The Civil Rights Era The Civil Rights Movement

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The Civil Rights Era

The Civil Rights Era

The Civil Rights Movement � Essential Question: › What were the legal and social

The Civil Rights Movement � Essential Question: › What were the legal and social challenges to racial segregation in the 1940 s and 1950 s?

American Diary � Howard Bailey remembers that when the white high school got new

American Diary � Howard Bailey remembers that when the white high school got new text books, the old ones would be dropped off at his African American school. “I can remember that occasionally they would shovel the books out of the pickup trucks with coal shovels and just… dump them on the ground outside of the school building. So our teachers and principals would… gather up them up and tape them up…the books that were in real bad shape. ” �Kentucky Civil Rights Oral History Commission

Equality in Education � African Americans and other supporters of civil rights challenged discrimination

Equality in Education � African Americans and other supporters of civil rights challenged discrimination in the nation’s public schools � Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka Kansas (Supreme Court Case) › Lawyer Thurgood Marshall argued that segregated schools were not equal › May 17 th, 1954 – Supreme Court ruled that separate is not equal › Overturns Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896)

Integrating the Schools Supreme Court called on school authorities to integrate schools as fast

Integrating the Schools Supreme Court called on school authorities to integrate schools as fast as possible � Some southern schools vowed to keep African American children out of white schools despite Supreme Court decision � Little Rock, Arkansas � › Governor called out state’s National Guard to prevent African Americans from entering the high school › Eisenhower sent hundreds of federal troops and 9 African American students were admitted

The Montgomery Bus Boycott � 1955 – Rosa Parks is arrested and fined $10

The Montgomery Bus Boycott � 1955 – Rosa Parks is arrested and fined $10 for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white person � Arrest led African Americans to organize a boycott of city buses › Almost 75% of the riders were African Americans › Students hitchhiked to school and car pools were organized › 1956 – Supreme Court stepped in and ruled Montgomery bus segregation was unconstitutional

Nonviolent Protest � Montgomery Bus Boycott made Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. a leader

Nonviolent Protest � Montgomery Bus Boycott made Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. a leader of civil rights › Practiced civil disobedience › Developed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

Civil Rights

Civil Rights

Making Connections � What was the major difference in the ruling of Plessy vs.

Making Connections � What was the major difference in the ruling of Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896) and Brown vs. Board of Education? � Answer the Essential Question: What were the legal and social challenges to racial segregation in the 1940 s and 1950 s?

Kennedy and Johnson � Essential Question: What did the Civil Rights act of 1964

Kennedy and Johnson � Essential Question: What did the Civil Rights act of 1964 accomplish?

Kennedy and the New Frontier � Appealed to many Americans who wanted change �

Kennedy and the New Frontier � Appealed to many Americans who wanted change � War hero from a wealthy and powerful American family � Wins election of 1960 against Richard Nixon › “ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country”

John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy

Domestic Policies � Called for a New Frontier of social reforms › Federal aid

Domestic Policies � Called for a New Frontier of social reforms › Federal aid for education and the poor › Supported civil rights but feared moving too quickly would anger Southern Democrats � Assassinated on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas � Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson became president

Lyndon B. Johnson � Johnson planned to expand Kennedy’s domestic policy and declared a

Lyndon B. Johnson � Johnson planned to expand Kennedy’s domestic policy and declared a war on poverty › Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbade discrimination by gender, religion and national origin › Medicaid (health insurance and medical assistance for low income families) › Medicare (insurance programs for the elderly) › Jobs Corps trained young people seeking work › Rebuild decaying cities › Improve Education › Promote equality and reduce poverty

Answer the Essential Question � What did the Civil Rights act of 1964 accomplish?

Answer the Essential Question � What did the Civil Rights act of 1964 accomplish?

The Struggle Continues � Essential Question: › What areas of civil rights did groups

The Struggle Continues � Essential Question: › What areas of civil rights did groups try to improve in the 1960 s and what methods did those groups use?

The Movement Grows � Sit-in: the act of protesting by sitting down � Freedom

The Movement Grows � Sit-in: the act of protesting by sitting down � Freedom Riders › Beat and stoned by angry whites in Alabama › Met violence in other cities and were arrested and jailed for entering white waiting rooms › Supreme Court decision was eventually enforced � Federal troops had to protect African American university students

Birmingham, Alabama � Spring 1963 – Dr. King and other demonstrators arrested for peaceful

Birmingham, Alabama � Spring 1963 – Dr. King and other demonstrators arrested for peaceful desegregation protest › Police used fire hoses and dogs to push back protesters › JFK sent in 3, 000 troops to restore peace › After NAACP leader was murdered, JFK pushed legislation that gave all African Americans the right to be served in public places

Birmingham

Birmingham

March on Washington � To rally support for civil rights bill, Dr. King and

March on Washington � To rally support for civil rights bill, Dr. King and SCLC organized a march on Washington D. C. (1963) › › 2, 000 people of all colors 6, 000 police officers stood nearby No violence erupted Carried signs urging Congress to pass the Civil Rights Bill › Dr. King gives his “I Have a Dream” speech

Freedom Summer � Civil Rights Act of 1964 › Outlawed discrimination in hiring and

Freedom Summer � Civil Rights Act of 1964 › Outlawed discrimination in hiring and segregation in stores, restaurants, theaters and hotels › Many states still used poll taxes and laws to keep African American’s from voting › Those who tried to register were sometimes met with violent opposition › Voting Act of 1965 gave federal government the power to force local officials to allow African Americans to vote

Other Voices � Malcolm X › Disagreed with Dr. King’s strategy of nonviolent protest

Other Voices � Malcolm X › Disagreed with Dr. King’s strategy of nonviolent protest › Originally wanted separation of blacks and whites › Eventually called for an end to racial separation › Assassinated by a rival group of Black Muslims

Other Voices � Black Power › Philosophy of racial pride › African Americans should

Other Voices � Black Power › Philosophy of racial pride › African Americans should create their own culture and political institutions › Revolution and complete transformation of society › Black Panther Party

Dr. King is Assassinated � April 4, 1968 – shot and killed � Murder

Dr. King is Assassinated � April 4, 1968 – shot and killed � Murder set off riots in more than 100 cities � God “has allowed me to go up to the mountains, and I have seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we as people, will get to the promised land”

Answer the Essential Question � What areas of civil rights did groups try to

Answer the Essential Question � What areas of civil rights did groups try to improve in the 1960 s and what methods did those groups use?

Other Groups Seek Rights � Essential Question: › How did the civil rights movement

Other Groups Seek Rights � Essential Question: › How did the civil rights movement affect women and minorities other than African Americans?

Women’s Rights � Influence of civil rights movement led many women to organize and

Women’s Rights � Influence of civil rights movement led many women to organize and push for greater rights and opportunities › Feminists fought for equal rights for women in all aspects of life › Sandra Day O’Connor – 1 st female member of the Supreme Court › Equal Rights Amendment turned down because it would upset the balance of the family › Equal Pay Act

Seeking Greater Opportunity � Latinos, especially migrant farm workers fought for better wages and

Seeking Greater Opportunity � Latinos, especially migrant farm workers fought for better wages and hours � Native Americans › Federal policy tried to weaken the power of tribal government in the 1950 s › Native Americans demanded political power and independent from the US government › Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968 gave Native American nations the right to make their own laws on reservations

American Indian Movement � Younger Native Americans under the AIM staged a series of

American Indian Movement � Younger Native Americans under the AIM staged a series of protests › Occupied the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington D. C. demanding land rights guaranteed by U. S. treaties › 1973 – occupied Wounded Knee, South Dakota until the government investigated treatment of Native Americans

Answer the Essential Question � How did the civil rights movement affect women and

Answer the Essential Question � How did the civil rights movement affect women and minorities other than African Americans?