s was the first truly successful protest by blacks. African Americans across America saw the power which they possessed and were inspired by the incident. At the time, young minister named Martin Luther King, Jr. was president of the Montgomery Improvement Association, the organization that directed the boycott. The successful protest made King a national figure, as he was the main figure behind the boycott. His charismatic appeals to Christian brotherhood and American idealism created a positive impression on black and white people both inside and outside the South. King became the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference when it was founded in 1957. The SCLC, like the NAACP advocated non-violent, peaceful protests. These activities included marches, demonstrations, and boycotts. Many times whites responded to their protests with violence. This violent white response to direct black action eventually forced the federal government to confront the issues of injustice and racism in the South. King not only appealed to Blacks, but also to many Northern, white liberals. His promotion of nonviolence attracted supporters among peace activists. King had alliances in the American Jewish community and developed strong ties to the ministers of wealthy, influential Protestant congregations in the North. King would preach to them and they would donate money to the SCLC. Sit Ins On February 1, 1960 four black college students began protesting racial segregation in restaurants by sitting at "white-only" lunch counters and waiting to be served. Soon the sit-ins spread throughout North Carolina, and within weeks they were taking place in cities across the South. Many restaurants were desegregated. The sit-in movement showed to America that blacks of all ages were willing to openly oppose segregation In April 1960 the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was founded. It was created to help organize and direct the student sit-in mov...
