Final answer:
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference was established to organize non-violent civil rights protests and to leverage the influence of black churches in advancing the civil rights movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was instrumental in key actions such as the Birmingham Campaign and contributed to the passage of civil rights legislation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was to harness the moral authority and organizing power of black churches to conduct non-violent protests in the service of civil rights reform. Formed in 1957 by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other black ministers, the SCLC played a pivotal role in the American civil rights movement. It provided an institutional base for the movement, conducted leadership training and citizen education, and organized some of the era's most significant protests and actions, including the famous Birmingham Campaign of 1963, which was met with police violence and brought national attention to the struggle against Jim Crow laws.
Although the SCLC was considered more conservative than groups like the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Congress on Racial Equality (CORE), its involvement in politics was still controversial among more traditional black religious leaders. Despite criticism, the SCLC achieved considerable influence and success, contributing to the passage of civil rights legislation and the eventual dismantling of institutional racial segregation in the United States.