My project is on the Northern Student Movement, a 1960s Civil Rights group that focused on northern anti-black racism, and the phenomenon of the black urban ghetto. Founded by Peter Countryman (who was actually my great-uncle) in 1962, the group was initially focused on tutoring, and connecting white college students with black students. However, over time, the group expanded its focus, and began to advocate more generally for black rights, eventually espousing a philosophy of black power. This research was the result of a semester long J-Term independent project. I traveled to New York City to examine the archives at the Schomburg Center (part of the New York Public Library), where the majority of information about the group exists. The project was not only a personal exploration of my family history, but also the culmination of four years of interest in anti-racist work and black power.
