DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it — this one's about a man who changed the course of American history, and it starts right here in East Texas. James Leonard Farmer, Jr., was born in Marshall. His father, Dr.
James L. Farmer, Sr., was a professor at Wiley College, and his mother was Pearl — Pearl Houston before she became Pearl Farmer. The family moved around some — Atlanta, Georgia, then Austin, Texas — before coming back to Marshall in 1930.
And when young James came back to this town, he didn't wait long to make his mark. He entered Wiley College at fourteen years old. Fourteen.
Now at Wiley, he found his way onto that famous debate team — the one led by Melvin Tolson. And those debates weren't just about winning arguments. They were charged with discussions about inequality, and something in those conversations got hold of James Farmer, Jr., and didn't let go.
In 1938, he entered the Ministerial Program of Howard University up in Washington, D.C. His director there was Howard Thurman — a man who had studied under Mahatma Gandhi himself, steeped in the philosophy of nonviolent techniques to achieve social change. Tolson had sharpened his mind.
Thurman showed him a way to use it. Inspired by both men, Farmer turned his full attention to civil rights and moved to Chicago in 1941. Then, in 1942, he co-founded the Congress of Racial Equality — CORE.
Now that name is worth sitting with for a moment, because what CORE did was train civil rights leaders in Gandhi-inspired nonviolent civil disobedience tactics, specifically to protest racial discrimination. And they didn't just theorize about it. Under Farmer's leadership, CORE organized the first sit-ins of restaurants in Chicago.
First ones. Then came 1961. CORE organized the Freedom Rides into the Deep South — and James Farmer, Jr., led them.
Rode right into the fire, nonviolently, deliberately, with the whole weight of history on those bus seats. Three years later, on July 2, 1964, the Civil Rights Act was passed. The marker is clear that CORE, other organizations for equality, and James Farmer, Jr., were instrumental in making that happen.
Farmer kept movin'. In 1968, he ran for office on the Liberal party ticket, backed by the Republican party — didn't win that one. But in 1969, he was appointed Assistant Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare.
He worked as a union organizer, a lecturer, a professor at Amherst College and at Mary Washington College. The man never stopped teaching. And then, in 1998, President Clinton awarded James Farmer, Jr., the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The highest civilian honor this country gives. James Farmer, Jr., died on July 9, 1999. He was born right here in Marshall, Texas — son of a Wiley College professor, shaped by two extraordinary teachers, and he went on to sit down in places that didn't want him sitting, and ride into places that didn't want him riding, until the law of the land had no choice but to change.
That's the story the marker tells. And Marshall, Texas is where it begins.
What the marker says
Civil Rights leader James Leonard Farmer, Jr., son of Pearl (Houston) and Dr. James l. Farmer, Sr., was born in Marshall where his father was a professor at Wiley College. The family moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and Austin, Texas, before returning to Marshall in 1930. James Farmer, Jr., entered Wiley College at age 14 and joined the famous debate team led by Melvin Tolson and was challenged with discussions about inequality. In 1938, Farmer entered the Ministerial Program of Howard University, Washington, D.C., under the direction of Howard Thurman, a student of Mahatma Ghandi and nonviolent philosophy techniques to achieve social change. Inspired by Thurman and Tolson, Farmer turned his attention to civil rights and moved to Chicago in 1941. In 1942, Farmer co-founded the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), which trained civil rights leaders in Ghandi-inspired nonviolent civil disobedience tactics to protest racial discrimination. Under his leadership, CORE organized the first sit-ins of restaurants in Chicago. In 1961, CORE organized the freedom rides into the Deep South, led by Farmer. CORE, other organizations for equality and James Farmer, Jr., were instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act on July 2, 1964. In 1968, Farmer ran unsuccessfully on the Liberal party ticket, backed by the Republican party, and was appointed Assistant Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare in 1969. Farmer also worked as a union organizer and lecturer, as well as a professor at Amherst College and Mary Washington College. In 1998, President Clinton awarded Farmer the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Farmer died on July 9, 1999. (2016)