James Chaney was an American civil rights activist born on May 30, 1943, in Meridian, Mississippi. He is best known for his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s, particularly for his work with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Chaney played a significant role in efforts to register African American voters in the South. In June 1964, Chaney was murdered alongside fellow activists Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner while working on the Freedom Summer campaign. Their deaths drew national attention to the violence faced by civil rights workers and highlighted the urgent need for social change in the United States.