February Resource of the Month - FBI Surveillance of James Forman and SNCC
Photograph From Gale Archives Unbound
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In recognition of Black History Month and the sacrifices and contributions made in the fight for equality, the February resource of the month is FBI Surveillance of James Forman and the SNCC. James Forman, a Chicago native, was a civil rights activist and organizer. From 1964 – 1966 he served as the executive secretary for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). As the executive secretary of the SNCC, James Forman coordinated the group’s projects, organized fundraising, and communicated with the media “to make sure that SNCC could function where it was needed most.” (SNCC Digital Gateway, SNCC Staff – James Forman). James Forman developed the SNCC Communications Department to “counteract the implicit racism of the national media...” in reporting civil rights activism. According to the SNCC Digital Gateway, the Communications Department was also instrumental in mobilizing national networks that could protect volunteers in the field who “were at the mercy of local power structures and an antagonistic FBI...” (SNCC Digital Gateway, SNCC National Office, Communications Department). James Forman was also a prolific writer and authored many books on the civil rights movement and Black revolutionary theory.
What is FBI Surveillance of James Forman and SNCC?
This collection of FBI reports comprises the Bureau’s investigative and surveillance efforts primarily during the 1961 – 1976 period, when James Forman was perceived as a threat to the internal security of the United States. The collected materials also include Forman's involvement with the "Black Manifesto" and the Bureau's "COINTELPRO" investigations into "Black Nationalist - Hate Groups / Internal Security," which include information on the activities of SNCC. These materials were collected as a result of multiple FOIA requests filed by James Forman.
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