Civil Rights Top TenCivil Rights Top Ten

Honors American HistoryHonors American History

Mrs. CavellMrs. Cavell

1. Jim Crow Laws1. Jim Crow Laws Jim Crow Laws:Jim Crow Laws: State State

and local laws passed to and local laws passed to separate the races in separate the races in public facilities (schools, public facilities (schools, parks, hospitals, etc.)parks, hospitals, etc.)

Segregation:Segregation: Term used Term used to describe this system to describe this system of separationof separation

Plessy v. Ferguson:Plessy v. Ferguson: Supreme Court case Supreme Court case that legalized that legalized segregation as long as segregation as long as the facilities were the facilities were “equal” (1896)“equal” (1896)

Jim CrowJim Crow

2. NAACP2. NAACP

NAACP:NAACP: (National (National Association for the Association for the Advancement of Advancement of Colored People) Formed Colored People) Formed in 1909 by WEB DuBois in 1909 by WEB DuBois

NAACP GOAL:NAACP GOAL: Full Full equality-nothing less! equality-nothing less! Despite an era of Despite an era of progressive reforms, progressive reforms, very little support for very little support for this goal for even the this goal for even the reformers reformers

WEB DuBOISWEB DuBOIS

3. The end of 3. The end of legalized segregationlegalized segregation

Brown v. Board of Education:Brown v. Board of Education: Case led by Thurgood Case led by Thurgood Marshall (eventually became Marshall (eventually became first African-American SC first African-American SC justice) struck down justice) struck down segregation on the grounds segregation on the grounds that “separate facilities were that “separate facilities were inherently unequal”. inherently unequal”. Marshall had won 29 cases Marshall had won 29 cases regarding civil rights prior to regarding civil rights prior to this. He was key legal this. He was key legal defender of the civil rights defender of the civil rights movement.movement.

Reaction:Reaction: This affected 21 This affected 21 states and reaction was states and reaction was mixed…some states would mixed…some states would be no problem and others be no problem and others (Miss/Georgia) complete (Miss/Georgia) complete resistanceresistance

Thurgood MarshallThurgood Marshall

Brown v. BoardBrown v. Board

This case was based on the complaint of This case was based on the complaint of Mr. Oliver Brown, whose nine-year-old Mr. Oliver Brown, whose nine-year-old daughter Linda had to travel 21 blocks to daughter Linda had to travel 21 blocks to attend an African-American school instead attend an African-American school instead of an all-white school four blocks from of an all-white school four blocks from home. home.

Thurgood Marshall wrote a brilliant brief Thurgood Marshall wrote a brilliant brief explaining why segregation was unequal explaining why segregation was unequal and won a unanimous decision.and won a unanimous decision.

Congress and the President (Eisenhower) Congress and the President (Eisenhower) did little initially to enforce this verdict.did little initially to enforce this verdict.

4. The Little Rock Nine4. The Little Rock Nine In 1957, nine African-In 1957, nine African-

American students American students volunteered to integrate volunteered to integrate Little Rock Central HighLittle Rock Central High

Governor Orval Faubus Governor Orval Faubus ordered National Guard to ordered National Guard to turn them awayturn them away

President Eisenhower put President Eisenhower put the National Guard under the National Guard under federal control and had federal control and had soldiers protect the soldiers protect the students while at schoolstudents while at school

Faubus eventually shut Faubus eventually shut down Central High rather down Central High rather than allow integrationthan allow integration

It was a victory that the It was a victory that the students were able to students were able to attend an all-white schoolattend an all-white school

Little Rock NineLittle Rock Nine

5. Montgomery Bus Boycott5. Montgomery Bus Boycott On Dec. 1, 1955, Rosa On Dec. 1, 1955, Rosa

Parks boarded a bus in Parks boarded a bus in Montgomery, Alabama in Montgomery, Alabama in the “colored section”. As the “colored section”. As the bus filled up, Parks was the bus filled up, Parks was asked to move for a white asked to move for a white man and refused. This man and refused. This sparked a bus boycott that sparked a bus boycott that lasted 381 days.lasted 381 days.

Parks had been an NAACP Parks had been an NAACP officer that had been officer that had been quietly but persistently quietly but persistently fighting for civil rightsfighting for civil rights

RESULT:RESULT: Martin Luther Martin Luther King became the voice of King became the voice of the civil rights movement the civil rights movement and SC outlawed and SC outlawed segregation on busessegregation on buses

Rosa ParksRosa Parks

6. MLK6. MLK MLK’s civil rights strategy MLK’s civil rights strategy

was called “soul force” was called “soul force” (non-violent resistance)(non-violent resistance)

SCLCSCLC: Southern Christian : Southern Christian Leadership Conference: Leadership Conference: Group organized by King to Group organized by King to use churches throughout use churches throughout the South to organize the South to organize protests whose goal was to protests whose goal was to unite all African-Americans unite all African-Americans of all ages against second-of all ages against second-class statusclass status

SNCC:SNCC: An African-American An African-American protest group that protest group that originated on college originated on college campusescampuses

MLKMLK

BirminghamBirmingham SNCC organized a freedom SNCC organized a freedom

ride into Birmingham, ride into Birmingham, Alabama with the promise of Alabama with the promise of police protection secured police protection secured through President Kennedy. through President Kennedy.

When the riders arrived…no When the riders arrived…no police, just an angry mob that police, just an angry mob that beat them up and set the bus beat them up and set the bus on fire (with people inside!)on fire (with people inside!)

This gave the civil rights This gave the civil rights movement the media boost it movement the media boost it needed. News coverage needed. News coverage denounced the beatings and denounced the beatings and showed whites abusing their showed whites abusing their power.power.

RESULT: Desegregation of all RESULT: Desegregation of all bus stations, waiting rooms, bus stations, waiting rooms, restrooms, and lunch restrooms, and lunch counters.counters.

MFDP and Selma CampaignMFDP and Selma Campaign In 1964 a new political party emerged designed to In 1964 a new political party emerged designed to

help elect people in favor of civil rights legislation. help elect people in favor of civil rights legislation. This party was open to This party was open to anyoneanyone, regardless of race. , regardless of race. It was the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.It was the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.

In the summer of 1965, SCLC and SNCC wanted to In the summer of 1965, SCLC and SNCC wanted to help register voters in Selma, Alabama. They were help register voters in Selma, Alabama. They were also arrested and brutally attacked. MLK launched a also arrested and brutally attacked. MLK launched a peaceful march from Selma to Montgomery (state peaceful march from Selma to Montgomery (state capital) to protest these beatings. A war-like scene capital) to protest these beatings. A war-like scene emerged complete with tear gas and beatings.emerged complete with tear gas and beatings.

RESULTRESULT: President Johnson swiftly passed the : President Johnson swiftly passed the VOTING RIGHTS ACT of 1965 which eliminated the VOTING RIGHTS ACT of 1965 which eliminated the literacy test and employed federal examiners to literacy test and employed federal examiners to register voters.register voters.

6. MLK’s Non-Violent Strategies6. MLK’s Non-Violent Strategies Sit-ins:Sit-ins: Protest strategies that Protest strategies that

were designed to get service in were designed to get service in segregated public facilities. segregated public facilities. (EX: Sitting in at a whites only (EX: Sitting in at a whites only lunch counter)lunch counter)

Freedom Riders:Freedom Riders: Individuals Individuals who risked beatings or death who risked beatings or death to travel across the South in to travel across the South in buses to protest segregationbuses to protest segregation

March on Washington:March on Washington: August August 28, 1963: 250,000 people 28, 1963: 250,000 people peacefully assembled in the peacefully assembled in the nations capital to listen to MLK nations capital to listen to MLK address them with his now-address them with his now-famous “I have a dream” famous “I have a dream” speech. President Kennedy speech. President Kennedy vowed to make equal rights a vowed to make equal rights a priority, but was assassinated priority, but was assassinated on November 22, 1963. on November 22, 1963. President Johnson carried on President Johnson carried on JFK’s work.JFK’s work.

Sit-ins:Sit-ins:

7. Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 7. Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 19681968

Civil Rights Act of 1964:Civil Rights Act of 1964: Prohibits Prohibits discrimination because of race, discrimination because of race, gender, religion, or national origin gender, religion, or national origin (IE: All citizens had the rights to eat, (IE: All citizens had the rights to eat, shop, go the bathroom and go to shop, go the bathroom and go to school where they chose to)school where they chose to)

Civil Rights Act of 1968:Civil Rights Act of 1968: A law that A law that bans discrimination in housing (You bans discrimination in housing (You can live where you want to)can live where you want to)

7. Malcolm X and Nation of Islam7. Malcolm X and Nation of Islam

Born Malcolm Little, Born Malcolm Little, Malcolm X became a Malcolm X became a follower of the Nation of follower of the Nation of Islam (Black Muslims) while Islam (Black Muslims) while in prisonin prison

He believed in armed self-He believed in armed self-defense and a separation defense and a separation from whites (No from whites (No brotherhood with whites)brotherhood with whites)

Later in his life he Later in his life he journeyed to Mecca and journeyed to Mecca and changed his philosophy to changed his philosophy to embrace equality among embrace equality among all races but still felt that all races but still felt that armed self-defense was armed self-defense was justifiedjustified

Malcolm XMalcolm X

7. Black Power and Black Panthers7. Black Power and Black Panthers

Black Power:Black Power: The rallying cry of new leaders The rallying cry of new leaders in the SNCC movement whose goals now in the SNCC movement whose goals now included African-Americans leading their included African-Americans leading their organizations and setting the civil rights organizations and setting the civil rights agenda (no more working with whites)agenda (no more working with whites)

Black Panthers:Black Panthers: Founded by Huey Newton Founded by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in 1966, this party and Bobby Seale in 1966, this party advocated full-employment, decent housing, advocated full-employment, decent housing, and military-exemption for African-and military-exemption for African-Americans. “Power flows out of the barrel of Americans. “Power flows out of the barrel of a gun.”a gun.”

Black PanthersBlack Panthers

LogoLogo MembersMembers

8. MLK Assassination8. MLK Assassination MLK objected to the radical MLK objected to the radical

changes the equality changes the equality movement was headed movement was headed and hoped to spread his and hoped to spread his idea of non-violence to idea of non-violence to poor in northern cities.poor in northern cities.

On April 3, 1968, King On April 3, 1968, King addressed a crowd that he addressed a crowd that he may not see a world with may not see a world with equality, but he was not in equality, but he was not in fear…some speculate he fear…some speculate he knew death was nearknew death was near

On April 4, 1968, MLK On April 4, 1968, MLK stepped out onto a hotel stepped out onto a hotel balcony and was shot in balcony and was shot in the neck by James Earl Raythe neck by James Earl Ray

MLK’s Funeral and James MLK’s Funeral and James Earl RayEarl Ray

9. Reaction to the Assassination 9. Reaction to the Assassination and Legacyand Legacy

The reaction to MLK’s death sparked worst The reaction to MLK’s death sparked worst rioting in US historyrioting in US history

Robert Kennedy pled with American people Robert Kennedy pled with American people to come together as King would have to come together as King would have wantedwanted

OUTCOMES: African-Americans took pride in OUTCOMES: African-Americans took pride in their heritage and colleges began offering their heritage and colleges began offering classes on Black Studies. African-Americans classes on Black Studies. African-Americans also became more visible in the media.also became more visible in the media.

Affirmative Action:Affirmative Action: Programs that involve Programs that involve making special efforts to hire or enroll making special efforts to hire or enroll people who have been discriminated people who have been discriminated against in the pastagainst in the past

20112011

President Barack President Barack Obama…What do Obama…What do you think MLK you think MLK would have done would have done had he lived to see had he lived to see this?this?