12 Jan BLACK IN TIME: A Moment In Our History

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B<b>James Farmer, Jr.
</b><p style="text-align:left"><b><img src="http://www.crmvet.org/crmpics/band/farmerj.jpg"/></b></p>
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Civil Rights Activist, James Leonard Farmer, Jr. Was Born January 2, 1920,
In Marshall, Texas.

Known As One Of The Civil Rights Movement's "<i>Big 4</i>," -- Along With <i>Martin Luther King, Jr.</i>, <i>Roy Wilkins</i> (Chief Of The <i>NAACP</i>) And <i>Whitney Young</i>( <i>Urban League</i> Head) -- Farmer Co-Founded The <i>Congress Of Racial Equality</i> (<i>CORE</i>) In 1942, And Played A Major Role In Charting the Course Of The Struggle For Black Civil Rights During The 1950's And 1960's.

<i>CORE</i> Sought To Bring An End To Racial Segregation In America Through Active Nonviolence (Ghandian Philosophy). Farmer Was The Organization's First Leader, Serving As the National Chairman From 1942 To 1944.

With Farmer As A Key Strategist, <i>CORE</i> Led <i>Freedom Rides</i> In 1961. It Was A Nonviolent Initiative To Desegregate Interstate Buses And Terminals, But Participants Did Encounter Violence.

He Also Helped Recruit <i>CORE</i> Members, <i>James Chaney</i>, <i>Andrew</i> <i>Goodman</i> and <i>Michael Schwerner</i> Who Were Murdered In Mississippi During The Freedom Rides.

Farmer Resigned From <i>CORE</i> In 1966 To Teach At <i>Lincoln University</i> And <i>New York University.
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President Bill Clinton Awarded Him The <i>Presidential Medal of Freedom</i> in 1998.

James L. Farmer Jr. Was A Kind Of Child Prodigy. At The Age of 14, He Was Attending <i>Wiley College</i> And Was On The Debate Team. This Has Been Portrayed In The 2007 Film, <i>The Great Debaters</i>, Directed By And Starring <i>Denzel Washington</i>.

Farmer Died July 9, 1999 Of Complications From Diabetes. He Was 79.

"<i>In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Brearthe Life Into It.</i>" -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
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