The Deacons for Defense and Justice were formed in 1964 by a group of African American men from Jonesboro, Liousiana, who were fed up with the daily threat of Klan-violence. The organization gained...Show moreThe Deacons for Defense and Justice were formed in 1964 by a group of African American men from Jonesboro, Liousiana, who were fed up with the daily threat of Klan-violence. The organization gained reputation for being armed and willing to shoot back at attackers, which was in contrast with the nonviolent strategy as preached by activists such as Martin Luther King Jr. However, as the Movement was progressing, more armed African American organizations were established and the Deacons' faded away against the background of more radical groups such as the Black Panther Party. The Deacons' role within these late years of the Civil Rights Movement is what has been researched in this Master Thesis.Show less