Randolph Blackwell
Encyclopedia
Randolph T. Blackwell was a veteran of the African-American civil rights movement, serving in Martin Luther King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference
, amongst other organizations. Coretta Scott King
described him as an "unsung giant" of nonviolent social change.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Blackwell's father was active in Marcus Garvey
's United Negro Improvement Association; Randolph attended association meetings with his father, and visited the prison where Garvey was held. In 1943, inspired by hearing Ella Baker
speak, he founded a youth chapter of the NAACP in Greensboro. As a student in sociology
at North Carolina A & T University (from which he graduated in 1949) he made an unsuccessful run for the state assembly. He earned a law degree from Howard University
in 1953, took an assistant professorship at Winston-Salem Teacher’s College
and then became an associate professor in 1954 at Alabama A & M College
, where he taught government.
While at Alabama A & M, Blackwell became a leader of the 1962 student sit-in
s in nearby Huntsville, Alabama
. He left academia in 1963 and became a field director in the Voter Education Project
, an organization that promoted voter registration
among blacks in the South. In March 1963, while attempting to register black voters in Greenwood, Mississippi
with Robert Parris Moses
and Jimmy Travis of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
, the car they were driving was fired on. Blackwell and Moses escaped injury but Travis was shot and hospitalized; the shooting brought national media attention to the struggle in the south, energized the civil rights movement, and forced the Kennedy administration to investigate. Blackwell became the program director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
in 1964, but after a disagreement with Hosea Williams
, he left the organization in 1966 and became the director of Southern Rural Action, an anti-poverty organization in the Deep South
.
From 1977 to 1979, in the presidency of Jimmy Carter
, Blackwell was director of the Office of Minority Business Enterprise
in the U.S. Department of Commerce, but was beset there by charges of mismanagement.
In 1976 he was given the Martin Luther King, Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize, and in 1978 the National Bar Association
gave him their Equal Justice Award.
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is an African-American civil rights organization. SCLC was closely associated with its first president, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr...
, amongst other organizations. Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott King was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader. The widow of Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King helped lead the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.Mrs...
described him as an "unsung giant" of nonviolent social change.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Blackwell's father was active in Marcus Garvey
Marcus Garvey
Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr., ONH was a Jamaican publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator who was a staunch proponent of the Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism movements, to which end he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League...
's United Negro Improvement Association; Randolph attended association meetings with his father, and visited the prison where Garvey was held. In 1943, inspired by hearing Ella Baker
Ella Baker
Ella Josephine Baker was an African American civil rights and human rights activist beginning in the 1930s....
speak, he founded a youth chapter of the NAACP in Greensboro. As a student in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
at North Carolina A & T University (from which he graduated in 1949) he made an unsuccessful run for the state assembly. He earned a law degree from Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
in 1953, took an assistant professorship at Winston-Salem Teacher’s College
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University , a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina, is a historically black public research university located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. It is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.Winston-Salem State has been...
and then became an associate professor in 1954 at Alabama A & M College
Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University
Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, also known as Alabama A&M University or AAMU, is a public, historically black university, Land-grant university located in Normal, Madison County, Alabama....
, where he taught government.
While at Alabama A & M, Blackwell became a leader of the 1962 student sit-in
Sit-in
A sit-in or sit-down is a form of protest that involves occupying seats or sitting down on the floor of an establishment.-Process:In a sit-in, protesters remain until they are evicted, usually by force, or arrested, or until their requests have been met...
s in nearby Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
. He left academia in 1963 and became a field director in the Voter Education Project
Voter Education Project
From 1962 to 1968, the Voter Education Project raised and distributed foundation funds to civil rights organizations for voter education and registration work in the American South...
, an organization that promoted voter registration
Voter registration
Voter registration is the requirement in some democracies for citizens and residents to check in with some central registry specifically for the purpose of being allowed to vote in elections. An effort to get people to register is known as a voter registration drive.-Centralized/compulsory vs...
among blacks in the South. In March 1963, while attempting to register black voters in Greenwood, Mississippi
Greenwood, Mississippi
Greenwood is a city in and the county seat of Leflore County, Mississippi, United States, located at the eastern edge of the Mississippi Delta approximately 96 miles north of Jackson, Mississippi, and 130 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. The population was 15,205 at the 2010 census. It is the...
with Robert Parris Moses
Robert Parris Moses
Robert Parris Moses is an American, Harvard-trained educator who was a leader in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement and later founded the nationwide U.S. Algebra project.-Biography:...
and Jimmy Travis of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee ' was one of the principal organizations of the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. It emerged from a series of student meetings led by Ella Baker held at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina in April 1960...
, the car they were driving was fired on. Blackwell and Moses escaped injury but Travis was shot and hospitalized; the shooting brought national media attention to the struggle in the south, energized the civil rights movement, and forced the Kennedy administration to investigate. Blackwell became the program director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is an African-American civil rights organization. SCLC was closely associated with its first president, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr...
in 1964, but after a disagreement with Hosea Williams
Hosea Williams
Hosea Lorenzo Williams was a United States civil rights leader, ordained minister, businessman, philanthropist, scientist and politician...
, he left the organization in 1966 and became the director of Southern Rural Action, an anti-poverty organization in the Deep South
Deep South
The Deep South is a descriptive category of the cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. Historically, it is differentiated from the "Upper South" as being the states which were most dependent on plantation type agriculture during the pre-Civil War period...
.
From 1977 to 1979, in the presidency of Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
, Blackwell was director of the Office of Minority Business Enterprise
Minority Business Development Agency
The Minority Business Development Agency is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that promotes growth and competitiveness of the United States' minority-owned businesses. The current National Director is David A...
in the U.S. Department of Commerce, but was beset there by charges of mismanagement.
In 1976 he was given the Martin Luther King, Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize, and in 1978 the National Bar Association
National Bar Association
The National Bar Association was established in 1925 as the "Negro Bar Association" after Gertrude Rush, George H. Woodson, S. Joe Brown, James B. Morris, and Charles P. Howard, Sr. were denied membership in the American Bar Association. It represents the interests of African-American attorneys in...
gave him their Equal Justice Award.