Farmer, James

James Farmer Jr. (1920–1999) was a prominent American civil rights leader and co-founder of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). Born in Marshall, Texas, and educated at Wiley College and Howard University, Farmer was deeply influenced by nonviolent resistance and Gandhian philosophy. As national director of CORE, he played a central role in organizing the 1961 Freedom Rides, which challenged racial segregation in interstate transportation across the South. Farmer was a powerful orator and strategist whose work helped force the federal government to enforce desegregation laws. After leaving CORE, he served in the Nixon administration, taught at several universities, and remained an influential voice on civil rights, social justice, and nonviolence throughout his life. Farmer played an important role in the Englewood Movement attending meetings, marches and rallies. He credited the Englewood Movement with helping to inspire the Albany Movement in Albany Georgia. In 1961 Farmer also strongly criticized Englewood's Urban Renewal Plan as Urban Removal arguing that the City's "slum clearance" plan will reinforce segregation. 

This photograph is a work for hire created by one of the following staff photographers at U.S. News & World Report:
Warren K. Leffler (WKL)
Thomas J. O'Halloran (TOH)
Marion S. Trikosko (MST)
John Bledsoe (JTB)
Chick Harrity (CWH)

Library of Congress

Between 1952-1968