From Sit-ins to SNCC

Title: "From Sit-ins to SNCC: The Student Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s"

Editors: Iwan Morgan and Philip Davies

Overview: "From Sit-ins to SNCC" is a collection of essays edited by Iwan Morgan and Philip Davies, published in 2012. The book commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the historic sit-in at Woolworth's lunch counter by four North Carolina A&T college students. It brings together leading civil rights scholars to offer a groundbreaking perspective on student-oriented activism in the 1960s.

Key Themes:

1. Student Civil Rights Activism: The book delves into the dynamics of grassroots student civil rights activism, exploring how students played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement.
2. SNCC's Evolution: It examines the organizational and cultural changes within the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) over time, including its shift from a primarily student organization to a more radicalized movement.
3. Impact on the White South: The contributors analyze how the sit-ins influenced white Southerners, stimulating a new level of introspection about their treatment of African Americans.
4. Black Nationalist Ideology: The book explores the evolution of black nationalist ideology within the student movement, highlighting how these ideologies shaped the activism.
5. Fiction and Activism: It includes analyses of works of fiction written by movement activists, providing a unique perspective on the creative expressions of the civil rights movement.
6. International Outlook: The contributors discuss the changing international outlook of student-organized civil rights movements, highlighting global influences and responses to the American civil rights struggle.

Plot Summary:

The book is structured around eight substantive essays, each contributing to a comprehensive retelling of the history of the student nonviolent civil rights movement. The chapters cover a range of topics, including:

• Jurisprudential Tensions: The tensions between civil rights and property rights (Chapter 2).
• Student Protests and Segregation: How student protests challenged white segregationists' beliefs (Chapter 3).
• Introspection in the White South: The impact of sit-ins on white Southerners' treatment of African Americans (Chapter 4).
• SNCC's Radicalization: The shift from nonviolence to radicalization within SNCC (Chapter 5).
• Lost Pieces of SNCC Writing: Analysis of a book-length manuscript and a published short story by key SNCC figures (Chapter 6).
• Ideological and Identity Transition: The ideological and identity transition within SNCC from a Beloved Community to an Imagined Community (Chapter 7).

Critical Reception:

The book has received positive reviews for its fresh and original insights into the student protest movement of the 1960s. Kevern Verney, from Edge Hill University, describes it as "a must for anyone interested in the history of the SNCC or the civil rights struggle." The contributors' provocative analyses have been praised for their depth and breadth, providing a comprehensive understanding of the student civil rights movement.

Publication Details:

• Publication Date: 2012 (published in print), 2013 (published online).
• Publisher: University Press of Florida.
• Price: $19.95 (paperback).

Overall, "From Sit-ins to SNCC" offers a nuanced and multifaceted exploration of the student civil rights movement in the 1960s, making it a valuable resource for scholars and enthusiasts of civil rights history.