Young African-Americans played a big role in the history of the Civil Rights Movement. One incident was in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963. Led by Martin Luther King, Jr., the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) came to desegregate Birmingham in 1963. After an initial surge of activity involving numerous protests and arrests, the movement stalled. The SCLC leadership decided that the best way to regain the momentum was to involve young people. This strategy would be less disruptive to Black families, since parents could continue working while young Blacks served the necessary jail time. High school, junior high and even elementary school students were recruited to march out of school and be arrested.
