Formally known as the Southern Negro Leaders Conference on Transportation and Nonviolent Integration, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was organized by Martin Luther King , Jr., Ralph David Abernathy, Sr., Fred Shuttlesworth, Bayard Rustin and several others in 1957 during a meeting held at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. The main goal of the SCLC was to coordinate the action of local protest groups. After 1965, the organization undertook the issues of war and poverty.

After leaving the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Hosea Williams joined the SCLC in 1963. Hosea Williams also helped lead demonstrations, including the Selma to Montgomery marches, the most famous became known as "Bloody Sunday", March 7, 1965. State and local police in Selma, Alabama beat marchers who were seeking voting rights. During this time, Williams held several positions within the SCLC. He was special projects director from 1963 to 1970, national program director from 1967 to 1969, and regional vice president from 1970 to 1971. He also served as national executive director from 1969 to 1971 and again from 1977 to 1979.

This series of records shows the activities of the SCLC Atlanta Headquarters. The sub-series have been grouped into different parts, and are identified as A) General information; B) SCLC Projects (Protests and Strikes); C) Marches and Protest; D) Organizations; E) SCLC Staff; F) General Office Files; and, G) Confidential Files