the struggle for equality civil rights in the 50s and 60s

The Struggle The Struggle for Equalityfor Equality

Civil Rights Civil Rights

in the 50’s and 60’sin the 50’s and 60’s

Background InfoBackground InfoPost Civil WarPost Civil War

AmendmentsAmendmentsReconstructionReconstructionKu Klux KlanKu Klux KlanJim Crow lawsJim Crow laws

Plessy v Ferguson casePlessy v Ferguson case ““Separate but equal”Separate but equal”

Plessy v FergusonPlessy v Ferguson Is Separate Equal ? Is Separate Equal ?

► Facts:Facts: 1896 Homer Plessy took a seat in the “Whites 1896 Homer Plessy took a seat in the “Whites

Only” car of a train and refused to move. He Only” car of a train and refused to move. He was arrested, tried, and convicted in the was arrested, tried, and convicted in the District Court of New Orleans for breaking District Court of New Orleans for breaking Louisiana’s segregation law.Louisiana’s segregation law.

►Question:Question: Was the Louisiana law separating blacks and Was the Louisiana law separating blacks and

whites on railroad cars legal?whites on railroad cars legal?►Decision:Decision:

Split decision that Split decision that “separate but equal” law did “separate but equal” law did not violate the 14th amendmentnot violate the 14th amendment

Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka KSBrown vs. Board of Education of Topeka KSIs Separate Equal ?Is Separate Equal ?

► Facts:Facts: Linda Brown’s parents wanted her to attend Linda Brown’s parents wanted her to attend

the school close to her home. Kansas law the school close to her home. Kansas law stated she had to attend a segregated school. stated she had to attend a segregated school. NAACP and attorney Thurgood Marshall NAACP and attorney Thurgood Marshall tested the law.tested the law.

► Question:Question: Can Linda Brown attend an “all white” school?Can Linda Brown attend an “all white” school?

►Decision: Decision: ““separate educational facilities inherently separate educational facilities inherently

unequal”unequal” desegregation required across the nationdesegregation required across the nation

Theory of InterpositionTheory of Interposition

Definition:Definition:

► Constitutional Issue brought up 150 years Constitutional Issue brought up 150 years before (remember before (remember nullificationnullification?)?)

► ––the right of the the right of the statestate (like Arkansas) to (like Arkansas) to “interpose” itself “interpose” itself betweenbetween the federal the federal government and the citizen whenever the government and the citizen whenever the statestate judges a Federal law or Judicial judges a Federal law or Judicial decision unconstitutional or harmful within decision unconstitutional or harmful within its its jurisdictionjurisdiction..

NAACP and leadersNAACP and leaders► Thurgood MarshallThurgood Marshall, lawyer, cases , lawyer, cases

involving school segregationinvolving school segregation► Rosa ParksRosa Parks—refuses to give up —refuses to give up

her seat on the bus to a white her seat on the bus to a white man and as a result the man and as a result the Montgomery Bus Boycott occurs.Montgomery Bus Boycott occurs.

►Dr. Martin Luther King, JrDr. Martin Luther King, Jr.—he .—he gains national prominence as a gains national prominence as a leader during the Montgomery leader during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Arrested in Bus Boycott. Arrested in BirminghamBirmingham Letter from a Birmingham Jail.Letter from a Birmingham Jail.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

►Influences on MLKInfluences on MLK Jesus—Jesus—love love one’s enemiesone’s enemies Henry Thoreau—civil Henry Thoreau—civil disobediencedisobedience A. Randolph Phillip—A. Randolph Phillip—organizational organizational

skillskill Gandhi—Gandhi—non -violent non -violent resistanceresistance

Southern Christian Southern Christian Leadership ConferenceLeadership Conference

►MLK’s organization advocating “Civil MLK’s organization advocating “Civil Disobedience” when facing an injustice.Disobedience” when facing an injustice.

►Methods of resistanceMethods of resistance BoycottBoycott Sit-inSit-in DemonstrationsDemonstrations MarchesMarches Community organizingCommunity organizing Conscientious raisingConscientious raising

1957 Little Rock, Arkansas1957 Little Rock, ArkansasCentral High SchoolCentral High School

Orval Faubus

101st Airbornesent in by President Eisenhower to enforce the court order

1962 “Ole Miss”1962 “Ole Miss” James Meredith-1 James Meredith-1stst black black

studentstudent

University of MississippiUniversity of Mississippi

Southern ManifestoSouthern Manifesto

►Southern Manifesto was signed by ALL Southern Manifesto was signed by ALL but but threethree southern leaders southern leaders Al Gore, Sr., TennesseeAl Gore, Sr., Tennessee Lyndon Johnson, TexasLyndon Johnson, Texas Estes Kefauver, TennesseeEstes Kefauver, Tennessee

►Called for Called for resistanceresistance –appealed to –appealed to emotions of prejudices and paranoia that emotions of prejudices and paranoia that a united support of peaceful compliance a united support of peaceful compliance might have diluted in the Southmight have diluted in the South

Greensboro, No CarolinaGreensboro, No CarolinaLunch Counter Sit InsLunch Counter Sit Ins

March to SelmaMarch to Selma

March on WashingtonMarch on WashingtonAugust 28, 1963August 28, 1963

Excerpt…”I Have a Dream”Excerpt…”I Have a Dream”

Civil Rights Act of 1964Civil Rights Act of 1964

LBJ-”We Shall Overcome”LBJ-”We Shall Overcome”

Voting Rights Act 1965Voting Rights Act 1965

Lyndon Johnson signing Lyndon Johnson signing Voting Rights ActVoting Rights Act

Civil Rights of 1968Civil Rights of 1968

Inner City RiotsInner City Riots

Chapter 29Chapter 29

Section 2Section 2

The Triumphs of a CrusadeThe Triumphs of a Crusade

For

Against

Middle

The Civil Rights Movement

USS John F. Kennedy

Section 1 (Summary)Section 1 (Summary)

► TermsTerms

► Civil Rights (human, natural, and equal)Civil Rights (human, natural, and equal)

►History (Amendments, S.C. cases, and History (Amendments, S.C. cases, and Legislation)Legislation)

► LeadersLeaders

►Organizations (NAACP, SCLC, and SNCC)Organizations (NAACP, SCLC, and SNCC)

LeadersLeaders

3

4

5

7

8 Freedom RidersFreedom Riders

9

??

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

? ?

?

Strategy and TacticsStrategy and Tactics

Action and ReactionAction and Reaction

TacticsTactics

►MediaMedia►Civil DisobedienceCivil Disobedience►Sit-insSit-ins►Bus ridesBus rides►MarchesMarches►BoycottsBoycotts►Provoking aggressionProvoking aggression

““Momentum”Momentum”TimelineTimeline

►May 1961, Freedom May 1961, Freedom RidersRiders

► Sep 1962, integrating Sep 1962, integrating the University of MSthe University of MS

► Apr 1963, BirminghamApr 1963, Birmingham

► June 1963, integrating June 1963, integrating the University of ALthe University of AL

► Aug 1963, March on Aug 1963, March on WashingtonWashington

► Summer of ’64 Summer of ’64 Freedom SummerFreedom Summer

► Early 1965, Selma Early 1965, Selma CampaignCampaign

Freedom RidersFreedom Riders

► Apr-Dec 1961Apr-Dec 1961

► Who: CORE and SNCCWho: CORE and SNCC

► Plan of Action: to test the Plan of Action: to test the SC decision banning SC decision banning segregation on interstate segregation on interstate bus routesbus routes

► Obstacles: violenceObstacles: violence

► Reaction: (pg. 705, 3Reaction: (pg. 705, 3rdrd paragraph)paragraph)

Riding for FreedomRiding for Freedom

University of MississippiUniversity of Mississippi

► September 1962September 1962►Who: James Who: James

Meredith and JFKMeredith and JFK► Plan of Action: Plan of Action:

integrate UMintegrate UM►Obstacles: Governor Obstacles: Governor

Ross Barnett, riots, Ross Barnett, riots, and deathand death

► Reaction: JFK Reaction: JFK ordered federal ordered federal marshals to escort marshals to escort Meredith. Meredith.

James Meredith

Heading to BirminghamHeading to Birmingham

► April 1963April 1963► Who: Rev. Fred Who: Rev. Fred

Shuttlesworth, MLK, Shuttlesworth, MLK, and the SCLCand the SCLC

► Plan of Action: Plan of Action: demonstrate and marchdemonstrate and march

► Obstacles: violence Obstacles: violence (pg. 706)(pg. 706)

► Reaction: an end to Reaction: an end to segregation in segregation in BirminghamBirmingham

University of AlabamaUniversity of Alabama

► June 1963June 1963► Who: Gov. George Who: Gov. George

Wallace Wallace ► Plan of Action: integrate Plan of Action: integrate

the University of the University of AlabamaAlabama

► Obstacles: Governor Obstacles: Governor George WallaceGeorge Wallace

► Reaction: JFK used Reaction: JFK used federal troops to federal troops to enforce the enforce the desegregationdesegregation

March on WashingtonMarch on Washington

► August 1963August 1963► Who: CR leaders, to Who: CR leaders, to

include MLKinclude MLK► Plan of Action: Plan of Action:

converge on the converge on the nation’s capitalnation’s capital

► Obstacles: ? Obstacles: ? ► Reaction: ST=continued Reaction: ST=continued

violence (murder and violence (murder and assassination), LT=Civil assassination), LT=Civil Rights Act of 1964Rights Act of 1964

Freedom SummerFreedom Summer

► Summer of ’64Summer of ’64► Who: SNCC and Who: SNCC and

volunteersvolunteers► Where: MississippiWhere: Mississippi► Plan of Action: register Plan of Action: register

votersvoters► Obstacles: Obstacles: Obstacles: Obstacles:

Local officers killed Local officers killed volunteers volunteers

► Reaction: Congress did Reaction: Congress did not pass a VR act.not pass a VR act.

The Selma CampaignThe Selma Campaign

► Early 1965Early 1965► Who: SCLC and SNCCWho: SCLC and SNCC► Plan of Action: Voter Plan of Action: Voter

registration drive and registration drive and march to Montgomerymarch to Montgomery

► Obstacles: violent, local Obstacles: violent, local law officers (pg. 710) law officers (pg. 710)

► Reaction: LBJ responded Reaction: LBJ responded by asking Congress for by asking Congress for the swift passage of a the swift passage of a new voting rights act. It new voting rights act. It passed in 1965.passed in 1965.

George W. Bush reauthorizes the Voting Rights Act for 25 years

SummarySummary