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This article on Diane Nash was written about Nash receiving the Freedom Award from the National Civil Rights Museum. Nash became the leader of the movement in Nashville and helped organize the sit-ins in Nashville. She was a part of SNCC, SCLC, and the freedom rides. Doctor King even said that Nashville had the best nonviolent movement in the nation. The museum president Beverly Robertson said that women were usually the wives of leaders, but Nash was a leader by herself. I chose to write about this article because Nash was such an influential person in the civil rights movement and helped to open new doors up to many people. She also served as an inspiration for other women that were involved in the movement. Through her hard work and many of her actions during the civil rights movement I believe that Nash was very deserving of this award that was presented to her.

5 interviews with civil rights activists in the early 1980s (Anne Braden, Virginia Foster Durr, Amelia Robinson, Fred Shuttlesworth, Frederick Palmer Weber) who discuss their involvement in the Southern Conference for Human Welfare/Educational Fund. Some of the main topics include segregation, poverty, legislation, and poll taxes. (Audiotapes, transcripts, and collateral materials housed in Weatherly Hall North, Room 122. Copies are also housed at the Indiana University Archives in Herman B Wells Library E460.) Braden interview by Linda Reed is 35 pages (90 minutes) - describes the disenfranchisement of Depression Era South and need for worker, economic and civil rights for Black Americans; discusses Congress of Industrial Organizations, House Un-American Activities Committee, Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, Southern Christian Leadership Conference as well as the structure of the SCEF and the Southern Patriot.

On June 1, 1956 all NAACP offices were forced to shut down in Alabama so a new organization was needed in Birmingham and throuhgout the southern state. The organization ran by a minister, focused on getting black police officers in Alabama, desgregation of the public schools and was associated by SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference).

Wonderful description of the importance of the Highlander trainings and Septima Clark's emphasis on involving the people for whom the fight for social justice most affected (not just influencing those around them or persuading others on their behalf). The NAACP's Crusade for Citizenship in the late 1950s with the organizational skills of Ella Baker showed this kind of work could be done in the deep South, but needed more cross-organizational support infrastructures to stave off the violent reactions of segregationists. The greatest impact would have to happen at the local grassroots levels -. and this meant empowerment of local leaders.