Civil Rights Movement

Civil Rights MovementTest #9VUS.14

1940s and 1950s: Segregation was still legal

Southern culture was ingrained with the separation of blacks and whites

Integration—the move away from segregation—will be difficult for many southern whites

1950s: many African Americans and the Federal Government will take steps to end racial discrimination in the US

NAACP NAACP—National Association for the

Advancement of Colored People After WWII, the NAACP initiated many

court cases to slowly do away with Plessy v. Ferguson

In many of the cases, the Supreme Court ruled that the separate facilities were in no way equal

Began a strategy of desegregating graduate and specialized schools› If the nonwhite schools were seen as

unequal, the white schools would be forced to integrate the African Americans into the white schools

› Once the higher education facilities were dealt with, the NAACP would then focus on elementary and high schools

1950: the NAACP will challenge segregation in schools head on

Brown v . Board of Education of Topeka Kansas

Early 1950s: 17 states and Washington D. C. had laws segregating blacks and whites in public education

Only 16 states required their schools to be integrated› Many times, school systems in these states

ignored the law and kept schools segregated 1954: Brown v. Board of Education will be a

court case that challenged segregation in public schools› This case will not be about a southern state, but

Topeka Kansas

The case involved a little African American girl—Linda Brown› She had to travel many miles to get to her

school, an all black school› A white school was just a few blocks away

from Linda’s house Linda’s father wanted to know why his

daughter could NOT attend the local white school instead of traveling miles by bus to the segregated black school

Linda’s father sued the Topeka, Kansas Board of Education

The Case traveled all the way to the Supreme Court

Linda Brown

Leading the charge for Mr. Brown and the NAACP was Thurgood Marshall

The case was heard for weeks in the Supreme Court

In the end, Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren handed down a unanimous decision› Separate educational facilities were NOT

equal› School segregation was found to be

ILLEGAL

Thurgood Marshall

Brown v. Board of Education will touch off similar cases around the US

In Virginia, a similar case will be held in Prince Edward county› The Virginia Legal defense team for the NAACP will

be lead by Oliver Hill Nearly ALL southern whites disagreed with

the Supreme Court’s decision Schools across the country were going to

have to integrate black and white students Many southern schools began to prepare

against the decision Many white students refused to attend the

integrated schools

Oliver Hill

After the Brown decision, the NAACP will try to register African American students in previously all-white schools throughout the south

Unfortunately, many school systems will try and reject many of these students

Violence will erupt in many parts of the south

Crisis at Central High 5 days after the Brown decision, the

Little Rock, Arkansas school board announced it would obey the decision

The Little Rock superintendant and the NAACP planned to place 9 African Americans students (the Little Rock Nine) in Central High School—a school with 2000 white students

The plan was to be put into effect for the 1957 school year

The Little Rock Nine

Several white segregationist groups planned to hold protests and stop the 9 African American students from entering the school

Governor Orval Faubus of Arkansas called in the National Guard to block the entrance to the school› He DID NOT want the African American

students in the school Pres. Eisenhower met with Faubus and

told him to stop defying the Supreme Court

Gov. Orval Faubus

The National Guard was removed, and the 9 students were allowed in the next day

A mob of 1000 whites gathered to protest the integration of the 9

The 9 were forced to leave school under police escort

Pres. Eisenhower was forced to intervene

Eisenhower ordered federal troops into Little Rock to protect the 9 students from the mob of whites

Federal troops escorting the Little Rock 9Little Rock 9 Video

The next year (1958), Little Rock schools closed entirely

White students attended private schools, outside schools, or none at all

Most African American students did not attend at all

August 1959: Supreme Court ordered the Little Rock School Board to integrate the schools

The schools gave in and reopened the schools

Virginia’s Response Most schools in Virginia will responded

to the Brown decision with massive resistance

US Senator Harry Byrd led the resistance movement in Virginia

Virginia governor Thomas Stanley said he would do all he could to keep Virginia schools segregated

Stanley shut schools down instead of integrating

African American students in Virginia did not attend schools at all

Many private schools and academies were created for the white students

“White Flight”: many whites left the urban schools for the academies and private schools

Eventually, all Virginia schools will be reopened

By the mid1960s, most of Virginia’s schools had been integrated

Montgomery Bus Boycotts

Dec. 1, 1955: Rosa Parks—a middle aged black woman—boarded a Montgomery, Alabama bus and sat in the middle of the bus› Blacks could sit in the middle only if the front

(white section) was not full of whites› If the front were full, the blacks had to move to

the back to make room for more white passengers As the front started to fill up with whites,

other black passengers got up and moved back, but not Rosa

One white man was left standing—Rosa would not give up her seat to the man

Rosa Parks

The bus driver said he was going to call the police if she did not give up her seat

She still refused Rosa was arrested The news of her arrest spread

throughout the south After her arrest, an immediate call

went out to African Americans to boycott the Montgomery bus system

African Americans were hoping to put economic pressure on the bus system

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. announced the bus boycott in his sermon, asking for his congregations’ support of the boycott

That Monday, the Boycott was a success That Monday afternoon, many black

community and church leaders met to organize more efforts of defiance

The group named themselves the Montgomery Improvement Association

Elected Martin Luther King, Jr. as the association’s president

Dr. King speaking to his congregation about the bus boycott

The bus boycott lasted nearly 400 days!! City officials had not expected such a boycott Bus companies started losing $ City segregationists were angry Many whites retaliated by

› Bombing Dr. King’s house› Arresting and fining 88 African American leaders

The boycott ended when the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on busses was unconstitutional

Dec 20, 1956: Dr. King and the Montgomery Improvement Association had won a major victory

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. King will emerge as the unchallenged leader of the black protest movement

Dr. King helped the Bus Boycott gain national attention for the black civil rights movement

Dr. King was young when he became the spokesman for the civil rights movement› He was only 27 years old

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Background info. on Dr. King:› Dr. King grew up in a middle class home in

Atlanta, GA› Attended Moorehouse College› At the age of 18, he decided to become a

minister› Received his Ph. D. from Boston University

After his success in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Dr. King wanted to extend the same ideas into other civil rights areas around the US

Jan. 1957: Dr. King called 60 southern ministers to discuss nonviolent integration

At the meeting, the SCLC was formed› SCLC: Southern Christian Leadership

Conference› Dr. King became President of the SCLC

Dr. King standing near an SCLC chapter

The SCLC was to coordinate nonviolent resistance to segregation in schools, stores, busses, and hotels› Those protesting should carry out

demonstrations› They should NOT fight with authorities

The SCLC held workshops to teach participants how to defend themselves from racial attacks

African American students across the nation began an attempt to integrate segregated lunch counters, hotels, and places of entertainment using sit-ins

Sit-ins were nonviolent protests Students would sit at lunch counters or

businesses and refused to move until the business changed its segregation policy

College and high school students around the nation began to stage sit-ins

Southern stores and national chains were their main targets

Greensboro Sit-ins

SNCC Dr. King’s secretary under the SCLC was

Ella J. Baker Baker was impressed with the sit-ins She wanted to better organize the students Baker created the SNCC (Student Nonviolent

Coordinating Committee) Dr. King spoke to the 300 students that came for

the 1st SNCC meeting› Dr. King spoke of nonviolence› “Jail not Bail”—civil disobedience › They would remain in jail and not seek bail to make a

point› Causing social change by using nonviolence to change

laws

Freedom Rides Organized by CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) CORE wanted to test the effectiveness of the

Supreme Court decision Boynton v. Virginia› The decision prohibited racial segregation in public

areas that served interstate travelers May 4, 1961: A small interracial group of CORE

members got on 2 busses› They traveled to southern segregated restrooms,

waiting rooms, and restaurants in bus terminals between Washington DC and New Orleans

May 14: the CORE group was attacked by a mob outside Anniston, Alabama› One bus was set on fire and some of the CORE

members were beaten

Because of the violence, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy provided police escorts for the Freedom Riders as they traveled to other cities

The Freedom Riders met again with violence in Birmingham and Montgomery

The Freedom Rides did help to desegregate bus terminals in the south

More Freedom Rides were conducted throughout the year with success

Freedom Rides Video

Letter from Birmingham Jail

1962: Birmingham, Alabama closed parks, playgrounds, swimming pools, and golf courses

An attempt to avoid desegregation of public facilities

Civil Rights leader planned massive demonstrations that would gradually increase in size› Wanted to keep the attention of TV and newspaper

reporters The police commissioner of Birmingham used

police dogs and fire hoses to break up the demonstrations

Dr. King was arrested on Good Friday because of the actions in Birmingham

Dr. King spent 2 weeks in jail While in jail, Dr. King wrote “Letter from

Birmingham Jail” The letter tried to explain his reasons for civil

disobedience Letter Video After his release, Dr. King began using children

as crusaders The children were attacked by dogs, fire hoses,

and beaten by the police Public opinion quickly went in favor of the

protestors and against the police

Local leaders gave in Larger department stores were

desegregated Dr. King called off the demonstrations May 11, 1963: bombs exploded at Dr.

King’s motel and at his brother’s house Riots soon followed

June 11, 1963: Pres. Kennedy commissioned the Alabama National Guard to enforce a court order requiring the admission of 2 African American students to the University of Alabama› The University was integrated, but not

without protest by the Governor of Alabama, George Wallace

› Wallace attempted to stand in the doorway to block the 2 students from entering

› His attempt failed Pres. Kennedy then announced he would

be sending a civil rights bill into Congress

Governor Wallace attempting to block the entrance to the University of Alabama

March on Washington August 28, 1963: a massive protest march

was conducted on the nation’s capital The march started as a cry for jobs As planning furthered for the march, the goals

shifted to include all civil rights goals A key part of the march was to push for the

passage of Pres. Kennedy’s civil rights bill Thousands of demonstrators from around the

nation participated in the march The massive demonstration showed the

nation that civil rights was something that would not go away easily

Dr. King will make his famous “I have a dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial

Dr. King's "I have a dream" speech

Civil Rights Act of 1964 After Pres. Kennedy’s assassination,

Pres. Lyndon Johnson set out to pass Kennedy’s civil rights bill

The bill passed in the House but faced uncertainty in the Senate› Many southern Senators try to filibuster

the bill—keep debating the bill but never really voting on the bill

The bill will eventually pass the Senate July 2, 1964: Pres. Johnson signed into

law the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Pres. Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964

The act forbade segregation in hotels, motels, restaurants, lunch counters, theaters, and sporting arenas

Most southern towns desegregated immediately

Made bringing discrimination cases the job of the Federal Government

Selma to Montgomery The passage of the Civil Rights Act of

1964 did not solve all problems No legislation existed to enforce the

15th Amendment› Forbid states from depriving its citizens the

right to vote because of race Dr. King will use more nonviolent

protests to get enforcement of the 15th Amendment

Dr. King will set his sights on Selma, Alabama

In Selma, only 383 African Americans out of a total of 150,000 were registered to vote

After 2 months of facing violence from the Selma police, civil rights leaders announced a march from Selma to Montgomery (a 54 mile journey)

Governor George Wallace of Alabama banned the march

2 African Americans decided to lead the march anyway› Hosea Williams—Dr. King’s chief aid in

Selma› John Lewis—a SNCC leader

March 7, 1965: Williams and Lewis led 600 demonstrators onto the Edmond Pettus Bridge, headed to Montgomery

Marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge

The Selma Sheriff and his deputies lined the bridge

The Alabama State Police blocked the end of the bridge

The State Police threw tear gas and beat the marchers with clubs

March 9, 1965: Dr. King led a 2nd march› halfway across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Dr.

King stopped, sang a hymn, and turned back to Selma

March 15, 1965: Pres. Johnson announced a bill that would extend voting rights to African Americans living in the deep south

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Law eliminated literacy tests for voting registration

Allowed the federal government to send troops if the local registrars would not register African Americans

The Voting Rights Act helped to register 740,000 African American voters over a 3 year period

Voting Rights Act Video

New Directions

Many civil rights activists began to take on a separate tone than what Dr. King was preaching

For years, African Americans had been fighting for equality, and had not achieved equality

Many African Americans began to push for more violent actions

SNCC will begin to stray away from Dr. King’s ideas of nonviolent protest

Black Pride

Many African Americans began to take pride in their ethnicity

Many in the SNCC wanted the white volunteers out of the SNCC› Felt the whites were taking the good jobs› Wanted the whites to fight for civil rights in

white communities, not African American communities

A move was started for black separatism› A move to separate the races in America

Many black separatists believed black separatism could be achieved if African Americans went back to Africa or by occupying land in the US that was specifically set aside for them

This was NOT integration—it was a different form of segregation

Black separatism was promoted by the Nation of Islam—African American Muslims

Malcolm X The most vocal African American Muslim

was Malcolm X He preached a message that included

religious justification for black separatism He will be kicked out of the Nation of Islam He never supported Dr. King’s message of

nonviolence He advocated the use of weapons for self-

defense Feb 21, 1965: he will be assassinated by 3

members of the nation of Islam

Malcolm X

The SNCC will take up Malcolm’s message after his death

The SNCC will grasp the idea of “black power”› Having African Americans gain political

power

Watts Riots Segregation was not just confined to the

south Many northern cities will also see

violence over the end of segregation Aug. 11, 1965: in the Watts area of Los

Angeles, violence over race will break out› A young African American man was stopped

for a traffic violation› The stop drew a crowd of onlookers› The young man’s arrest will lead to riots that

lasted 6 fays

34 people will be killed 1072 people were injured 4000 people were arrested Buildings were damaged and destroyed National Guard troops were brought in

to help the police Watts riot touched off other riots

throughout the US White stores were destroyed and

looted for merchandise

Black Panthers While riots were raging across the US, a

new political group will emerge 1966: the Black Panther Party will be

created in Oakland, California The party wanted to protect African

American communities from police harassment

The party also wanted control over the police, schools, and other services

Also supported the use of weapons for self defense and retaliation

Assassination of Dr. King On March 29, 1968, Dr. King went to

Memphis, Tennessee, in support of the black sanitary public works employees

On April 3, Dr. King addressed a rally and delivered his "I've Been to the Mountaintop“ speech

April 4, 1968: as Dr. was standing on his hotel balcony, he was assassinated by white assassins—James Earl Ray

Dr. King’s assassination set off a wave of violence across the US

James Earl Ray

Other Problems in the US

Gerrymandering: the drawing of legislative districts in ways that favored a particular party› It is a way of fixing elections to allow certain people

to win 1964: To end gerrymandering, the Supreme

Court made a decision in Westberry v. Sanders The decision required that ALL states redraw

their voting districts for the US Congress according to population› Each district had to have roughly the same number

of people to allow every citizen’s vote to carry the same weight

› “One person, one vote” An attempt at making Congressional

representation equal

24th Amendment Before the passage of the 24th

Amendment, every voter had to pay a poll tax before voting› An attempt to keep poor whites and blacks

from voting 1964: the 24th Amendment was passed

eliminating the poll tax Allowed even more people to vote in

elections

Push for More Civil Rights

The civil rights legislation of the 1950s and 1960s outlawed discrimination by reason of race, color, national origin, or gender in all areas of American life

The legislation, however, failed in getting rid of past discriminations

Because so many African Americans were kept from getting good elementary and high school educations, they could not get into good colleges

With poor backgrounds in education, African Americans could not get good jobs

Affirmative Action The federal government stepped in to

help with Affirmative Action› The law applied to all federal and state

employers› Also applied to all private employers doing

business with the federal government Employers had to hire a certain

number of minorities and females to ensure the workforce reflected the racial and sexual mix of the population

Many in the US did not like affirmative action

Saw affirmative action as reverse discrimination› Discriminating against the majority

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke

1978: Supreme Court tried a case on the issue of reverse discrimination

A white student had applied to the University of California, Davis School of Medicine—Allan Bakke

Bakke was turned down for admission, even though his academic scores were higher than some of the minorities accepted by the school

The Court decided in favor of Bakke The decision outlawed the quota

system that many universities were using› Choosing so many white students, so many

black students, etc. California banned the state's use of

race as a factor to consider in public schools' admission policies

Adarand Case 1995: The Supreme Court heard

another case dealing with affirmative action

The court decided that it was unconstitutional for the federal government to provide preferential treatment to people based on race

The case basically ended affirmative action