Southern Christian Leadership Conference

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S.outhern C.hristian L.eadership C.onference

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Biography The SCLC is an organization that was formed in 1957 in order to organize the action of protest groups throughout the southern states. This organization was led by the one and only Martin Luther King Jr. who is a mastermind in the subject of social equality. MLK and other notable ministers like C.K. Steele and Fred Shuttlesworth plan was to effectively receive equal civil rights without any use of violence towards law enforcement.

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Contributions The SCLC has been involved in many of the known protests that we learn about in our history books growing up. One of the most notable protests that was organized by the conference was the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom where MLK gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. In addition to this march, the conference gathered all of the southern black churches and formed many organizations to help the overall black community. These organizations include “Operation Breadbasket” which created job opportunities for the black community in Atlanta; also the “Poor People’s Campaign” which was a gathering of thousands of poor people in DC where they fought for federal legislation that would guarantee employment and equal wages.

Worthy of Monument?

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It is obvious that this powerful group of individuals should have a monument because they changed the heart and soul of countless minorities. They fought for what they believed they deserved and that was an equal opportunity as the next person. African Americans were at the bottom of importance in the United States at the moment and this group was formed to change the long history and catalyze the empowerment of black people in America. These individuals knew their worth and what they were placed on Earth for, in addition they succeeded in their plan.

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Significant Event

The event that this conference is responsible for is the Children’s Crusade of 1963..

This campaign was a collaboration of the SCLC and the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR) to attack the city’s segregation system. When looking at older peers and parents, the children of the south had great influence when it came to civil rights. While the older participants were hesitant on the childrens’ involvement, this crusade was the turning point of the fight for civil rights.

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Action While Protesting The March started on May 2, 1963 and continued on until May 10th. On the second day of the marches, Bull Connor who was a commissioner of public safety ordered the law enforcement to spray children with hoses and threaten them with K-9s. This was all organized in order to put a halt to the protests, but the children saw this order as a game. The children were going out into the streets protesting in bathing suits in anticipation of the hoses.

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Protest Results

They knew it would take persistence and dedication to make a change to the existing laws, so the African American community didn’t let up. It was a long week of fighting for freedom with mass incarcerations and physical abuse, then on the 10th of May the president signed a treaty that relieved the segregation within the city. Of course the issue wasn’t resolved overnight, but this turning point led to many events leading to the overall desegregation in the Southern States.

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The Monument The monument that I created for SCLC is a dedication to MLK, the leader of the organization, and also the kids who were a big part in making a change in the southern states. For the monument, i decided to have Martin Luther King Jr. in the middle with his fist raised in the air which represents the fight for social justice. Alongside MLK will be 4 little children who are stannding under them also with their fist raised to the sky which symbolizes that they are also dedicated to recievce the social equality that they deserved for their time here in the United States. These subjects of the monument will be placed in a globe type of visual which will have the words “Justice But Peace” placed on top of it. This statements sort of coexists with the powerful “No justice no peace” slogan with the 2020 protests in result to multiple sightings of police brutality. The goal for the SCLC was to peacefully get their point across about social justice without harming the other side. Even though the officials were not in agreement with that, the community held strong to their beliefs. This monument represents the major participants of the group and what they stood for.

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Locations As far as the location of the monument, I think the monument would be best placed in front of the EagleBank Arena.

I choose this location for the simple fact that it is one of the first sights that a visitor sees when traveling to the university. The Eaglebank Arena also holds a lot of significant events within it which would give the monument the attention it deserves. When it comes to a location outside the school, there would be no better place to put the monument than at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA. This is for the fact that the conference was developed and created at this location. It is also the location where MLK and fellow ministers would meet up to plan different protests and organizations that would benefit all struggling minorities at that moment.

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