The Civil Rights Movement

REVIEW

• Lots of change throughout the 1950’s and 60’s– Cold War 1945 – 1991

• US vs. Soviet Union• Technology race (nuclear, space, etc.)

– Presidents:• Eisenhower

– Brinkmanship• JFK

– The New Frontier– Cuban Missile Crisis– Assassination

• LBJ

• Even though a lot is changing… some things stay the same– Segregation throughout the US

CIVIL RIGHTS

• Segregation – the separation of people

based on skin color– Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

• Supreme Court case that made segregation legal

– Segregation continues heavily into the 1900’s

CIVIL RIGHTS

• During WWII: – African-Americans can fight, but are

separated into their own units• Tuskegee Airmen achievements begin to

change this

– FDR passes laws against Racism

• After WWII:– Civil Rights movement begins

• Led mostly by the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)

• Begin bringing cases to the Supreme Court regarding the constitutionality of segregation

CIVIL RIGHTS

• Brown v. Board of Education– May 1954 – Thurgood Marshall represented the

Brown family– Case involved a man claiming that it

was unconstitutional for his daughter not to be allowed to go to an all white school 4 blocks from his house

• Instead she had to go to a black school miles away

– Supreme Court decided that it was unconstitutional to have segregation in schools

CIVIL RIGHTS

• Montgomery Bus Boycott (1954)– Began when Rosa Parks refused to move

• ‘white’ area of bus was full and more seats were needed – so they used the ‘colored’ area where she was sitting

• She was then arrested and put in jail

– The next day many Blacks formed the Montgomery Improvement Association in order to begin a boycott of the buses

• Because minorities made up the majority of the bus’ customers

• Elect Martin Luther King Jr. as their leader

CIVIL RIGHTS

• Boycott lasted 381 days– Bus companies went out of business– 1956: Supreme Court outlawed bus

segregation

• Afterwards MLK continues his fight to end segregation/racism everywhere– For everyone – not just African-Americans– Called for non-violent resistance

CIVIL RIGHTS

• Founds the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)– Purpose was to carry on

non-violent crusades against the evils of 2nd class citizenship

– Carried out boycotts, picketing, sit-ins, and marches

MLK thought that this isthe way the world should be…

Example of a “Sit In”

Example of a ‘sit-in’

CIVIL RIGHTS

• Million Man March (1963)– 250,000 people picket on the

steps of the Capitol building for equality

– MLK gives his ‘I have a dream…’ speech

• Others began to believe that violence was the only way they would ever get equality– Turn to Malcolm X

CIVIL RIGHTS

• Malcolm X– Becomes popular in 1950’s & 60’s– Complete opposite of MLK

• When JFK was killed he believed that it was overdue

• Later assassinated in 1965

– Did not protest for ‘all equality’– Only protested for the

‘advancement of the black man’– Used the violent ideas of the

Nation of Islam

Just after hisassassination

CIVIL RIGHTS

• Other violent groups emerge:• Black Panthers:

– Formed in order to fight police brutality in different ghettos

• Preached self-defense

– Wore all black (hats, jackets, glasses)– Participated in illegal activities

• Murdered some policemen

– Carried out overdue legal activities• Form daycares, hospitals, shelters, soup kitchens,

etc.

CIVIL RIGHTS

• Violence turns on the leaders:– JFK = assassinated 1963– Malcolm X = assassinated 1965– MLK = assassinated 1968– RFK (Bobby) = assassinated 1968

*Civil Rights Act of 1968*

ended segregation in all areas of the US and banned discrimination for schools/housing

• Violence begins to emerge in other areas as well… Vietnam

CIVIL RIGHTS

• Results of Brown v. Board– 1. Many states appealed the decision

• This means they don’t have to comply until the appeal process is finished

– 2. Those who do start de-segregation meet with severe reactions

• White students: some help the cause and some hurt the cause

• African-Americans: Begin to protest for their rights = Student walk outs, sit-ins, and open defiance of segregated areas

Thurgood Marshall