What was the main purpose of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)?

• A. To promote economic development
• B. To coordinate youth activism in the Civil Rights Movement
• C. To provide legal assistance to activists
• D. To support African American military service members

Answer: (B)

The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was founded primarily to engage and organize young people in the Civil Rights Movement, making the coordination of youth activism its main purpose. Established in 1960, it emerged from the sit-in movement, which was a form of nonviolent protest against racial segregation in public places, particularly lunch counters.

The committee served as a platform for young activists to strategize, mobilize, and enact change through various forms of protest and civil disobedience. SNCC provided the youth with an organized structure to advocate for civil rights, facilitating their involvement in significant activities, such as voter registration drives and protests. This focus on youth activism was crucial in energizing the movement and ensuring the participation of younger generations in demanding equality and social justice.

The other options, while related to aspects of support and activism within the broader civil rights context, do not encapsulate the central mission and vision of SNCC as effectively as the correct answer does.