John Elliott Churchville oral history interview conducted by Joseph Mosnier in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2011-07-15.

Summary: John Churchville recalls growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, his mother's career as a music teacher, moving to New York, and converting to Islam. He remembers joining the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), registering voters in Americus, Georgia, and in Mississippi. He discusses moving back to Philadelphia, converting to Christianity, and founding the Freedom Library and Black People’s Unity Movement.
Biographical History: John Churchville was born in 1941 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Antioch University, Rutgers School of Law, and Canterbury University, and worked as lawyer, businessperson, educator and community organizer. He was a civil rights activist and member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).
Acquisition Note: The Civil Rights History Project is a joint project of the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African American History and Culture to collect video and audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials of individuals who participated in the Civil Rights movement.
Existence and Location of Copies: Copies of items are also held at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (U.S.).
Conditions Governing Access: Collection is open for research. Access to recordings may be restricted. To request materials, please contact the Folklife Reading Room at http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.afc/folklife.contact.
Related Archival Materials: Artifacts associated with the interview are at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.