Audio – The James Farmer Lectures

                  In this lecture, James Farmer discusses the causes of the American Civil Right Rights Movement. He credits the Movement’s creation and spread to the importance of television, World War II, Brown vs. The Board of Education, and the emergence of new nations in Africa. In addition, Farmer explains how the movement towards non-violence did not [...]

                  In this lecture, James Farmer explains the beginning of the nonviolence movement to end segregation in the United States. He explains his study of Thoreau, but more importantly Gandhi and Shridharani, whom Farmer read voraciously. Farmer also tells the story of his first sit-ins with his racially mixed non-violent group, Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). (To [...]

                  In this lecture, James Farmer explains the creation of the Freedom Rides, which strove to enforce the Supreme Court cases, Irene Morgan v. Commonwealth of Virginia (1946) and Boynton v. Virginia (1960) that desegregated interstate transportation. (To Download, right click link and ‘Save As’) James Farmer Third Reflection Transcript-PDF

                  In this lecture, James Farmer reflects on the beginning of the Freedom Ride journey from D.C. to Montgomery. He tells stories of no reaction to the rides in states, like Virginia and North Carolina, and other stories of violence in Alabama. At the end of the lecture, Farmer explains that Diane Nash and Student Nonviolent [...]

                  In this lecture, James Farmer discusses the life and legacy of Malcolm X. Farmer explains the Nation of Islam, which Malcolm X supported, and how it differed from the non-violent Civil Rights Movement. In addition, Farmer tells the story of his debate against Malcolm X at Cornell. (To Download, right click link and ‘Save As’) James Farmer [...]

                    In this lecture, James Farmer continues his discussion of Malcolm X. He tells the story of the American Nazi Party’s alliance with the Nation of Islam. In addition the American Nazi party asked Malcolm to join them in a protest against CORE, but he refused because “I’m not picketing any black brother who is fighting [...]

                    In this lecture, James Farmer explains the origins of the March on Washington, and how A. Philip Randolph directed the March. At the time of the March, Farmer was arrested due to his involvement in the Freedom Rides. He watched the March on Washington on a television set from jail. Farmer explains the collaboration of [...]

                    In this lecture, James Farmer continues the story of the march in Plaquemine, LA and his escape from a lynch mob. He explains how he barely escaped from the mob in a funeral hearse. He returned to Plaquemine the next day to turn himself into the local authorities; however, there was no warrant for his [...]

                    In this lecture, James Farmer discusses the summer of 1964, or Freedom Summer, and the push for voter education and voter registration in Mississippi. In addition, he explains the rise of the Civil Rights Movement, and how CORE and other similar organizations were beginning to grow in popularity. He describes the networking done to recruit [...]

                    In this lecture, James Farmer discusses the summer of 1964, Freedom Summer, when many excited, college student volunteers went down to Mississippi to help push voter registration and voter education. With the combined efforts of SNCC, CORE, SCLC, and NAACP, the Council of Federated Organizations was born to promote the civil rights effort. In addition, [...]

                    In this lecture, James Farmer discusses his multiple trips to Bogalusa, Louisiana.  Since he received multiple death threats, the state of Louisiana offered police protection to him. Farmer discusses how it was difficult for the black defense group, Deacons for Defense In Justice, to trust the police protection because of prior discrimination. One trip to Bogalusa involved [...]

                    In this lecture, James Farmer discusses the struggle for black activists’ identities. He explains how black Americans changed their names and standards of beauty. The search for identity was a positive force; however it had negative consequences, which were a hatred of whites and a split in the civil rights movement. Farmer states that 1966 [...]

                    In this lecture, James Farmer discusses what he considered to be a major step forward in the Civil Rights Movement. He created a proposal for federal funding towards education reform, which would decrease illiteracy across the country. It was created by the collaborative effort of the major civil rights leaders under the Center for Community [...]