After graduating from Western Illinois University, Reverend C.T. Vivian got his
first professional job as recreation director for the Carver Community Center
in Illinois. While working there, Vivian took part in demonstrations of
“sit-ins”. A little over a decade after that, C.T. Vivian attended the American
Baptist College in Nashville to study ministry.
Soon after
attending college, Reverend C.T. Vivian met James Lawson who taught “nonviolent
action strategies” inspired by Gandhi to the Nashville Student Movement. After
learning about how to be “nonviolent”, as also mentioned in the “Ain’t Scared
of Your Jails” video, the movement organized a sit-in campaign. Also, as stated
in the video, in April of 1960 thousands of the members from the movement
marched onto City Hall, Vivian was a part of this as well.
And not
only that, Reverend C.T. Vivian also joined in the SCLC, or Southern Christian
Leadership Conference, and became a part of the Freedom Rides, too. Vivian
became a leader for the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s.
More
information that I find interesting, is how Vivian aided in the foundation of
the “Nashville Christian Leadership Conference” and eventually worked with
Martin Luther King Junior with whom he became close with as well as other
members of the SCLC.
Reverend
C.T. Vivian is still living today; he is a minister and an author. Not
surprisingly, Vivian will be awarded by President Obama this year with the “Presidential
Medal of Freedom” because of his leadership in the civil right movement, his
participation in the Freedom Rides and sit-ins, and for his help in founding civil
rights organizations.
I think Reverend C T Vivian's life story is super interesting. He started out small with sit ins and later gained respect from MLK and others when he joined the SCLC, and the freedom rider, and adided in the foundation the NCLC. A day in his life would be cool to experience.
ReplyDeleteI like how you included the picture of his mug shots in going to jail. I don't want to spend much time in jail but I sure do admire people of faith and guts who have made that sacrifice to push positive change in our society. Thanks Emma!
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