Robert Powell Oral History

Robert Powell was recommended to me by another 2021 oral history subject, activist and author Maria Gitin (2021.001.0055). Gitin worked alongside Powell during the SCOPE project in 1965, and she writes about him in her book, This Bright Light of Ours: Stories from the Voting Rights Fight (2014). Ms. Gitin's oral history may be viewed in full here in our collections database or on the Museum's YouTube channel: Voices From the Civil Rights Movement: Maria Gitin - YouTube. It was a great pleasure to include Mr. Powell's perspective in the project as well. We value recommendations and referrals from past interview participants since it frequently allows us to view the same historical event from an entirely different point of view. -- Stephen Fagin, Curator

The Summer Community Organizing and Political Education (SCOPE) project of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was an ambitious undertaking in the summer of 1965 in preparation of passage of the Voting Rights Act in August 1965. Hundreds of predominantly white college students were recruited to travel to six southern states to coordinate with community groups, promote voter registration, and document voter suppression. An extensive digitized collection of primary source materials, including orientation brochures, reading lists and press materials may be found here: Civil Rights Movement -- SCLC/SCOPE Project (crmvet.org). The Museum has been honored to record oral histories with several activists who took part in the 1965 SCOPE project. -- Stephen Fagin, Curator