Introduction
About 50 years ago, in Nashville, Tennessee, activists such as college students, ministers, and other people concerned launched a demonstration known as sit-ins. This campaign was intended to enable the discussion of rights without the use of violence or weapons. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), founded in 1960, was the way of student participation in the civil rights movement (Blackside, Inc.). This essay will discuss Nashville sit-ins and summarize their effects, focusing on SNCC.
Discussion of Civil Rights in Nashville with a Focus on SNCC
In 1896, the Supreme Court upheld the conditionality of racial segregation that led to a proliferation of such policy throughout the United States, making race discrimination allowed. Nashville, Tennessee, was known as a southern city. Civil rights of citizens of the color of which were violated; thus, interventions were necessary. The intention of the sit-ins was to outline measures to influence the established political state in a peaceful way, which was not common back in those times. Considering that non-violent measures are usually less impressive than revolutions with the use of a weapon, activists paid considerable attention to the uniqueness of their movement’s methods. Thus, according to Carawan, “with the magic of tape editing, the recordings were tightened up – the superfluous removed, music and narration mixed with the scenes. None of us had ever tried anything like this before.” It shows that this movement’s actions were different from the well-known methods of influence.
SNCC significantly contributed to the success of the sit-ins movement. Thousands of students joined the protest having widespread media coverage and serving as the most potent force fighting against racial discrimination and winning equal rights for black Americans. According to the article, Nashville Student Movement students tried to “give people a fairly good view of nonviolence mixed with role-playing of various kinds.” Moreover, activists recognized the importance of revealing the boycott as not only a white or black one but as a movement supported by all races. Thus, people of color sit next to white students, indicating the attitude of all the citizens toward the issue (Blackside, Inc.). It can be seen as another creative approach to boycotting.
SNCC representatives also joined a campaign against desegregating interstate bus transportation. In 1961, teams of activists, many of whom were students, rode buses in mixed racial groups promoting social equity across the South (Nashville Student Movement). It resulted in mandating the complete desegregation of interstate travel facilities, which can be considered the victory of SNCC. Such measurements proved to be effective in influencing social opinion. In 1964, SNCC focused its efforts on increasing Black voter registration and freedom schools for black children establishing. This one of the first successful non-violent civil resistance achieved the end of racial segregation and the launch of counters downtown.
Conclusion
The United States is known for periods when people of color were restricted in their social rights. Sit-ins in Nashville, Tennessee, are known for being one of the first successful non-violent movements fighting for equity for black Americans. SNCC, a community of activists consisting of students, contributed to the end of racial segregation. The movements utilized mostly creative approaches, such as creating films and singing songs to attract attention to the problem. Eventually, the campaigns SNCC participated in and Nashville sit-ins resulted in an agreement between merchants and protest leaders, and the movement became a model for civil rights protests.
Works Cited
“Nashville Student Movement.” SNCCDigital, Web.
Blackside, Inc. Interview with Diane Nash. Washington university in St. Louis Library, 1988.
Carawan, Guy, editor. The Nashville Sit-In Story. Folkways Records and Service Corp, 1960.