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Civil rights leader speaks to CCSU history class

Rev. C.T. Vivian, civil rights leader and longtime Southern Christian Leadership Conference supporter, spoke recently to Clayton State students in Dr. Kathryn Kemp’s “Minorities in American History” course.

“If you want to come to an understanding of Black history,” said Vivian, “you must know the strategies that led us to this thing we call freedom, which, to this day, has not been fully realized.”

Detailing the obstacles faced by African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement, Vivian shared his own contribution to the struggle for freedom, including the time he was punched in the mouth while practicing Martin Luther King’s doctrine of nonviolence. He required 11 stitches.

In addition to explaining the strategies used to pursue African American rights, Vivian dedicated a large portion of his message to the subject of “changing the human condition” not only for African Americans, but also for all Americans.

“It’s not about being black and being free; it’s about being a nation and being free,” said Vivian. “We all go back to the same source.”

After the lecture, Vivian opened the floor to the students for a question and answer session. Some of the topics discussed: Bill Cosby’s tour across America and the ongoing issue of racism in public schools.

Concerned with the “cancer of racism” still evident in the United States, Vivian charged the students with an important responsibility, calling them to be the bearers of freedom.

“You are the first freedom generation,” said Vivian as he glanced at his granddaughter, a Clayton State student enrolled in the history course. “You are the first group that can change things in this world, so get it, baby, get it!”

A much-celebrated civil rights participant, Vivian used non-violence to end segregated lunch counters in Peoria and later organized the first sit-ins and civil rights march in Nashville. He worked closely with Martin Luther King for many years, riding the Freedom Bus, participating in the March on Washington and serving on King’s executive staff in Birmingham, Selma, Chicago, and Nashville.

Vivian has held positions with the Southern Organizing Committee Education Fund, the SCLC, the Black Action Strategies and Information Center (BASIC), and the Center for Democratic Renewal. He continues to be a voice for civil rights across the country and around the globe.