Box 5

Abstract

James Forman was an important figure in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, serving as Executive Secretary of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) between 1961-1966, and a life-long intellectual and activist. This collection includes copies of Forman's published works, FBI files Forman obtained through FOIA requests, and A/V materials documenting Forman's activism in the 1980s-1990s.

Scope and Contents In the summer of 1961, when Forman joined SNCC, the FBI opened an investigation of Forman which continued through the 1970s. Forman was able to obtain copies of FBI files kept on him and other subjects through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. There are files on Forman, SNCC, the “Black Manifesto,” and Black Nationalism. Forman also collected files on 20th century organized crime leaders and right wing Zionist organizations and figures for his own research. All files were redacted...

Scope and Contents

In 1969, Forman aligned with the National Black Economic Development Conference (BEDC), and issued the “Black Manifesto,” which demanded 500 million dollars from Christian and Jewish groups in the United States as reparations for the slave trade. The FBI opened investigations against Forman and BEDC under offense codes for extortion, racketeering and civil unrest.