James Farmer was an important figure for the civil rights movement. He was a civil rights activists and leader in American Civil Rights Movement. James also helped plan and lead the 1961 Freedom Ride. He was a co-founder of the Committee of Racial Equality (CORE). This was an organization that tried to bring an end to racial segregation. They were big believers of doing this with nonviolence. James was the first leader of CORE and was also the chairman from 1942 to 1944. James Farmer died on July 9, 1999 from severe diabetes.
What was interesting to me about James Farmer was how smart and invested he was in his education. They said he was an outstanding student and really focused. What was shocking was he skipped a couple grades and was enrolled at Wiley College in Texas at the age of fourteen! He sadly experienced a lot of discrimination here. But from there he went to Howard University's School of Religion. he graduated from there and then started CORE, because he was so against war. It is great that he was such an educated children during that time period. He really gave him a huge advantage.
James also took a huge part in the first African American sit in in Chicago. They say that this sit in was what sparked the fire of desegregation. It went public and gave African Americans the confidence to act out.
http://www.core-online.org/History/james_farmer.htm
http://farmer.umwblogs.org/james-farmers-importance/
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/james_farmer.htm
I found your research about James Farmer very interesting. I didn't know much about James, and his work as co-founder of the Committee of Racial Equality (CORE).
ReplyDeleteReally good report. That's amazing that he went to college at the age of fourteen.
ReplyDelete