The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) is a prominent civil rights organization that played a key role in the American civil rights movement, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s. The organization was founded in 1957 by prominent African American civil rights leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rev. Ralph Abernathy, and Rev. Joseph Lowery.

The SCLC was instrumental in organizing and leading nonviolent protests and demonstrations to challenge segregation and racial discrimination in the southern United States. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. served as the organization's first president and became the face of the civil rights movement, advocating for racial equality, justice, and nonviolent resistance to oppression.

One of the SCLC's most famous campaigns was the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, which was led by Dr. King and initiated a wave of protests and activism that would define the civil rights movement. The organization also played a significant role in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, where Dr. King delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech.

The SCLC's commitment to nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience helped to bring national and international attention to the plight of African Americans in the United States and contributed to the passage of landmark civil rights legislation, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Although the SCLC's influence declined in the years following Dr. King's assassination in 1968, the organization continues to advocate for social justice, equality, and human rights to this day. The SCLC remains an important part of the ongoing struggle for civil rights and racial equality in America.