Origins and Role of Civil Rights Organizations

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POLITICAL SCIENCE
1) Define the following terms:
a) Civil Rights
Civil rights are rights that protect individuals from unfair treatment or discrimination by
individuals, social organizations or Governments.
b) Human Rights
They are the fundamental freedoms and rights enjoyed by all individuals from their time
of birth to the time of their death. They are based on values such as independence, respect,
equality; fairness and dignity (Hamptonand Steve,32).
2) briefly describe the origins and role in the Black freedom struggle of the following
organizations in at least four sentences:
a) National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
NAACP was formed in 1909 by black and white activists including Moorfield Storey,
Mary White Ovington and Du Bois in response to the violence against Black Americans in the
United States of America. The Association was established in New York City to advocate the
abolition of discrimination in transportation, voting, employment, education, and housing; to
fight for constitutional rights of African Americans and oppose racism (Lawson 77)
b) Civil Rights Congress

It was a civil rights organization founded by William L Patterson in 1946.The
organization came into being after a merger of National Federation for Constitutional Liberties
(NFCL) and International Labor Defense (ILD) and National Negro Congress. It was formed to
defend the civil liberties and the constitutional rights of the Americans not excluding Negroes
and Communists. The organization was disbanded in 1956(Hamptonand Steve 16).
c) Congress of Racial Equality
It was an African American Civil rights organization formed in 1942 by Bernice Fisher,
George Houser, Bayard Rustin, and James Farmer, all students based in Chicago. The main
motive behind its formation was ending racial discrimination in the United States of America and
promotion of better race relations in the country through the use of a pacifist, non-violent
approach
d) Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
It was a civil rights movement formed in 1960 by Ella Baker after students from the south
broke out. Baker saw value in bringing together student leaders from different universities to
give young students a voice in the civil rights movement. Baker was convinced that Southern
Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) which was by then led by Martin Luther King Jr
wasn’t in touch with younger blacks who looked towards seeing fast progress (Hamptonand
Steve 19).
e) Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party
It was formed in 1964 in the state of Mississippi during the Civil rights Movement by
Bob Moses, Ella Baker, and Fannie Lou Hamer. MFDP was formed as an alternative party to the
Democratic Party of Mississippi (DPM), a conservative party dominated by the whites. The party
was therefore formed to challenge the validity of DPM and encourage blacks to participate in

elective politics
f) Lowndes County Freedom Organization
It was a political party formed in 1966 by African Americans in Alabama under the
leadership of Stokely Carmichael. The party was formed to represent Black Americans in
Lowndes County in Alabama. The formation of the fact was necessitated by the fact that the
county population was made of 80% blacks out of whom none was registered to vote. It was
therefore formed to organize voter registration for the blacks(Hamptonand Steve 26).
3. Please provide a brief explanation of the role and contribution of the following
individuals to the Civil Rights Movement
a) Ella Baker
Baker played active roles in endeavors of the National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People and Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. Her contributions include
the promotion of the first peaceful grassroots associations in the Civil rights movement (Clayton
and Dewey 30).
b) Gloria Richardson
She was responsible for the formation of the Cambridge Movement in Cambridge, which
she was the leader. The movement was responsible for fighting for the economic rights of
unemployed and underpaid Cambridge Citizens. She also played a role in the organization of
Cambridge Nonviolent Action Committee
c) Robert F. Williams
Robert served as president for Monroe, a chapter for the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored people based in North Carolina. Part of his contributions includes