<I>Rev. Bernard Lafayette Oral History Interview</I>
date: label: Date
content: July 23, 2018
name: label: Created by
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture, American, founded 2003
label: Interview of
content: Rev. Dr. Bernard Lafayette Jr., American, born 1940
label: Interview of
content: Kate Bulls Lafayette, American
label: Interviewed by
content: Kelly Elaine Navies, American
label: Recorded by
content: Kim Moir, American
label: Subject of
content: Poor People's Campaign, American, 1967 - 1968
label: Subject of
content: Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, American, 1960 - 1970s
label: Subject of
content: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., American, 1929 - 1968
label: Subject of
content: John Lewis, American, 1940 - 2020
label: Subject of
content: Marian Wright Edelman, American, born 1939
label: Subject of
content: Southern Christian Leadership Conference, American, founded 1957
label: Subject of
content: James Lawson Jr., American, 1928 - 2024
notes: label: Description
content: An oral history consisting of a single digital video recording (2018.78.10.1). It was collected as part of the Poor People’s Campaign Interviews.
label: Description
content: In this interview, Dr. Bernard Lafayette, a veteran civil rights activist and nonviolence educator, discusses how he became involved in the Civil Rights Movement; his work with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC); and his lifelong commitment to social justice activism and nonviolent direct action.
label: Description
content: Dr. Lafayette begins the interview by reflecting on his upbringing and family life in Tampa, Florida, and the early experiences that led him toward his lifelong commitment to social activism. He then discusses his experiences in Nashville while at the American Baptist Theological Seminary and his work with SNCC. Dr. Lafayette explains how he became involved with the SCLC and discusses his role in the planning of the Poor People’s Campaign. He also recounts his final meetings with Dr. King the night before, and morning of his assassination and talks about the predicament of SCLC following King’s death. Dr. Lafayette then turns to a discussion of the Poor Peoples Campaign itself and talks about the role of music in the movement, the organization of the Campaign, and the achievements of the Campaign. Dr. Lafayette concludes with a discussion of the current Poor People’s Campaign and how he has carried on the work through his continued activism and nonviolence trainings.
label: Description
content: The interview also contains a brief follow-up interview with Kate Bulls Lafayette about her role in the creation and operation of the Coretta Scott Daycare Center at Resurrection City.
place: label: Place collected
content: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
label: Place depicted
content: Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, United States, North and Central America
label: Place collected
content: Selma, Dallas County, Alabama, United States, North and Central America
label: Place depicted
content: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Activism
label: Topic
content: Civil Rights
label: Topic
content: Humanitarianism
label: Topic
content: Justice
label: Topic
content: Labor
label: Topic
content: Politics
label: Topic
content: Poverty
label: Topic
content: Race relations
label: Topic
content: Religion
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, 1961-1969
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: Poor People’s Campaign Oral Histories
label: Classification
content: Time-based Media - Moving Images
label: Movement
content: Civil Rights Movement
label: Movement
content: African American - Latinx Solidarity
label: Movement
content: Freedom Riders
label: Movement
content: Poor People's Campaign
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2018.78.10.1
objectType: label: Type
content: video recordings
label: Type
content: oral histories
label: Type
content: digital media - born digital
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: © Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: digital
label: Dimensions
content: Duration: 02:10:23
label: Dimensions
content: 37.53 GB