The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) is a prominent African American civil rights organization that played a crucial role in the American civil rights movement. The organization was founded in 1957 by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., along with other civil rights leaders, following the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The SCLC sought to harness the power of the black church and nonviolent resistance to combat institutional racism and segregation in the Southern United States.

The SCLC organized and led many of the most significant civil rights actions of the 1960s, including the Birmingham Campaign, the Selma to Montgomery marches, and the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Dr. King delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

The SCLC's strategy of nonviolent direct action, civil disobedience, and mobilizing grassroots support played a key role in advancing civil rights legislation and desegregation efforts in the United States. The organization continues to advocate for social justice and equality for African Americans and other marginalized communities to this day.