James Forman, like many of the SNCC field staff, was a powerful stump speaker. Here he works the crowd at the Danville, Virginia mass meeting. An hour later he will be searched by police holding shotguns and automatic weapons

When local peaceful protests against segregation were met with harsh repression and violence, national organizations sent state and national leaders to their aid. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) sent its executive secretary James Forman (1928-2005), who wa...