In Birmingham and Selma, the SCLC had learned to simplify its goals, in part to make it easier for the public and the press to understand the protesters’ demands. But he didn’t do that for Chicago, and the decision was intentional. James Bevel had been arguing that problems in Chicago—and throughout the North—had to be defined broadly. Economic exploitation was at the root of every issue, as King argued with increasing frequency, including inferior education, discriminatory employment practices, and segregated housing. “We’re going to create a new city,” Bevel bragged. “Nobody will stop us.”
