Civil Rights from Macomb to Peoria to Nashville: Reverend Cordy Tindell (C.T.) Vivian and the Communities that Cultivated His Growth as a Prominent Civil Rights Activist

This thesis examines the context in which civil rights activist Cordy Tindell (C.T.) Vivian lived his early life and addresses how Vivian's formative years in west central Illinois helped mold him into the civil rights activist and man of faith that he became. The thesis also explores the transformation Vivian experienced as he progressed from being a young black man living in a small town in west central Illinois to an established pastor and influential member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Nashville. Evidence demonstrates that Vivian's experiences in Macomb and Peoria shaped his perspectives regarding civil rights and influenced his later actions as a minister and civil rights activist.;There are many questions this thesis addresses. For example, what was it like for Vivian to grow up in a small, rural Illinois town? How did Vivian's childhood and adolescent experiences shape his political and religious beliefs? And regarding Vivian's years in Peoria, what provoked residents to practice the sit-in tactic in 1945? What type of planning and organization went into the sit-ins and how did their outcome impact Vivian's perspectives regarding civil rights activism? When Vivian moved to Nashville he already had been involved in civil rights protest. Did his experiences in Peoria enhance his ability to lead the Nashville sit-ins? And how did the other activists in Nashville influence Vivian's philosophy regarding civil rights?;Along with secondary scholarship on the civil rights movement, a number of primary sources have been used to answer these questions. Newspaper articles from the Macomb Journal, Peoria Journal Star, and Chicago Defender were useful. I also relied heavily on the recorded words of Vivian himself. In many taped interviews Vivian detailed his life experiences growing up in Macomb and Peoria. The Peoria Historical Society and Peoria Journal Star conducted interviews with Vivian that were used and are now housed at the Bradley University Special Collections. The National Visionary Leadership Project also interviewed Vivian about his experiences growing up on a farm, facing racism for the first time, and attending college in Illinois. I also used interviews that were available through Washington University at St. Louis's Eyes on the Prize project.;Historical analyses of Vivian and the racial environment of which he was a product initiate debate regarding how civil rights activists acquired the desire and the courage to be activists. Vivian's case demonstrates that for some men and women a combination of factors precipitated the decision to become an activist. Vivian garnered a sense of empowerment from his mother and grandmother at a young age. He was also motivated by a discontent with segregation and discrimination. Vivian's fiery personality, education, and sense of self-worth contributed to his later course of activism. However, Vivian was also affected by the internal forces that stemmed from his love for and belief in God. When Vivian devoted his life to God, he fully embraced his commitment to equality through nonviolent means. Vivian wanted to help blacks achieve a higher living standard and gain more social, political, and economic opportunities. He believed the best way to change society was to strive to bring out the best in all Americans. He also upheld that in order to eliminate racial injustice, a transformation in people must ultimately take place.