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Summary

In 1968, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) organized the Poor People’s Campaign, a multi-racial movement demanding federal action to end poverty and U.S. military intervention in Vietnam. Thousands of poor people camped on the Washington Mall in Resurrection City, engaging in lobbying, marches, and civil disobedience. Despite significant growth and visibility, the campaign failed to achieve its specific demands, and the encampment was forcibly cleared by police in July 1968.

Background

By 1967, legal barriers to racial equality had been struck down, but economic inequality persisted. The SCLC, led by Martin Luther King, Jr., decided to launch a campaign addressing poverty for all Americans and opposing the Vietnam War, with goals including jobs, income, land access, capital for the poor, and middle-class participation in government.

What happened

The campaign began on 29 April 1968 with a ‘Committee of 100’ lobbying federal agencies [source: nv-database]. In May, caravans of poor people traveled to Washington, D.C., and established Resurrection City on the Washington Mall, which grew to an estimated 7,000 residents [source: nv-database]. On 5 June, Senator Robert Kennedy was assassinated, dealing a severe blow to the campaign [source: nv-database]. Internal conflict arose when Ralph Abernathy removed Bayard Rustin on 7 June for advocating his own goals and omitting the demand to end the Vietnam War [source: nv-database]. Solidarity Day on 19 June drew about 50,000 people, but the next day a confrontation with police led to rock throwing and tear gas [source: nv-database]. Police cleared Resurrection City on 24 June after the permit expired, arresting Abernathy and others for a sit-in at the Capitol [source: nv-database]. A total of 288 participants were incarcerated for twenty days, ending the campaign on 13 July [source: nv-database].

Key people & organizations

  • Southern Christian Leadership Conference
  • Martin Luther King, Jr.
  • Ralph David Abernathy
  • Bayard Rustin
  • Coretta Scott King
  • Robert Kennedy
  • YMCA
  • A Quaker Action Group

Tactics used

The campaign combined lobbying, marches, and nonviolent occupation of public space to pressure the federal government, while civil disobedience and seeking imprisonment aimed to dramatize the plight of the poor. [source: nv-database]

Outcome

Verdict: lost.

The campaign achieved none of its six specific demands, scoring 0 out of 6 points for success [source: nv-database]. The assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy, internal conflicts, and a scandal over unpaid meals undermined the movement, leading to its forced dispersal without policy change.

Lessons

  • A campaign’s momentum can be severely disrupted by the loss of key leaders, so succession planning is critical.
  • Internal unity on goals and messaging is essential to maintain credibility and avoid public scandals.
  • Nonviolent occupation of symbolic space can attract significant attention but requires robust logistical support and clear rules to remain sustainable.

Sources

Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.

Sources & verification

  • nv-database — grounding: primary — license: link-only
  • Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via worker_casestudies_v2.py

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