Civil Rights Movement in America: Historic Milestones and Key Figures

1. Civil Rights Movement

2. Brown v. Board of Education (1954) • Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) – Established the “separate but equal” principle • Schools and other public facilities can be segregated as long as they are equal • NAACP National Association for the Advancement of Colored People • Try to desegregate schools • Thurgood Marshall was lead attorney • 4 cases tried starting in 1952, go before Supreme Court collectively • Brown v. Board of Education (Kansas) • Court decided unanimously that segregation of schools was unconstitutional. Southern states still resisted this for many years James Meredith – First African American to enroll at “Ole Miss”

3. Little Rock 9 • Little Rock Nine —nine black students attempted to enroll at Central HS in Little Rock, 1957 • Protests blocked the students from entering the school for 3 weeks. • President Eisenhower called in 10,000 National Guardsmen to escort the students into the school. • http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement/videos/little-rock-nine-rev?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

4. The Montgomery Bus Boycott • Rosa Parks  Refused to give up her seat to a white person when the bus filled • She was arrested, civil rights leaders posted her bail. • Boycott of the public buses in Montgomery was organized (blacks made up 75% of all bus riders) • Bus companies nearly go bankrupt. • Boycott lasted almost a year • Supreme Court ruled an end to bus segregation in 1956.

5. Martin Luther King Jr. • Reverend at a Baptist church in Montgomery • Began speaking publicly during the bus boycott • Style quickly put him at the forefront of the movement. • 2 main points of philosophy • Non-violent protest of injustices • Base arguments on Christian laws and the Constitution (equality). • Southern Christian Leadership Conference • SCLC  Led the civil rights movement in the South

6. Sit-In Movement • Began in Greensboro, NC in 1960 • College students held a sit-in at the “whites only” lunch counter at Woolworth’s. • Peaceful protest • Police don’t know how to respond. Sometimes allowed it, sometimes responded with violence. • Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee • SNCC pronounced “snick” • Used this tactic repeatedly throughout the South

7. Freedom Rides • Protesters rode on buses throughout the South, many of which still refused to desegregate • Freedom riders were white and black—often got arrested but continued to board segregated bus lines. • A few cases of buses being firebombed, or whites storming buses and beating the riders

8. Birmingham • King leads protests and rallies in Birmingham – “Most segregated city in America” • Gets arrested • Writes famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail • Police use powerful fire hoses on protesters, many of whom were children • President Kennedy sends mediators to end the conflict • 16th Street Baptist Church • Bombed by KKK September 1963—4 little girls killed during Sunday school

9. March on Washington • Civil Rights leaders wanted harsher laws passed • Over 250,000 protesters from across the nation came to DC • Martin Luther King, Jr. delivers famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

10. Civil Rights Act of 1964 • Provisions: • Enforce school desegregation and ensure fair voting practices • Banned the use of different voter registration standards for blacks and whites • Prohibited discrimination in public places • Banned discrimination in hiring based on gender, race, religion, or national origin • http://www.history.com/videos/civil-rights-act-of-1964#civil-rights-act-of-1964

11. Voter Registration Drives • SNCC organizes “Freedom Summer” • Lead registration of black voters in southern cities. • Martin Luther King, Jr. goes to Selma, Alabama to lead protests • Arrested, police beat protesters. 25,000 march through Selma. • http://www.history.com/videos/freedom-march#freedom-march

12. Additional Civil Rights Laws • 24th Amendment—1964 • Outlawed poll taxes in federal elections. These had been used to keep poor African-Americans from voting • Voting Rights Act of 1965 • Provisions: • Allowed federal officials to register voters in places that still used discriminatory practices • Eliminated literacy tests and other voting barriers

13. Urban Areas • De Facto Segregation – Racial segregation that happens voluntarily • Groups choosing to live in one area producing schools dominated by that group • De Jure Segregation – Segregation that is imposed by law

14. Nation of Islam • Led by Elijah Muhammad • Preached separatism and “black nationalism” • Wanted blacks to set up their own schools, churches and support networks • Malcolm X • Most visible member • Spokesperson – Promoted a separate state for African Americans • Violence was justified in self-defense

15. Black Power Movement • Started by Stokely Carmichael • Joined SNCC; was jailed for his work with Freedom Riders • Moved away from nonviolent approach • Black Panthers • Founded by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton • Had four desires: Equality in education, housing, employment and civil rights • Willing to use violence • Considered the “greatest threat to the internal security of the country” by the FBI