Morris, Aldon, Origins of the Civil Rights Movement. Free Press, 1986.

== Summary ==
Morris’
book looks at the origins of the movement during what he sees as the crucial first decade, 1953-1963. He focuses on
this decade to provide an in-depth analysis, but contrary to the more recent
long-civil rights movement thesis, he sees the movement beginning in 1950 and
lasting to 1970. Morris does write: “The modern civil rights movement rest solidly
into this rich tradition of protest,” such as the slave revolts, the Garvey
movement, and the March on Washington Movement. However, he argues that the
modern civil rights movement was distinct because it was the “first time large
masses of blacks directly confronted and effectively disrupted the normal
function of groups and institutions” and secondly blacks adopted “nonviolent
tactics as a mass technique for bringing about social change.” (xi) In the case
of the modern civil rights movement, Morris contends that the indigenous base
was “the basic funding patterns, social resources, and organized masses are
concentrated and activated for protest.” (xii) Black community members thus
used accessible resources to accomplish political ends. The internal organization
of the community was the “critical factor that enabled the movement to gather
momentum and endure in the face of state power and widespread repression.”
(xii) The communication networks between different organizations (SCLC,
Highlander, SCEF, FOR, and SNCC) enabled community members to spread such
tactics as the sit-in. The movement provided the black community with concrete
organization and tactical models to use against racial suppression. It also
served as a training ground for many activists that would play key roles in the
women movement and the student movement. Thus, it was the indigenous
leadership, grassroots organizing of churches and organizations that made the
CRM successful.