoil around them.
Documenting the SNCC 50th Anniversary Conference & Reunion – 2010
The SNCC Legacy Project produced the 38 DVDs that...
Dorie Ladner Remembers the March on Washington
For me, as a daughter of Mississippi, the March helped to stir my thoughts about where the rest of my life was headed.
Dorie Ladner: Eyes Always On the Prize – By Charlie Cobb
There are certain words that come immediately to mind thinking of Dorie Ladner: courage, commitment, purpose. Her family roots explain part of the reason why.
Dorothy Zellner Remembers the March on Washington
What struck me most was not only the overwhelming peacefulness of the event but the extreme dignity and "upstandingness," if there is such a word, of the hundreds of thousands of mostly Black people who were there.
Doug Harris Remembers the March on Washington
In the summer of 1963 my Hofstra College roommate, Roger Sencer, drove me to the Atlanta Georgia SNCC headquarters, for my new life as an SNCC volunteer.
EDITORIAL: It’s Time for the Spirit of SNCC to Rise Again
Discover the legacy of SNCC, the influential student organization that played a crucial role in the Civil Rights Movement. Learn about their impact and relevance today.
Ella Baker’s words best define this legacy: “We who believe in freedom cannot rest.”
Ella Baker’s words best define this legacy: "We who...
Fannie Lou Hamer declared at the 1964 Democratic National Convention, “We didn’t come for no two seats when all of us is tired!”
Fannie Lou Hamer declared at the 1964 Democratic National...
Fannie Lou Hamer: Testimony to Credentials Committee, DNC 1964
Fannie Lou Hamer, 1964
Democratic National Convention
Atlantic City, NJ
The National...
Florida’s Voter ID Law Faces Legal Battle over Alleged Voter Suppression
A coalition of voting rights and civil rights organizations filed a federal lawsuit challenging Florida House Bill 991, a new law requiring documentary proof of citizenship, arguing it will disenfranchise eligible voters and violates the First and Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Forthcoming Photography Exhibition: ‘Time to Get Ready: Maria Varela and the Civil Rights Movement.’
Join us at the Kendrew Barn, St John’s College, Oxford from Monday 29 April to Saturday 18 May 2024, as we immerse ourselves in Maria Varela’s extraordinary visual narrative.
Frank Smith Remembers the March on Washington
I came to Washington fresh from Greenwood, where I had been arrested once again in June along with Bob Moses, Lawrence Guyot, and others for trying to help local people exercise their Constitutional right to vote.
Freedom Ship: The Unchartered History Of Escaping Slavery By Sea
“Deeply researched and grippingly told, Freedom Ship offers a groundbreaking new look into the secret world of stowaways and the vessels that carried them to freedom.”
Freedom Summer 50th Anniversary, Jackson, MS – 2014
Working in collaboration with the MS NAACP, Tougaloo College...
Freedom Summer 60 Conference
60th Anniversary of 1964 MISSISSIPPI FREEDOM SUMMER PROJECT in Sunflower County, Mississippi.
From Freedom Summer to modern activism
Charles Cobb Jr. played an integral role in getting Black people registered to vote during the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project in 1964.
Hilmantok University: A Project That Prioritizes Black Voices
Professor Leah Barlow ignites an online network to build Hilmantok University. Adapt, Teach, and Innovate in these times.
Historic markers preserve Black history on San Antonio’s East Side
San Antonio was the first large city in the South to peacefully desegregate. Historic markers preserve these stories in the Alamo City.
History Is Lunch: Kevin Brown and Jacqueline Martin
At noon on Wednesday, February 4, civil rights veteran Jacqueline Martin and Kevin Brown, director of the Black History Gallery in McComb, will discuss the origins of the Black History Gallery and the ongoing importance of preserving local history as part of the History Is Lunch series.
Hollis Watkins founds Southern Echo (1989)
Southern Echo was founded in 1989 by Hollis Watkins, one of the first young Mississippians to join SNCC’s staff.
Honoring Ella Baker
Join us in celebrating Ella Baker's legacy, and let this song remind us of the ongoing work of organizing for a just and moral society.
Hubert Harrison: Forbidden Genius of Black Radicalism
The significance of Hubert Henry Harrison (1883–1927)—as a journalist, activist, and educator—lies in his innovation of radical solutions to radical injustices.
Ida B. Wells stated, “The South resented giving the Afro-American his freedom, the ballot box and the Civil Rights Law.”
Ida B. Wells stated, “The South resented giving the...
In commemoration of the March On Washington – Reflecting on 60 Years
Today in the 21st Century, when mass marches in the nation’s capitol are commonplace, it is hard to imagine how radical Randolph’s threat of 100,000 Black protesters descending on Washington seemed to the political establishment.
In Loving Memory of Dorie Ladner
SNCC’s Dorie Ann Ladner, our sister, passed away Monday, March 11, 2024. She was special in her fierce battles against racism and white supremacy.
In Memoriam: Amanda Bowens Perdew
Amanda Bowens Perdew
1945-2006
Amanda Bowens, who grew up in Americus,...
In Memoriam: Benjamin S. Grinage
Benjamin S. Grinage
1932-1987
Born in Kentucky and raised in Ohio,...
In Memoriam: Bernice Johnson (Reagon)
Bernice Johnson Reagon used her powerful singing to allow others to study the African American oral tradition in radio, film, and concerts across the country.
In Memoriam: Betty Garman Robinson
Betty Garman Robinson
January 8, 1939- October 11, 2020
Born in...
In Memoriam: Carita Richardson
Carita Richardson
1935-2002
Carita Richardson was born in 1935 in Tarrytown,...
In Memoriam: Charles Horwitz
Charles Horwitz
1935-2006
Jules Charles Horwitz was born in 1935, in...
In Memoriam: Charles Scattergood
Charles Scattergood
1942-1999
Charles E. Scattergood was born in Boothbay Harbor,...
In Memoriam: Colia Liddel Lafayette Clark
Colia Liddel Lafayette Clark
1940-2022
Clark was born in 1940 in...
In Memoriam: Cordell Reagon
Cordell Reagon
1943-1996
Cordell Reagon was an American singer and activist....
In Memoriam: Curtis Muhammad
Curtis Muhammad
1943-2022
The SNCC Legacy Project pays tribute to SNCC...
In Memoriam: Debbie Amis Bell
Debbie Amis Bell
1940-2017
Debbie epitomized the word "activist." She was...
In Memoriam: Donald Jelinek
Donald Jelinek
1934-2016
Donald Jelinek was a lawyer who defended civil...
In Memoriam: Dorie Ladner
Dorie's sister Joyce: “She will always be my big sister who fought tenaciously for the underdog and the dispossessed. She leaves a profound legacy of service.”
In Memoriam: Dr. Doris Adelaide Derby
Dr. Doris Adelaide Derby
1939- 2022
The SNCC Legacy Project is...
In Memoriam: Dr. Gwendolyn M. Patton
Dr. Gwendolyn M. Patton
Dr. Gwendolyn M. Patton died suddenly...
In Memoriam: Eddie Charles Brown, Jr.
Eddie Charles Brown, Jr.
“His devotion, eloquence and generosity of...
In Memoriam: Elizabeth Martinez
Elizabeth Martinez
1925-2021
Elizabeth "Betita" Martinez died June 29, 2021...
In Memoriam: Eric Jones
Eric Jones
1943-2020
Eric Jones passed away on Wednesday morning, January...
In Memoriam: Eugene Willie Steptoe
Eugene Willie Steptoe
1907-1983
Eldridge Willie (E.W.) Steptoe was born in...
In Memoriam: Frank Cieciorka
Frank Cieciorka
1939-2008
Frank Cieciorka was a noted graphic artist for...
In Memoriam: Frank Holloway
Frank Holloway
1939-2018
Frank Holloway, born and raised in Atlanta, GA,...
In Memoriam: Gwendolyn Greene Britt
Gwendolyn Greene Britt
1941-2008
Gwendolyn Greene was born and raised in...
In Memoriam: Harriet Tanzman
Harriet Tanzman
1940-2020
Harriet Tanzman was born in Brooklyn, New York...
In Memoriam: Hellen O’Neal McCray
Hellen O'Neal McCray
1941-2010
Hellen O’Neal McCray, Freedom Rider, was...
In Memoriam: Hilda Wilson
Hilda Wilson
1910-1975
Hilda C. Wilson was born in Jacksonville, Florida...
In Memoriam: Howard Himmelbaum
Howard Himmelbaum
1940-2012
Howard Himmelbaum was born in 1940 in Brooklyn,...
In Memoriam: Ivanhoe Donaldson
Ivanhoe Donaldson
1941-2016
Ivanhoe Donaldson died April 3, 2016 in Washington,...
In Memoriam: Jack Chatfield
Jack Chatfield
1942-2014
Born in 1942 in Baltimore, Jack Chatfield was...
In Memoriam: James O. Jones
James O. Jones
1943-2019
Former Director of the Arkansas SNCC Project...
In Memoriam: James Peacock
James Arthur Peacock
1935-1998
James Arthur Peacock was born in Tallahatchie...
In Memoriam: Jane Stembridge
Jane Stembridge
1936-2021
Born in Georgia, Jane Stembridge was SNCC's first...
In Memoriam: Jesse T. Morris
Jesse T. Morris
1941-2021
SNCC Veteran Jesse Morris passed away this...
In Memoriam: Jimmy Rogers
Jimmy Rogers
1937-2021
SNCC Veteran Jimmy Rogers passed away from Coronavirus...
In Memoriam: John M. O’Neal
John M. O'Neal
Actor, playwright, director and cultural activist John...
In Memoriam: Joseph Charles Jones
Joseph Charles Jones
August 23, 1937 – December 27, 2019
Charles...
In Memoriam: Julius Lester
Julius Lester
Julius Lester, SNCC photographer 1966-1968, died January 18,...
In Memoriam: Larry Mamiya
Larry Mamiya
1942-2019
SNCC Veteran Lawrence Hiroshi Mamiya, 76, Professor Emeritus...
In Memoriam: Lorne Cress Love
Lorne Cress Love
1934-2023
Born Lorne Katharine Cress in Chicago in...
In Memoriam: Lucille Perlman
Lucille Perlman
As remembered by Bill Perlman
January 15, 2016
Sadly, my...
In Memoriam: Morris Lenwood Ruffin, Jr.
Morris Lenwood Ruffin, Jr.
1944 - 2021
Morris Ruffin, later known...
In Memoriam: Myrtle Glascoe
Myrtle Glascoe
1936-2019
Myrtle Glascoe was born in 1936 in Washington,...
In Memoriam: Norris McNamara
Norris McNamara
1942 - 2020
SNCC Staff photographer Norris McNamara passed...
In Memoriam: Prathia Hall
Prathia Hall
1940-2002
Prathia Hall was born and raised in Philadelphia,...
In Memoriam: Ralph Allen
Ralph Allen
1941-2005
Born in Melrose, Massachusetts and a Trinity College...
In Memoriam: Ralph Featherstone
Ralph Featherstone
1939-1970
Ralph Featherstone was born in Washington DC in...
In Memoriam: Rev. Willie Blue
Rev. Willie Blue
1939-2022
SNCC Veteran the Reverend Willie Blue died...
In Memoriam: Reverend Charles Sherrod
Rev. Charles Melvin Sherrod, Civil Rights Leader Who Brought...
In Memoriam: Robert “Bob” Cableton
Robert "Bob" Cableton
1938-2007
Bob Cableton, born in 1938 in Arkansas...
In Memoriam: Robert “Bob” Parris Moses
Robert "Bob" Parris Moses
1935 - 2021
The SNCC Legacy Project...
In Memoriam: Ruth Buffington Hansen
Ruth Buffington Hansen
1943 - 2009
Ruth Buffington was a high...
