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The luncheon, commemorating the slain Civil Rights leader, will begin at noon in the Student Center Ballroom on Wayne State’s main campus in Detroit. Space is limited and reservations are required. Tables of eight are available for $200 and individual tickets are $25 each. For more information and reservations, call (313) 577-5284.
As a minister, educator, and community organizer, Cordy Tindell (C. T.) Vivian has been a tenacious advocate for civil rights since the 1940s. After joining the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in the early 1960s, he developed a close relationship with Martin Luther King, Jr. and became a trusted leader within the organization.
Vivian, born in 1924 in Boonville County, Mo., moved with his family to Macomb, Ill., when he was six years old. After graduating from Macomb High School in 1942, he enrolled at Western Illinois University earning a bachelor’s degree in history. While working as a community recreation director in Peoria, Ill., Vivian participated in a successful lunch counter sit-in in 1947.
In 1959, Vivian moved to Nashville, Tenn., to study for the ministry at American Baptist College. During this period, he became acquainted with James Lawson and the nonviolent direct action strategies of the Nashville Student Movement. In early 1960, Vivian joined Diane Nash, James Forman, John Lewis and other students from local universities as they staged sit-ins and other nonviolent protests throughout the city. In 1961, Vivian was among the 10 Nashville students who replaced injured Freedom Ride participants.
As Vivian grew in stature as a civil rights leader, he became actively involved with the SCLC. At King’s request, Vivian organized a Tennessee contingent to go to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Later in 1963, King invited Vivian to join the executive staff of the SCLC as the director of affiliates. In this capacity, Vivian coordinated the activities of local civil rights groups nationwide. He also advised King and organized demonstrations during campaigns in Birmingham, St. Augustine and Selma.
In 1966, Vivian left the SCLC and moved to Chicago to direct the Urban Training Center for Christian Mission and the Coalition for United Community Action. He later founded the Black Strategies and Information Center, the National Center for Human Rights Education and the Center for Democratic Renewal, formerly the National Anti-Klan Network. In 2001, Vivian spoke at the United Nations World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa.
Vivian has been featured as an activist and an analyst in the civil rights documentary, "Eyes on the Prize," and has been featured in a PBS special, "The Healing Ministry of Dr. C. T. Vivian." He has made numerous appearances on "Oprah" as well as the "Montel Williams Show" and "Donahue." He is the focus of the biography, “Challenge and Change” by Lydia Walker and he is author of “Black Power and the American Myth,” which was an Ebony Book Club Selection.
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