1963 – Deacons for Defense and Justice Founded

On May 10, 1963, in response to Ku Klux Klan intimidation and violence, the Deacons for Defense and Justice was founded in Jonesboro, Louisiana, by a group of Black men who had served in World War II and the Korean War. Tired of nonviolent protests being met with brutality, the Deacons armed themselves and patrolled Black neighborhoods to protect civil rights workers and local residents. Their presence was critical in places like Bogalusa and other parts of the South where local police refused to defend Black citizens. Though controversial among mainstream civil rights organizations, the Deacons played a significant role in advancing the movement by forcing federal intervention in areas plagued by racial terrorism. Their legacy influenced later Black self-defense ideologies, including the rise of the Black Panther Party. The group’s existence challenged the assumption that nonviolence was the only effective means of resistance in the fight for equality.