Rev. Bernard Lafayette Oral History Interview: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

An oral history consisting of a single digital video recording (2018.78.10.1). It was collected as part of the Poor People’s Campaign Interviews.

In this interview, Dr. Bernard Lafayette, a veteran civil rights activist and nonviolence educator, discusses how he became involved in the Civil Rights Movement; his work with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC); and his lifelong commitment to social justice activism and nonviolent direct action.

Dr. Lafayette begins the interview by reflecting on his upbringing and family life in Tampa, Florida, and the early experiences that led him toward his lifelong commitment to social activism. He then discusses his experiences in Nashville while at the American Baptist Theological Seminary and his work with SNCC. Dr. Lafayette explains how he became involved with the SCLC and discusses his role in the planning of the Poor People’s Campaign. He also recounts his final meetings with Dr. King the night before, and morning of his assassination and talks about the predicament of SCLC following King’s death. Dr. Lafayette then turns to a discussion of the Poor Peoples Campaign itself and talks about the role of music in the movement, the organization of the Campaign, and the achievements of the Campaign. Dr. Lafayette concludes with a discussion of the current Poor People’s Campaign and how he has carried on the work through his continued activism and nonviolence trainings.

The interview also contains a brief follow-up interview with Kate Bulls Lafayette about her role in the creation and operation of the Coretta Scott Daycare Center at Resurrection City.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: July 23, 2018
• Created by: National Museum of African American History and Culture, American, founded 2003
• Interview of: Rev. Dr. Bernard Lafayette Jr., American, born 1940
• Interview of: Kate Bulls Lafayette, American
• Interviewed by: Kelly Elaine Navies, American
• Recorded by: Chronicle Vision, American
• Subject of: Poor People's Campaign, American, 1967 - 1968
• Subject of: Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, American, 1960 - 1970s
• Subject of: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., American, 1929 - 1968
• Type: video recordings
• Type: oral histories
• Type: digital media - born digital
• Medium: digital
• Dimensions: Duration: 02:10:23
• Dimensions: 37.53 GB
• Place collected: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, United States, North and Central America
• Place collected: Selma, Dallas County, Alabama, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Activism
• Topic: Civil Rights
• Topic: Humanitarianism
• Topic: Justice
• Topic: Labor
• Topic: Politics
• Topic: Poverty
• Object number: 2018.78.10.1
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.