Activist Beginnings
From Social Justice Wiki
"When I first heard about the Negroes sitting in at lunch counters down South, I thought they were just a bunch of publicity hounds. But one night when I saw those young kids on TV, getting back up on the lunch counter stools after being knocked off them, sugar in their eyes, ketchup in their hair--well, something happened to me. Suddenly I was burning." (as told to Gordon Parks in Life magazine, 1967)
The quotation above exemplifies how Stokely Carmichael transformed from indifferent observer to passioned activist almost overnight. He first became involved in activist organization through his work with the Nonviolent Action Group (NAG) during his time as an undergraduate at Howard University. Working with NAG, Carmichael participated in the Freedom Rides of 1961; later, as leader of NAG, he brought the organization more in line with the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Upon graduating Howard in 1964, Carmichael took a central role in SNCC's "Freedom Summer," organizing projects in Mississippi. Over the next several years, he became more involved with the organization, and Carmichael was named the Chairman of SNCC in 1966. However, his (and the organization's) ideology would soon shift away from non-violent direct action toward achieving "Black Power", creating a crux in the movement between older pacifist leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr, and younger leaders leaning toward separatism, such as Malcolm X. This section will examine how Carmichael's early career shaped his ideology.
Discussion:
Student activism with the Nonviolent Action Group at Howard University was the starting point in shaping Carmichael's ideas. Do you feel that activism is as strong today in college students' lives? What could today's students learn from Carmichael's participation in NAG, the Freedom Rides, and SNCC as an undergraduate at Howard? Join us in the discussion room to share your thoughts.