Essential QuestionEssential Question

What were the What were the important events of the important events of the Civil Rights Movement?Civil Rights Movement?

The Civil The Civil Rights Rights

Movement Movement BeginsBegins

““Separate But Equal”Separate But Equal”

1896 – 1896 – Plessy v. Plessy v. FergusonFerguson ruled ruled that laws that laws segregating segregating African Americans African Americans and whites were and whites were legal as long as legal as long as equal facilities equal facilities were provided for were provided for bothboth

Jim Crow LawsJim Crow Laws

Evident throughout Evident throughout the Souththe South

Buses, trains, Buses, trains, schools, schools, restaurant, restaurant, amusement parks, amusement parks, swimming poolsswimming pools

The decision of The decision of each communityeach community

NAACPNAACP

National National Association for Association for the Advancement the Advancement of Colored People of Colored People (1909)(1909)

Began the Civil Began the Civil Rights MovementRights Movement

Congress of Racial Equality Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)(CORE)

Part of the Civil Part of the Civil Rights Rights MovementMovement

Used sit-ins to Used sit-ins to protest protest segregation segregation (e.g. (e.g. restaurants)restaurants)

Brown v. Board of EducationBrown v. Board of Education

Thurgood Marshall – Thurgood Marshall – African American African American attorney who attorney who focused his focused his attention on public attention on public schoolsschools

Linda Brown denied Linda Brown denied access to her access to her neighborhood school neighborhood school in Topeka, Kansasin Topeka, Kansas

Brown v. Board of EducationBrown v. Board of Education

19541954

Supreme Supreme Court ruled Court ruled that that segregation in segregation in public schools public schools was was unconstitutionunconstitutionalal

Montgomery Bus BoycottMontgomery Bus Boycott

Started by Rosa Started by Rosa ParksParks

Challenge to Challenge to segregation on segregation on public public transportationtransportation

Martin Luther King Jr.Martin Luther King Jr.

““Now let us say that we are not Now let us say that we are not advocating violence . . . The only advocating violence . . . The only weapon we have in our hands this weapon we have in our hands this evening is the weapon of protest. If we evening is the weapon of protest. If we are incarcerated behind the iron are incarcerated behind the iron curtains of a communist nation – we curtains of a communist nation – we couldn’t do this. If we were trapped in couldn’t do this. If we were trapped in the dungeon of a totalitarian regime – the dungeon of a totalitarian regime – we couldn’t do this. But the great glory we couldn’t do this. But the great glory of American democracy is the right to of American democracy is the right to protest for right!”protest for right!”

Martin Luther King Jr.Martin Luther King Jr.

Believed the only Believed the only moral way to end moral way to end segregation and segregation and racism was racism was through nonviolent through nonviolent passive resistancepassive resistance

Public opinion Public opinion would bring would bring changechange

Montgomery Bus BoycottMontgomery Bus Boycott

Lasted over one Lasted over one yearyear

Dec. 1956 – Dec. 1956 – Supreme Court Supreme Court declared declared Alabama’s laws Alabama’s laws requiring requiring segregation on segregation on buses to be buses to be unconstitutionalunconstitutional

Southern Christian Leadership Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)Conference (SCLC)

Group of African Group of African American American ministers led by ministers led by KingKing

Challenged Challenged segregation segregation throughout the throughout the South, encouraged South, encouraged votingvoting

Little Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock, Arkansas

Sept. 1957 – nine Sept. 1957 – nine African Americans African Americans to attend Central to attend Central High SchoolHigh School

Governor ordered Governor ordered National Guard to National Guard to prevent thisprevent this

Little Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock, Arkansas

Pres. Eisenhower Pres. Eisenhower was forced to was forced to send U.S. Army send U.S. Army troops to guard troops to guard the school, escort the school, escort African American African American studentsstudents

Challenging Challenging SegregationSegregation

The Sit-In MovementThe Sit-In Movement

Began at a Began at a Woolworth’s Woolworth’s lunch counter in lunch counter in Greensboro, NCGreensboro, NC

Became a mass Became a mass movement for movement for civil rightscivil rights

Freedom RidersFreedom Riders

Teams of African Teams of African Americans and Americans and whites rode whites rode through the South through the South together on busestogether on buses

Faced violence in Faced violence in AlabamaAlabama

James MeredithJames Meredith

Attempted to Attempted to enroll at the enroll at the University of University of MississippiMississippi

Kennedy sent Kennedy sent federal troops federal troops to escort him to escort him to classesto classes

BirminghamBirmingham

MLK understood MLK understood that the federal that the federal government government intervened only intervened only when violence when violence and disorder and disorder occurred in occurred in southern citiessouthern cities

BirminghamBirmingham

Spring 1963 – MLK Spring 1963 – MLK led demonstrations led demonstrations in this cityin this city

MLK was arrested, MLK was arrested, wrote letters while wrote letters while in jail in defense of in jail in defense of nonviolent protestnonviolent protest

Birmingham, Birmingham, ALAL

Public Safety Public Safety Commissioner Commissioner used force used force against against protestors – protestors – clubs, police clubs, police dogs, firehosesdogs, firehoses

All watched on All watched on television by television by AmericansAmericans

Kennedy forced Kennedy forced to actto act

John F. KennedyJohn F. Kennedy

““One hundred years of delay have One hundred years of delay have passed since President Lincoln freed passed since President Lincoln freed the slaves, yet their heirs, their the slaves, yet their heirs, their grandsons, are not fully free . . . And grandsons, are not fully free . . . And this nation, for all its hopes and for this nation, for all its hopes and for all its boasts, will not be fully free all its boasts, will not be fully free until all its citizens are free . . . Now until all its citizens are free . . . Now the time has come for this nation to the time has come for this nation to fulfill its promise.”fulfill its promise.”

March on WashingtonMarch on Washington

Aug. 1963 – led by Aug. 1963 – led by MLKMLK

Used to lobby Used to lobby Congress and gain Congress and gain public supportpublic support

200,000 200,000 demonstrators demonstrators flocked to flocked to Washington D.C.Washington D.C.

Civil Rights Act of 1964Civil Rights Act of 1964

Most Most comprehensive comprehensive civil rights lawcivil rights law

Gave the federal Gave the federal government power government power to prevent racial to prevent racial discrimination in all discrimination in all public places, jobs, public places, jobs, schoolsschools

2424thth Amendment Amendment

Eliminated poll Eliminated poll taxes (fees paid taxes (fees paid in order to vote)in order to vote)

Selma DemonstrationSelma Demonstration

Led by MLK to Led by MLK to protest voting protest voting restrictions – restrictions – became a protest became a protest marchmarch

Peaceful protestors Peaceful protestors attacked by state attacked by state troopers and troopers and deputized citizensdeputized citizens

Selma DemonstrationSelma Demonstration

““Bloody Sunday” Bloody Sunday” – televised – televised violenceviolence

Nation was Nation was stunned, stunned, president Johnson president Johnson furiousfurious

Voting Rights Act of 1965Voting Rights Act of 1965

No literacy testsNo literacy tests

Federal Federal examiners examiners allowed to allowed to register qualified register qualified voters (not local voters (not local officials)officials)