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African Americans and Civil Rights

African Americans and Civil RightsAfrican Americans in the South had lived with Jim Crow laws since the time of Reconstruction. Jim Crow Laws enforced racial segregation in all public places.Separate but Equal was not a reality for African Americans.Many people, black and white, decided that enough was enough. After WWII, many people joined in the fight for civil rights.Civil rights are the rights that are guaranteed to all citizens by the Constitution.

African Americans in the South had lived with Jim Crow laws since the time of Reconstruction.

Jim Crow Laws enforced racial segregation in all public places.

Separate but Equal was not a reality for African Americans.

Many people, black and white, decided that enough was enough. After WWII, many people joined in the fight for civil rights.

Civil rights are the rights that are guaranteed to all citizens by the Constitution.

SegregationLaws had separated the races in the United States since the late 1800s. African Americans lived in separate communities across the nation. African Americans successfully lived, ran businesses, and built churches, colleges and theaters separate from whites in towns across America.

SegregationAfrican American entertainers such as Ethel Waters, Duke Ellington, Mahalia Jackson, Dinah Washington, and Nat King Cole were winning awards and making fortunes, but none of these stars could walk in the front door of most hotels.It was even harder for African Americans who were not famous, or who were less educated or poor. African Americans wanted equality.

Struggle for Civil RightsCivil rights are the rights that are guaranteed to all citizens by the Constitution. In 1941 Franklin D. Roosevelt had ordered an end to discrimination in the defense industry which opened more jobs for African Americans.In 1948, President Truman ordered an end to segregation in the U.S. Military. Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play in major league baseball. Despite insults and hostility from some players and fans, Robinson led the Dodgers to six National League titles and one World Series.

Separate but EqualUnder the laws of separate but equal, African Americans were separated from whites in public places. African American students went to different schools from white students.Even if there was a white school close to an African American students home, a black student could not attend a white school in many states and cities. School Segregation, 1952

Ending School SegregationEducation was another area in American life where blacks and whites were kept apart. Some states spent much less money on school buildings, teachers, and books for African American children. The NAACP decided to end segregation in public schools. Political Cartoon

Thurgood MarshallThurgood Marshall was the lawyer who argued for the Brown family in front of the Supreme Court in the Brown v. Board of Education case. He knew that he would have to get the Supreme Court to declare that segregation was illegal under the constitution.Later he was made head lawyer of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a civil rights group that is still active today. He argued many cases before the Supreme Court before being appointed as a judge in 1961. He was the first African American Supreme Court Justice. He was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1967 by President Lyndon Johnson.

Brown v. Board of EducationThe Brown family went to court to force the Board of Education of Topeka (Kansas) to allow their daughter (Linda) to attend a closer, all-white school. On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court decided the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. The court agreed with the Brown family. Many schools did not want to integrate, or combine black and white students.

Many people did not want integrated schools. They wanted to stop black students from going into school buildings.Little Rock NineDespite the Supreme Court declaring segregation of public schools illegal, many schools did not want to integrate.In September 1957, nine black students wanted to attend Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. There were many people there to stop black students from going into the building. President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent troops to make sure the Little Rock Nine were allowed to go to school at Central High.

Little Rock Nine. Soldiers were needed to protect African American students at this all-white school.Rosa ParksOn December 1, 1955, an African American woman named Rosa Parks got on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama.She sat in a seat in the middle of the bus. As more and more people got on the bus, the driver told Parks to move so that a white passenger could have her seat. Parks refused to move and she was arrested.

Montgomery Bus BoycottRosa Parks was taken to jail. She did not argue or fight. News of her arrest angered many African Americans in Montgomery. Local leaders set up a boycott. A boycott is when people stop using a product or service.African Americans refused to ride the buses, and the buses remained empty for more than a year. The boycott ended with a 1956 Supreme Court decision declaring that segregation on public buses was illegal.

Civil Rights MovementMartin Luther King, Jr. led the Montgomery Bus Boycott. People all over the country admired King. Dr. King became a leader of the civil rights movement. King was minister who spoke about fighting for civil rights through non-violence.

The Civil Rights Movement GrowsMartin Luther King, Jr. and the NAACP wanted fairness in all areas of life.King promoted the idea of nonviolent protest, or passive resistance, to gain civil rights.Passive resistance means to oppose something without using violence. Three forms of passive resistance were used at the time: sit-ins, freedom rides, and marches. Sit-InsIn 1960, four black students in Greensboro, North Carolina, sat down at a lunch counter for white customers only and ordered coffee. They were not served, however, they stayed seated until the store closed.

Word got around and sit-ins began to be held at lunch counters, on park benches, in theaters, museums, and other places.

Freedom RidesFreedom rides were organized to see if public transportation was obeying the law and not segregating customers.

MarchesMarches were held in the South to draw attention to the cause of Civil Rights.

Peaceful protesters often met with violenceSometimes local police attacked marchers with dogs and sticks. The protesters did not give up.

Non-Violent Protests

Why do you think Martin Luther King, Jr. promoted passive resistance?The March on WashingtonOn August 28, 1963, 250,000 people took part in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.This march was to demand equality for African Americans and to help convince Congress to pass a civil rights bill.

Standing before the Lincoln Memorial, King called for an end to prejudice in the United States. King gave a speech of his hopes for the future, I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character

More than 250,000 people of all races gathered together in the nations capital to show support for civil rights.

Civil Rights Act of 1964Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

This law banned segregation in all public places in the United States.

Voting Rights Act of 1965Before the Voting Rights Act of 1965, only an estimated 23 percent of African Americans were registered to vote in the United States. Some southern states discouraged blacks from voting. The Voting Rights Act protects the rights of all Americans to vote. African Americans no longer had to pay a poll tax, or money to vote. With more African Americans voting, more African Americans were elected to public office.24th Amendment - 1964

The 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution banned the poll tax, making it illegal to charge money to vote. Assassinations in the 1960sMany leaders of the 1960s were assassinated. President John F. Kennedy was shot while in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963.Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in April 1968. President Kennedys brother, Robert F. Kennedy, was shot and killed on June 5, 1968 while he was campaigning to be elected president.

John F. Kennedy 1917 -1963

Martin Luther King, Jr. 1929 - 1968

56Robert F. Kennedy 1925 - 1968

Continued SuccessesIn 1949, Ralph Bunche became the first African American to win the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1964, Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in honor of his nonviolent work for equal rights. In 1952, baseball great Jackie Robinson became the first black executive of a major TV network.Clifton R. Wharton, Sr. was the first black to head a U.S. embassy in Europe in 1958. In 1964, Arthur Ashe was the first African American man to play on the U.S. Davis Cup tennis team.Thurgood Marshall became the first black Supreme Court justice in 1967. In 1971 Samuel Lee Gravely, Jr. was the first African American admiral in the U.S. Navy.In Virginia in 1989, L. Douglas Wilder became the first African American elected governor of a state. These and many other African Americans have broken new ground and continue to encourage others.

Unequal Opportunities for WomenWomen in the United States had the same legal rights as men, but they did not always have the same opportunities. The number of women in the workforce increased after 1950. Women were generally expected to care for their homes and families. Many women still enjoyed this traditional role, but by the 1950s, many women looked for work outside the home. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made it illegal to discriminate against women.Today, women have more opportunities, but it is still not equal since many men make more money than women doing the same job.

Betty Friedan- Women's Rights Activist and Founder of the National Organization of Women (NOW)

Hispanic AmericansMany Hispanic Americans worked as migrant farm workers, moving from farm to farm, harvesting seasonal crops.They worked long hours for very low pay and many faced discrimination.Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta wanted to help the migrant workers gain equal rights and protection.They formed the National Farm Workers Association and used passive resistance (like MLK) to bring about change.

Native Americans American Indian leaders worked to improve life for Native Americans.Some American Indian groups regained the right to fish in waters that had been taken from them.They also regained the right to use traditional methods, such as spear fishing.Others were given access to sacred lands that had been taken from them.

Americans with DisabilitiesMany Americans with disabilities faced discrimination in the job market and difficulties in accessing public buildings.In 1990, the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) was passed. This law makes it illegal for businesses to refuse to hire someone because of a disability.Public buildings must be accessible by wheelchairs. Public facilities must provide emergency 911 service to people with disabilities (like Braille on elevator buttons, etc.)

Civil Rights ProgressCivil Liberties Act of 1988 officially apologized for the injustice endured by Japanese Americans who were placed in internment camps during World War II.Code Talkers were officially recognized and honored for their service during World War II in 2001.Opportunities continue to open up for the disabled both in work and sports, including the Paralympic Games which are held immediately following the Olympic Games every 4 years.

Civil Rights TodayLeaders like John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King inspired people to change, and they were all killed for their support of change. When great leaders are killed, the effect can be terrible for society including confusion, violence, or an end to needed reforms. Fortunately, the important ideas of civil rights did not end when the Kennedys and Martin Luther King were killed. People continue to work for civil rights and social justice in the United States today.