1954-1973

The Civil Rights Era

Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)

At age 18, King decided on a career in ministry. He first arrived in Montgomery in 1954 and became pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. King emerged as the leader of the African American protest movement during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Perhaps his most famous effort was the March on Washington in 1963. It was then that King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech.

From the beginning, he encouraged his followers to use non-violent resistance. Despite this stand on nonviolence, King often became the target of violence. In April 1968, King was shot in Memphis Tennessee while standing on a motel balcony.

Poster ActivityCategory (2 points each)

Completed Did not complete

The poster is glued into the left side of notebook

2

The student chose one of JFK’s programs or one of LBJ’s programs.

2

The student is either clearly supporting or clearly opposing the program.

2

The poster is colored 2

The information is accurate

2

Total 10

Sit-InThe act of occupying seats as a form of protest.

InterstateBuses that crossed state lines.

The Struggle Continues

A new wave of civil rights activity swept

across the nation in the 1960s.

The Movement GrowsTo fight racism and discrimination high school and college students staged sit- ins in 80 cities in stores that practiced segregation

Store owners wanted to end the disturbances and loss of business.

Many stores agreed to desegregate.

Freedom RidesIn 1960, the

Supreme Court ruled against segregated bus facilities.

The civil rights group Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) decided to see whether the ruling was being enforced.

James Farmer

Freedom Rides

On May 4, 1961, a group of African Americans and white CORE members left D.C. on two buses headed to New Orleans.

They called themselves the Freedom Riders.

Freedom RidesThe bus trip went smoothly until the bus reached Alabama.

Angry whites stoned and beat the Freedom Riders.

Television and newspapers broadcast reports of the beatings.

Freedom RidesThe first attack took place in Anniston, Alabama when the Riders were surrounded by an angry mob

Many of the Riders were badly beaten and bombs were thrown into the bus windows

Freedom Rides

Freedom Rides

Freedom RidesThe Freedom Riders met more violence in Birmingham and Montgomery.

In Mississippi, state troopers, the national guard, and police arrested the riders as they stepped into the whites only waiting room.

Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham

James Peck

Freedom RidesIn the fall, the Interstate Commerce Commission took steps to enforce the Supreme Court ruling.

New regulations banned segregation on interstate buses.

Freedom Riders Map Activity1. Using a colored pencil, color the states red that the Freedom Riders passed through.

2. SKIP

3. Circle the locations in Alabama where the Freedom Riders met angry mobs.

Integrating UniversitiesAfrican Americans spurred

President Kennedy to take a more active role in the civil rights struggle.

In 1962 the University of Mississippi was ordered to enroll its first African American student, James Meredith.

The governor of Mississippi (Ross Barnett) and state police prevented him from registering.

Integrating Universities

James Meredith

Integrating UniversitiesRiots erupted.

A mob stormed the administration building with guns and rocks.

The federal marshalls fought back with tear gas and night sticks

Meredith eventually registered but 2 people were killed.

Integrating UniversitiesJune 1963 – confrontation at the

University of Alabama.

Governor George Wallace vowed he would “stand in the schoolhouse door” to block the integration of the University of Alabama.

President Kennedy sent the Alabama National Guard to ensure the entry of the students; Wallace backed down.

Integrating Universities

Integrating Universities

From the South’s perspective…what does this cartoon imply?

BirminghamIn 1963 King, chose Birmingham as the destination for a desegregation protest.

Police arrested hundreds of protestors, including King.

King wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail” during his two weeks in jail.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail

“For years now I have heard the word ‘Wait!’ It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This ‘Wait’has almost always meant ‘Never.’ We must come to see…that justice too long delayed is justice denied.”

BirminghamPhotographers captured police putting snarling dogs on unarmed demonstrators.

Forceful water hoses were also used.

President Kennedy sent 3,000 troops to restore peace.

Medgar Evers

In June 1963, Medgar Evers, state field secretary of the NAACP, was murdered in MS.

In 1964, Byron De La Beckwith was arrested for the murder…In 1994 he went to jail for the crime.

BirminghamThe murder along with the events in Birmingham forced President Kennedy to make a decision.

Appearing on National television, Kennedy spoke about the “moral issue” facing the nation.

Birmingham

“The heart of the question is whether all Americans are to be afforded equal rights and equal opportunities, whether we are going to treat our fellow Americans as we want to be treated. If an American, because his skin is dark, cannot…enjoy the full and free life which all of us want, then who among us would be content to have the color of his skin changed and stand in his place?”

- President Kennedy, 1963

on National television

Kennedy and Civil RightsDays later, the President introduced new legislation giving all Americans the right to be served in public places and banned discrimination in employment.

***This will later become the Civil Rights Act under President Johnson