Message from the Chaiman

FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Chairman’s Corner

UNITY AND SUSTAINABILITY Calling on the Past for Methods of Strategic Activism

By Dr. Bernard Lafayette Jr., SCLC Chairman Written by Davynn Brown

Civil Rights history was alive and well as I sat down with Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr., a civil rights leader with a long history of dedication to activism. Dr. LaFayette was appointed National Program Administrator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and National Coordinator of the Poor Peoples’ Campaign by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He Co-founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee(SNCC) and directed the Alabama Voter Registration Project. In sum, Dr. LaFayette has spent his life crafting strategies for impactful activism. As we began our conversation, Dr. LaFayette shared that a fellow Freedom Rider, Ernest ‘Rip’ Patton had recently passed. Dr. LaFayette was preparing to give a speech at the Homegoing Service of his long-time friend. Dr. LaFayette recounted Ernest Patton’s legacy as a Freedom Rider who was imprisoned in Mississippi. Although Patton was a lifelong activist, Dr. LaFayette most fondly remembered his talent as a singer and musician. Patton was 81, and Dr. LaFayette just celebrated his 81st birthday. These legends dedicated their lives to envisioning and orchestrating the movements that shaped the world that we grow and thrive in today. It fills me with joy to know that they have witnessed the fruit of their labor.

As younger generations continue the fight today for equal rights and justice worldwide, a social justice arch has been created. Dr. LaFayette shared some key gems that he learned from developing activism strategies during the Freedom Rides, Sit-Ins, and the Civil Rights Movement at large.

BUILD COALITIONSDr. LaFayette’s first piece of advice is to continue the use of coalitions. These are groups focused on one issue that form an umbrella under which multiple organizations with converging causes can come together. Dr. LaFayette recalls Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s use of coalitions, specifically for the March on Washington. “Building coalitions was one of the most important things that King did and something that made him different. The March on Washington brought together leaders from different groups. Everyone had their own causes as an organization, but they didn’t necessarily come together. Dr. King felt like you didn’t have to agree on everything, but if you found those things that you do agree on you should come together and show the unity.” Dr. LaFayette explained that Dr. King SCLC National Magazine/ Fall 2021 Issue

also helped bring churches of different denominations together. “If one church had a mass meeting that focused on a specific topic and subject then people from the community and other churches would just come together to support their efforts.” Dr. LaFayette described some of the Coalitions that were formed during the Civil Rights Movement such as the Montgomery Improvement Association(MIA), the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Dr. LaFayette told the story of the formation of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. “The Birmingham NAACP was banned from operating by the state because the government had asked for the NAACP to turn over their contribution lists, mainly to identify white supporters, and the NAACP refused. Once the Birmingham NAACP was investigated, they were branded as a foreign corporation that was supported by communists and outlawed in the state of Alabama. Dr. King was in support of the Birmingham Movement and NAACP. As a solution, the Birmingham chapter of the SCLC decided they would form a statewide chapter that would include those who had been a part of the NAACP. They named this the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. They included the word ‘Christian’ in the title of the movement because it made it difficult for the government to say that they were communist.” MUSIC AND SPIRITDr. LaFayette’s second piece of advice is to embrace the power of music as a tool of resistance and protest. Music was a huge part of the Civil Rights Movement’s Marches and Protest. Patton would often sing while he was imprisoned as a Freedom Rider. Dr. LaFayette recalled, “During gatherings Dr. King provided the opportunity for groups such as the Freedom Singers to sing. Music was very important to uniting people. The words of the songs articulated their views and concerns. Music is part of the movement. Music is the movement!”

Dr. LaFayette recalled songs such as “We Shall Overcome” and “Paul and Silas Bound in Jail” that were sung across the nation as people fought for their rights. People would take songs from different churches and change the words. Dr. LaFayette sang “Paul and Silas bound in jail ain’t got no money for to go their bail.” Protesters applied the lyrics to the movement to show how they were arrested and many times they did not have bail. However, even with these troubles, they insisted that jail should not stop the movement. SUSTAINABILITY: Dr. LaFayette’s third piece of advice is to craft a strategy that is sustainable and can be adjusted as needs arise. Dr. LaFayette discussed how the movement changed and shifted to meet the unexpected challenges that they faced. In specific, Dr. LaFayette recalled the everadapting strategy of the Freedom Rides. Dr. LaFayette described the goal of the Freedom Rides as “a way to make people aware of the discriminatory practices in the various states.” According to Dr. LaFayette there was an opportunity after the Supreme Court handed down a decision that desegregated the Montgomery buses. Dr. LaFayette explained,” The irony was that while they arrested people because the Greyhound buses and the bus stations were segregated, the people who lived in Montgomery could ride on an integrated local bus to get to the segregated Greyhound bus.” According to Dr. LaFayette a large part of the strategy of the Freedom Riders was to stop in the cities and inspire the local people to take action against segregation. In Montgomery the first group of Freedom

Riders from Birmingham did not go into the bus station, they were instead picked up by people from the local churches and taken to protests and rallies where they could spread the message and get to know the local people. According to Dr. LaFayette, “The original destination of the Freedom Rides out of D.C. was New Orleans, but when they were stopped and arrested in Mississippi it was decided that Jackson, Mississippi would be the new destination.” He then explained how the leaders created timelines that would maximize their impact in Jackson and allow the Freedom Riders and Supporters minimal disruption to their lives. Dr. LaFayette explained, “In Jackson the policy was that if you were arrested, you could stay in jail for 40 days before you put up your bond. If you did not put up your bond by then you had to serve out the entire term that you had been charged for. The Freedom Rider’s strategy changed to take advantage of these laws. People rode the bus and planned to stay in jail for 39 days until they used up their appeal period. The riders could plan ahead because they knew how long they would be in jail. Many would take advantage of their vacation time from school and work. People from nearly 11 different countries came down to do the Freedom Rides because there was a pattern and strategy so they knew what to expect.” Dr. LaFayette explained that the leaders who helped put on the Freedom Rides used students who had time after they finished their exams. Dr. LaFayette jokingly recalled, “The students would go on the Freedom Rides and stay for the summer. It worked out because they didn’t have to pay for food and housing.”

Dr. LaFayette believes that current and future generations should ask themselves, “How can we establish our protests in a way that makes it a pattern?” Dr. LaFayette boldly proclaims, “The response to your direct action should be predictable.” As the fight for justice continues around the world each generation crafts new ways of strategizing and mobilizing. The rise of the internet, social media, and the 24-hour news cycle poses its own unique challenges for this generation, but this conversation with Dr. LaFayette reminds me that although the world continues to change the crux of activism remains the same. No matter where we are in the world or what issue we face we must find ways to unify and amplify our voices, and we must develop resistance strategies that are resilient enough to withstand pushback and the test of time. Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr. has crafted a legacy that will live on forever. It is my hope that his advice and mentorship can help the social justice warriors of today to craft a lasting legacy of their own. He ended the conversation with this note of wisdom “Training in Kingian Nonviolence lays the foundation for the strategies for change. Institutionalizing nonviolence is essential for long lasting movement!”

Dr. LaFayette is a noted author and lecturer. His autobiography, In Peace and Freedom is available on multiple platforms, including the National SCLC merchandise store at www.nationalsclc.org/merchandise

Davynn Brown is currently a third-year law student at Georgia State University College of Law. She is acting VP of the Black Law Students Association, and has a Bachelor of Arts in African American Studies from Yale University. Davynn has a passion for people and believes that she is the embodiment of her ancestors wildest dreams. SCLC National Magazine/ Fall 2021 Issue