The 1963 Birmingham civil rights campaign was internally known as Project C.
The “C” stood for confrontation. Organized by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and local activists, the campaign used sit-ins, marches, boycotts, and other nonviolent protests to challenge segregation in Birmingham, Alabama.
Police commissioner Eugene “Bull” Connor ordered harsh responses, including police dogs and high-pressure fire hoses. Images of children being attacked during the demonstrations circulated widely and intensified national criticism of segregation.
The campaign helped lead to desegregation agreements involving downtown businesses. It also strengthened support for federal civil rights legislation. The name Project C is less familiar than “Birmingham campaign,” but it was the campaign’s documented planning code.