A few large organizations rose up during the 50s and 60s to advocate for social rights of African Americans – three of the largest were NAACP, CORE and SNCC.
- NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) was more of an adult-run, led and organized than the other two and they did not necessarily initiate or act in the sit-ins, but they were very supportive.
- CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) was a more conservative group than NAACP, but they organized some radical movements like the sit-ins, and were even more renowned for their Freedom Rides.
- SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) was mainly student run and led, and they followed suit of both NAACP and CORE in their nonviolent, Gandhi-inspired way of fighting social injustice. Founder, Ella Baker, who was a former NAACP leader, took the cause to the students by initially holding meetings at Shaw University. This quickly spread and students became the voice piece in which the Black community could protest through.
March 14, 1960:
Thurgood Marshall spoke at an NAACP convention on behalf of the student protestors, who had been sitting in for the past two and a half months. The next day, 70 more arrests were made after students rallied and performed mass sit-ins and the NAACP paid for the students’ bail.
April 15-17, 1960:
Former NAACP organizer Ella Baker creates SNCC after she holds many talks on Shaw University’s campus in Raleigh. She saw a need to organize these student protestors because although these adult organizations, such as NAACP and CORE, were affective and active, they did not focus all of their efforts on educating and organizing these willing and spirited students. Students also did not have the worry of taking care of a family and keeping a job.
June 18, 1960:
Rev. Cecil A. Ivory, NAACP Rock Hill President and supporter of all student protestors, does a wheelchair sit-in at McCrory’s and is arrested. Ivory was handicapped to a wheelchair and felt that by not taking a literal seat at the lunch counter he was not breaking the law. By still being arrested, Ivory proved his point of unfair social treatment and national news covered the event.
October 1960:
SNCC holds a strategy conference in Atlanta, GA to discuss and debate “Jail, No Bail.” The idea, as the Friendship 9 later acted on, was first brought to the table here and although most of the SNCC felt this was a great way to protest nonviolently, no definite plans were made for it to be used. Thomas Gaither, one of the Friendship 9, was a CORE member and knew of the “Jail, No Bail” concept; he was the one who suggested acting on it to the other young men at Friendship College.
