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📌 Additional Course Information
Class Breakdown
Class 1 – Foundations of Nonviolence
Students will explore the goals and rationale behind the philosophy of nonviolence as advocated by Civil Rights leaders and organizations, including James Lawson, Martin Luther King Jr., Diane Nash, Bayard Rustin, John Lewis, Ella Baker, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).
Class 2 – Strategy in Action: Nashville Student Protests
Learners will examine the overall strategy of nonviolence by studying how it was applied during the Nashville student sit-ins to end segregation.
Class 3 – Direct Action Tactics
This session focuses on the tactics of nonviolent direct action used at various points throughout the Civil Rights Movement. By the end of the first three classes, students will understand how individuals and groups applied the philosophy of nonviolence and how these lessons can inform contemporary struggles against violence and injustice.
Class 4 – Comparing Nonviolence with Other Approaches
In the final class, students will compare the nonviolent model of advocacy with other forms of protest, including those advocated by leaders such as Malcolm X. They will analyze the effectiveness and challenges of different models of civil action and develop a framework for critically evaluating which forms of protest may be most effective in specific circumstances.
Course Goals
By the end of the course, students will:
Understand the philosophy of nonviolence
Recognize how nonviolence was put into practice
Explore how nonviolence shaped key moments in the Civil Rights Movement
Consider how nonviolence can inform contemporary struggles against injustice
Compare and contrast nonviolent movements with other forms of protest
Teaching Approach
Learners will be engaged through:
Discussion and debate
Focused lectures supported by primary source materials
Audio-visual aids to bring historical moments to life