HIGHLANDER RESEARCH & EDUCATION CENTER
Highlander serves as a catalyst for grassroots organizing and movement building in Appalachia and the South. Highlander serves as a catalyst for grassroots organizing and movement building in Appalachia and the South. Please Note! We are not hosting any visits to the Hill at this time.
Highlander Research and Education Center
Overview
The Highlander Research and Education Center is a prominent nonprofit organization in the United States, dedicated to promoting social, economic, and political equality through education and activism. Its origins trace back to the Highlander Folk School, which was founded in 1932 by Myles Horton, Don West, and James A. Dombrowski.
History
Established during the Great Depression, the Highlander Folk School initially focused on organizing unemployed and working-class people in Appalachia. By the late 1930s, it served as the de facto education center for the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) in the region, training union organizers and leaders across southern states. One of its earliest significant steps was holding its first integrated workshop in 1944, directly challenging segregation in the labor movement.
In the 1950s, Highlander shifted its focus to support the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement. It provided critical training for leaders such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., contributing to initiatives like the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Citizenship Schools. The school's role in promoting nonviolent resistance and civil rights activism led to significant political backlash, including red-baiting. In 1961, Tennessee revoked Highlander's charter and seized its property, prompting the organization to reincorporate as the Highlander Research and Education Center and relocate to Knoxville.
Over the years, Highlander has expanded its focus to address various social issues. In the latter part of the 20th century, it shifted from civil rights to concentrate on Appalachian social and economic issues, including environmental advocacy and anti-globalization efforts. Today, the organization continues to support grassroots organizing and leadership development among diverse communities.
Programs and Involvement
Highlander's programs emphasize democratic education, community organizing, and social justice. It hosts workshops and training sessions that equip community leaders with strategies for addressing local challenges. The organization is also involved in initiatives related to voter participation, immigration rights, and youth empowerment.
Highlander's cultural organizing approach uses art and music as tools for social change, a method that was integral to its early work in civil rights and labor organizing. By fostering intergenerational and multiracial alliances, Highlander aims to build a more just and equitable society.
Legacy
Highlander's legacy extends beyond its historical role in the Civil Rights Movement. It continues to serve as a hub for social activism and grassroots leadership development. Its commitment to empowering marginalized communities has influenced numerous social movements and continues to inspire new generations of activists.
Edit WikiFounded
1961
24379
X (Twitter)
7088
Traffic
862339
Home - Highlander Center
From Social media
News about from their social media (Facebook and X).
Via: @blacksolidarityeconomyfund 🗣️ Join the New Economy Coalition for a funder briefing to support the longevity of the Black Solidarity Economy Fund (BSEF). In this session, we’ll share lessons learned in the first 5 years of operating this participatory fund, and how we can mobilize resources for the next half-decade. 🔗 Use the first branch in our tree to register for the event Details 🌹 Date 📅 May 28, 2025 Time ⌚ 3-4 PM ET | 2-3 PM CT | 12-1 PM PT Where 📍 Zoom Unfortunately, this event does not have simultaneous interpretation.
Like Comment
🌹STUDENTS ALL SUMMER🌹 Highlander Center is honored to partner with @DrJaimeeSwift of @blackwomenradicals, who will lead the teach-in, “Maroon Politics: Septima Poinsette Clark, Citizenship Schools, and Praxes of Black Feminist Freedom”, which examines the life, leadership, and legacy of Septima Poinsette Clark through the ideological, political, spatial, and symbolic perspectives of marronage, specifically Black feminist marronage. Interrogating Clark’s pivotal formation of Citizenship Schools and emphasis on grassroots literacy and political education as examples of Black fugitivity, freedom, and futurity, this teach-in explores Clark’s organizing as a radical blueprint and conduit on the possibilities and realities of Black self-determination and worldmaking. This teach-in is also a part of Black Women Radicals teach-in series, “Black Feminist Marronage”.
Like Comment
Data about organisation
Similar organisations
Similar organisations to HIGHLANDER RESEARCH & EDUCATION CENTER based on mission, location, activites.
Southern Education Foundation, Inc
The Southern Education Foundation works to improve education in the South.
COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF ATLANTA INC
Communities In Schools (CIS) of Atlanta is the metro area's leading dropout prevention organization.
Center for Racial Equity in Education
Join us for an opportunity to connect and learn with students and teachers in North Carolina.
Similar Organisations Worldwide
Organisations in the world similar to HIGHLANDER RESEARCH & EDUCATION CENTER.
Your local Baptist Church here to serve you with the love and in the name of Jesus Christ.
The Southern Highlands Community Foundation (au)
The SHCF is on a mission to build a community that is kind and connected.
HARMONY EDUCATION FOUNDATION (ca)
“The Harmony Movement program is dynamic, very interactive and very effective.
Interesting nearby
Interesting organisations close by to residence of HIGHLANDER RESEARCH & EDUCATION CENTER
HIGHLANDER RESEARCH & EDUCATION CENTER
Highlander serves as a catalyst for grassroots organizing and movement building in Appalachia and the South.
Similar social media (31467)
Organisations with similar social media impact to HIGHLANDER RESEARCH & EDUCATION CENTER
Cultural Vistas equips citizen leaders to address complex challenges by connecting lives to exchange knowledge, values, and ideas.
32572. HIGHLANDER RESEARCH & EDUCATION CENTER
Highlander serves as a catalyst for grassroots organizing and movement building in Appalachia and the South.
32573. US Institute of Diplomacy and Human Rights
Top-rated nonprofit.
To view videos about Susie, see the Awards section in About Us.
Similar traffic
Organisations with similar web traffic to HIGHLANDER RESEARCH & EDUCATION CENTER
68734. Riverland Community College Foundation
For 80+ years, Riverland Community College has provided education to southeast Minnesota & beyond.
68736. HIGHLANDER RESEARCH & EDUCATION CENTER
Highlander serves as a catalyst for grassroots organizing and movement building in Appalachia and the South.
68738. Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation
Fighting Bone Marrow Failure Diseases through Patient Support and Research -Aplastic Anemia, MDS, PNH.
Join us and make a difference for the future!
Sign Up
Please fill in your information. Everything is free, we might contact you with updates (but cancel any time!)
Sign in with Google