"Nonviolent direct action is not a search for middle ground or a passive acceptance of injustice. It is a method of direct confrontation that uses the moral strength of the individual to expose the violence and illegitimacy of segregation. We do not seek to hate our oppressors, but we refuse to cooperate with their system of oppression."
— James Lawson, address at the founding conference of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), 1960
Based on the excerpt, which of the following statements best explains how the strategy of nonviolent direct action was intended to achieve social change?
- It was an active, confrontational method of disrupting daily routines to compel negotiation and systemic reform.Answer
- BIt was a passive strategy that relied on quietly enduring abuse in order to win the moral sympathy of segregationists without causing social tension.
- CIt was a cautious approach that prioritized avoiding public confrontations in favor of private legislative lobbying and courtroom litigation.
- DIt was a policy of strategic submission that accepted segregation laws in the short term to maintain public order.
Answer
Nonviolent direct action was intended as an active, confrontational method of disrupting daily routines to compel negotiation and systemic reform.
The correct answer is correct because James Lawson explicitly characterizes nonviolent direct action as a 'method of direct confrontation' rather than 'passive acceptance.' Tactics like sit-ins and boycotts were active disruptions intended to make segregation unworkable and force political negotiation.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Civil Rights Strategies: Nonviolence vs. Self-Defense