Black ministers led by Martin Luther King Jr. convene in Atlanta to found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
At a Glance
- Date
- 10 January 1957
- Location
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Key people
- Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph Abernathy, Ella Baker
- Category
- Organizations & Institutions
- Source
- SCLC founding records (1957) · Stanford King Institute
What It Meant Then
It gave the movement a regional organizing base rooted in the Black church.
What It Means Now
The SCLC coordinated many of the era's defining campaigns.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “The SCLC Is Founded.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-sclc-is-founded/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). The SCLC Is Founded. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-sclc-is-founded/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “The SCLC Is Founded.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-sclc-is-founded/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.