"What we want is power for people who don't have it" : the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in California

Abstract

The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was a civil rights organization operating during the 1960s, one that sought to integrate students in the fight for equality. SNCC worked diligently throughout the United States, developing community projects designed to address an array of racial and social problems. While the historiography of SNCC has focused primarily on their work in the Southern United States, the student organization had branches operating as far west as California. California’s SNCC branches published a monthly newsletter that carefully documented its efforts during the organizations four year existence. SNCC flourished in the Golden State and worked hard to create meaningful change through collaborative efforts with community members and other civil and social rights organizations. The study of SNCC’s work in California adds a new dimension to our understanding of the student organization and of civil rights.