SNCC 60th

The violent resistance to change that they witnessed — the desperate efforts of white supremacists to recoup any loss at the voting booth, by hook or crook — provided a lens through which they have viewed the nation’s ongoing racial struggles ever since.

“When I saw that man strolling through the Capitol on January 6, waving that oversized Confederate flag, I was not surprised,” said Joyce Ladner, now 77, and a longtime resident of the District. “That is what they have been trying to do since the start of the Civil War…

…reestablish white supremacy as a founding principle of the nation.” In a quest to better understand the nature of racism, Joyce Ladner stepped back from SNCC’s grass-roots efforts to pursue a doctorate in sociology.

The Ladners’ mother had been a homemaker and she implored her daughters to get an education. In studying sociology, Joyce believed she could honor her mother’s wishes while also advancing the cause of civil rights…

…by devising policies and programs that would help ameliorate the impact of racism. She went on to become a noted sociologist and, from 1994 to 1995, served as interim president of Howard University (@HowardU).

Still, she said looking back on those years, “I felt guilty leaving Dorie on the front lines.” But that’s where Dorie Ladner wanted to be. “I didn’t think you could get a better education than being on the front lines with SNCC,” she said.