Memphis was the site of one of the longest running and most consequential church kneel-in campaigns of the 1960s. From March 1964 to January 1965 racially mixed groups of young people attempted unsuccessfully to enter Second Presbyterian Church for worship. Resistance to their efforts led to national media coverage, pressure on administrators at the local church-related college where many of the protestors were enrolled, a denominational decision to move the site of the 1965 General Assembly, and a church split. This presentation tells the story of the Memphis kneel-ins based on contemporary press reports, church documents, and interviews with those involved.
