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SRC-9 Ed Brown 13 pages -Open July 1, 2002
Pages 1-5: Brown describes how he became involved with the Southern Regional Council (SRC). Brown was working with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) which was funded, in part, but the SRC. Brown explains how the SRC provided a place for both whites and blacks to go to for support for the terror associated with voter registration in the South. Brown explains that he felt the SRC became increasingly uneasy around 1965 with working with African Americans in leadership. Brown goes on to describe the SRCs relationship to the Kennedy and Johnson administrations as well as their own political agenda. The blacks were the largest population in the South that did not vote for Kennedy. The Kennedy administration and the SRC began working together in the 1960s to gain influence for his party. SRCs political agenda was to see gradual change.
Pages 6-8: Brown discusses how he felt the SRC was, in part, was reactive rather than proactive. He felt it was reactive as far as the civil rights movement was concerned. Brown describes how the civil rights movement came about. According to Brown, it was a movement begun by African Americans. Brown tells how he felt the SRC could have done more than it did, along with many other people. Eventually, the SRC fell into the socioeconomic focus. It resulted in lessening conflict between the civil rights groups and the SRC. Brown describes George Esser as a major figure in SRC. Esser was able to transform SRCs more traditional role to a more expansive role. Brown also describes Vernon Jordan. Jordan was able to separate the voting issue from other activities. Brown referred to Jordan as Mr. Voter Education.
Pages 9-13: Brown explains how he was tricked into running the Voter Education Project (VEP). Clarence Coleman came to run VEP and asked Brown to be on staff. Soon after, Coleman decided to retire and Brown was pushed into running the VEP. Brown explains how the dynamics of the VEP had changed at this point. Brown goes on to explain how the roles of women and blacks in the organization had changed into the early 1980s. Brown describes the VEP as one of the most historically significant movements. Brown sums up the strengths and weaknesses of the SRC he saw while he was involved with them.