Civil Rights & Earlham Archives

This is a letter containing information about the Committee of Southern Churchmen in Mississippi, in 1964s. The committee of Southern Churchmen included White and Black members. The aim of the Committee of Southern Churchman was to improve the social, economic, and political standards for African Americans in the south.  The Committee of Southern Churchman helped enhance the living conditions of African Americans, by entering black communities to gather information on the resources available in black communities, racial violence and conflict, and possible solutions to the social and economic problems in African American’s Communities. The Committee of Southern Churchmen used the information about African American’s experiences in the South to redefine their non-violent strategies and relief methods.  Many white members of the Committee of Southern Churchmen white held liberal viewpoints on racial issues. As a result, the Committee of Southern Churchman gained the support of like-minded liberal politicians and civil rights organizations. Committee of Southern Churchman shared information about the conditions of African Americans, and their plans to improve African American communities with civil rights organizations and liberal-like minded politicians. The committee also broadcasted speeches about racial topics. The committee of Southern Churchmen focused on the African American community’s needs and problematic issues, rather than focusing on the interests of the church.

 I think that, the Committee of Southern Churchman was an important asset to the civil rights movement, because they accepted both White and Black members. As a result, White and Black Americans worked together to provide aid for impoverished African Americans in the south. Moreover, the Southern Churchmen Committee provided African Americans an opportunity to actively work to resolve racial conflict, poverty, and other problematic issues in the African American community, in the South. The author states that, the Committee of Southern Churchmen provided dialogue about racial conflict and violence in the South.  In Mississippi, white Americans were unfamiliar with the impact of racial segregation and violence. In response, the Committee of Southern Churchmen rendered radio broadcasts that assessed the social and moral significance in racial discrimination and segregation. I think that, the Committee of Southern Churchmen helped expose racial violence and discrimination in Mississippi, by causing white Americans to consider the impact of racial violence and discrimination towards African Americans.

Another way the Committee of Southern Churchmen contributed to the civil rights movement is by forming relations with white liberal politicians and civil rights organizations. I think that, the information that the Committee of Southern Churchmen obtained on African American communities made it easier for civil right organizations to assess the conditions and provided aid for African Americans communities in the South.

I think that the information in this letter is accurate. The letter is written by the president of the Southern Churchmen Committee who would have been well-informed on the group. The information in this letter gives provides a detailed agenda of the Committee of Southern Churchmen. I think that the moral agenda of the Southern Churchmen Committee would have remained constant. However, the group’s non-violent methods most likely changed as the Southern Churchmen Committee learned more about racial violence and conflict between White and Black Americans in the South.

By Will Smith