• 1960s in the U.S. will be seen, historically, as the Second Revolution (after 1776)
• 1950s and 19606s were a time with the young people ages 19-22 saw a need for change---and made a move.
• Parents and older people were initially against this movement. "Why upset the apple cart?"
• Segregation was just as strong in the North as the South. The only difference was the signs were not posted up North.
• Several key leaders in Nashville: Jim Lawson, Dianne Nash, John Lewis
• Jim Lawson had studied Gandhi's non-violence tactics and found that Dr. Martin Luther King had also studied Gandhi's non-violent strategies.
• In 1958 local ministers started a non-violent movement of sit-ins. Ministers were White, Jewish, Black and any one who saw that changes needed to happen.
• In 1959, the Central Committee was formed. Students came to study non-violent protesting. Dr. Lawson would refer to Gandhi and to WWJD referring to reacting non violently when taking a beating and other forms of abuse. They were taught not to fight back.
• Training was practicing sitting on stools to be prepared if others stood behind and hit them, spat on them, put out cigarettes on them, poured drinks on them.
• The mass arrest of 87 students arrested. At this point the black community rallied behind the students. The students opted for 31 days in jail as it put a strain on the jail's resources---they were only used to dealing with weekend drunks.
• Parents still did not want their children to be involved in the movement.
• Freedom rides started May 4, 1961 to test Trailways and Greyhound.
• What kept them going during all the abuse was their trust in God and they were not afraid.
• Dr. Patton left on his ride May 24 and was arrested at the lunch counter.
• Parchman Prisonwas tough but became a “university” to the Freedom Riders in that they asked "what are you going to do when you get out of here to help the movement?" To keep up their spirits and resolve they sang songs 24 hours a day. The guards removed things like mattresses and toothbrushes, turned on the heat in the middle of the day, [ut laxatives in their food and shut off the water. The students kept on singing.
• 7 of the 10 lieutenants that Dr. Martin Luther King recruited came from the Nashville Movement.
- • To apply to today: Find something you believe in and if changes need to be made find similar-minded people and start to make a stance to change things in a non-violent manner.