What was the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) primarily focused on?

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was primarily focused on utilizing the moral authority and organizational capacity of Black churches to engage in nonviolent activism. Founded in 1957, the SCLC played a crucial role in the Civil Rights Movement by promoting civil disobedience and peaceful protests in order to combat racial segregation and injustice. Leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. emphasized the combination of faith and social activism, advocating for civil rights through methods like marches, boycotts, and other forms of nonviolent resistance.

The organization's strategy was rooted in the belief that the principles of nonviolence, inspired by figures like Mahatma Gandhi, could effectively challenge and change systemic racism in American society. This focus on moral and spiritual leadership distinguished the SCLC's approach from more militant organizations, reinforcing the importance of faith communities in the struggle for civil rights.

Other options, while relevant to broader civil rights themes, do not encapsulate the main mission and activities of the SCLC. The organization did not primarily focus on economic development, armed resistance, or the establishment of political parties, which represented different strategies within the larger spectrum of civil rights activism.