The Civil Rights Movement

American Studies

1960s in America

Time of change and new ideas◦Gap between older generation and their baby

boomer childrenCounterculture and the protest movement

◦Hippies protest the war, the govt, and traditional values of society

Atmosphere leads to increased support for expanding the rights of minorities◦Women’s Liberation◦African American Civil Rights Movement

Political Action Groups

Interest Groups: people form to achieve a common goal◦To convince the govt to take action on an issue of

concern (lobbyists)

Political Action Committees (PACs): Independent organizations that contribute to political candidates who agree with their views◦Raise campaign money◦Raise public awareness about the issues

Women’s Liberation

Minority status due to years of legal, political, economic and social discrimination against women◦1963: Betty Friedan’s “Feminine Mystique” says women can

be more than just housewives

National Organization for Women (NOW)◦Founded in 1966: Fight for equal rights for women◦Push for laws that provide equal pay, education

opportunities, childcare centers, maternity leave rights, and legalized abortion Roe v. Wade 1973

◦Equal Rights Amendment (ERA): Guarantee men and women have same rights and protections under the law = never ratified

-Today:-More women in the US than men

-More women with college degrees

-Women still make 77 cents for every $1 a man makes

-Yearly, average man makes $47,000

-Average woman makes $37,000

-Wage gap exists in all racial categories

Practice Question

What was the perspective of women who founded the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1966?

A. Women wanted to receive equal pay and opportunities for advancement in the workplace.

B. Women were afraid of being forced to work in physically challenging jobs.

C. Women were angry at the prospect of having to serve in the military.

D. Women wanted to gain the right to vote and to own property.

American Indian Movement

AIM: Founded 1968 to combat issues of discrimination and poverty of Native Americans

Facing high unemployment, slum housing, police brutality, little help from the govt

1972: “Trail of Broken Treaties” MarchGovt responds:

◦More control over their education to preserve their culture

◦Regain some land lost as result of treaty violations◦Still working to restore more native land and improve

daily life in Native American community

Practice Question

One reason Native Americans founded the American Indian Movement (AIM) was they wanted to

A. reestablish reservations that had been closed down.

B. improve life on reservations and receive protection of their rights.

C. reawaken pride in their culture and heritage. D. create a separate and independent Native

American State.

United Farm Workers

UFW: Migrant workers seek relief through social and political activism◦Many immigrants of Latin American decent◦Work long hours for little pay, harsh conditions and

low-quality housing◦Unsanitary conditions and violations of child labor

laws

Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez organized strikes and boycotts, forcing growers to improve conditions for the pickers◦Work with AFL-CIO union

-Strike: Refuse to work until worker demands are met by company

-Boycott: Refuse to buy goods from a company in order to put economic pressure on them to make a change

Practice Question

In the 1960s and 1970s, Hispanic-American farm workers in the United States believed their employers were failing to provide reasonable wages and working conditions like those received by other American workers.

For this reason, Hispanic-American farm workers:

A. urged the exportation of agricultural produce. B. organized the United Farm Workers Association. C encouraged farm producers to lower prices. D. opposed passage of anti-discrimination laws.

The Civil Rights Movement

*African Americans:NAACP: Founded in 1909

◦ Work through legal system toward the goal of equal rights◦ Fight Jim Crow Laws, lynching, segregation, and workplace

discrimination

1896:Plessy vs. Ferguson◦ Separate but equal segregation is legal

1954: Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas◦ Overturns Plessey v. Ferguson, separate but equal

segregation is illegal◦ http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-move

ment/videos/separate-but-not-equal?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

◦ Thurgood Marshall was the lawyer to defend Brown and becomes first black Supreme Court Justice in 1967

Practice Question

What perspective of African-Americans was reflected in the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909?

A. the desire for a return to their cultural heritage B. the need to improve working conditions in factories C. the desire to end legalized discrimination based on

race D. the belief in the importance of building a new

country in Africa

Practice Question

The U.S. Constitution is a living document that evolves through Supreme Court decisions. Describe the decisions in Plessey vs. Ferguson and Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, and explain how they influenced the Constitution’s evolution. (4 bullet points)

Racism in America

Jim Crow Laws: Legalized racism and segregation in the South◦ Can’t use the same pools, water fountains,

bathrooms, libraries, hospitals, schools, parks and playgrounds, cemeteries, barbers, home/hotel, etc.

◦Segregated restaurants, movie theaters, busses and trains

◦Whites can’t marry anyone with 1/8 African, Japanese or Chinese ancestry

◦Can’t play games, cards, dice or dominos together◦Last Ku Klux Klan revival during this period

White Supremacists◦http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-right

s-movement/videos/sylvia-woods-freedom?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

Desegregation

Govt orders desegregation of schools but some Southern states resist

1956: Southern members of Congress signed Southern Manifesto demanding legal segregation be restored

1957: Most famous defiance in Little Rock , Arkansas◦ 9 African Americans try to go to class at a formerly white high school◦ Governor called out National Guard to prevent desegregation◦ Court forced him to withdraw, but angry mob turned students away◦ Eisenhower sends fed troops to enforce order and protect black

students

First time since Reconstruction that Fed govt took action to advance the rights of African Americans◦ Events covered on TV helped sway public opinion against racist mobs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xERXusiEszs

http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement/videos/emmett-till--legacy?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

Practice Question

What happened at Little Rock Arkansas?

a. African Americans desegregated schools, without any trouble at all.

b. African Americans tried to desegregate schools but they were not allowed in and were humiliated.

c. African Americans desegregated schools, with the help of Eisenhower and the National Guard.

d. African Americans desegregated schools with the help of Arkansas’s governor.

The Murder of Emmett Till

1955: 14 yr. old boy murdered in Mississippi for “flirting with a white woman”

Beaten, eyes gouged out, shot, throw in a river where he was found days later

Mother wanted public open casket funeral to show brutality of racism◦ Murderers never convicted◦ Intense criticism of Mississippi

His death played a pivotal role for gaining support for the Civil Rights Movement

http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement/videos/emmett-till--legacy?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

Montgomery Bus Boycott

1955: Rosa Parks boarded bus in Alabama and when told to give up her seat to a white man she refused◦ Civil Disobedience: Break a law and get caught to protest

injustice◦ She was arrested and fined◦ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjXovChu1aM◦ http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement

/videos/bet-you-didnt-know-rosa-parks?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

Martin Luther King Jr.: Young Baptist minister ◦ Advocated of non-violence and wanted to show that peaceful

protest could be effective◦ Helped organize boycott of the bus company to respond to end

bus segregation

http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement/videos/montgomery-bus-boycott?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

Montgomery Bus Boycott

Majority of bus riders were African American◦1956: Unable to handle the loss of income, the city

agreed to desegregate public transportation

Supreme Court rules segregation of public facilities is unconstitutional

King becomes head of Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) ◦Became recognized as civil rights leader◦Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi

Sit-Ins

1960s: Civil Rights movement gained momentum

Organized new forms of non-violent protest◦Greensboro, NC: Sit-in at segregated lunch

counter in 1960 to show they would not obey segregation laws

Black and white students organized the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

http://www.travelchannel.com/video/historic-lunch-counter-sit-in-12547

Freedom Riders

1961: Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)◦Sponsored bus trips around the south testing

the enforcement of the desegregation law ◦Both blacks and whites, called freedom riders

Met opposition as soon as they entered the south◦First ride in 1947: Several arrested in NC, some

end up serving in chain gangs there

Freedom Riders

1960s “Journey of Reconciliation” Freedom Rider bus tour Wanted to encourage the govt to enforce desegregation in

the south◦ Blacks ride at the front, whites in the back, violating Jim Crow laws◦ Blacks entered white-only restrooms, restaurants, etc. and whites

did the opposite◦ Met violent resistance: Mobs waiting to throw stones, slash tires,

beat riders, arrest them

Birmingham and Montgomery: Promised protection by the police but attacked in anyway

Despite threats they continued to Mississippi ◦ Were arrested and tried for breaking state law◦ Sentenced some to 60 day terms in state penitentiary

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/freedomriders/watch

Freedom Riders

News spread and more riders joined to replace those in jail

By the end: Mississippi arrested over 300◦Despite beatings and arrests, they achieved their

goal and govt changed ◦Made huge contribution at great personal cost

Senator Robert Kennedy convinced the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) to rule that segregation of interstate bus travel illegal

Practice Question

What is one direct consequence of the U.S. civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s?

A. the right to freedom of religion for all citizensB. the end of legal segregation in public placesC. the granting of citizenship to African-

AmericansD. the passing of legislation to protect the

accused

The Great March on Washington

After death of a NAACP leader Medgar Evers: Largest Civil Rights demonstration in history◦August 1963

“March for Jobs and Freedom”: Organized by NAACP, CORE, SNCC, SCLC, etc.

About 300,000 attend to fight for equality and listen to historic speakers ◦MLK Jr. gives his “I have a dream” speech◦Impact: March encourages passage of Civil

Rights Act

“I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal’…I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”http://www.youtube.com/watch

?v=HRIF4_WzU1w&feature=kp

Bombing in Birmingham

Whites in Alabama were angered by integration of schools and Civil Rights protest

In response: Men blow up a Baptist church used for protest meetings

Kills four innocent little girls◦Man seen at scene and found with dynamite is

found not guilty ◦http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil

-rights-movement/videos/bombing-of-the-16th-street-baptist-church?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

Freedom Summer 1964

SNCC organizes volunteers to help African Americans in Mississippi register to vote◦Over 1000 out-of-state white volunteers joining

thousands of local black activists◦State had lowest # registered: only 6.7% of blacks

in the state◦Literacy tests, difficult registration process, threats

and violence had prevented them from voting◦Activists were met with violent opposition ◦Impact: Movement encourages the govt to pass

Voting Rights Act

Over the course of the ten-week project:

•4 civil rights workers were killed

•At least 3 Mississippi blacks were murdered because of their support for the civil rights movement

•4 people were critically wounded

•80 Freedom Summer workers were beaten

•1062 people were arrested (volunteers and locals)

•37 churches were bombed or burned

•30 Black homes or businesses were bombed or burned

http://app.discoveryeducation.com/search?Ntt=freedom+summer

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Landmark legislation outlaws major forms of discrimination against racial, ethnic, national and religious minorities, and women.

Outlawed:◦Segregation of public facilities◦Workplace discrimination◦Housing and Loan discrimination

Practice Question

In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson persuaded Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act, which outlawed racial discrimination in public places, such as theaters, cafeterias and hotels. This was an attempt to

A. maintain poll taxes for African-Americans. B. stop African-American northward migration. C. end segregation legalized by Jim Crow laws. D. maintain literacy tests for African-Americans

1965: Bloody Sunday

600 protestors beaten and tear gassed by police◦ http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-m

ovement/videos/bloody-sunday?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

In response, SNCC organizes a long march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama◦ Two attempts stopped by police and mob

Martin Luther King and SCLC come to support marchers◦ Under National Guard and FBI protection◦ Walk 10 miles a day from March 16-24th

◦ Successfully arrive at the capital◦ Encourages passage of Voting Rights Act◦ http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-m

ovement/videos/freedom-march?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement/videos/march-from-selma-to-montgomery?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

The Voting Rights Act of 1965

Makes it easier to register to vote◦Discrimination and literacy tests are illegal

Federal oversight of election boards◦In many Southern states, less than 50% of

population was registered to vote◦Voting laws are finally enforced nationally

◦New laws insight riots in cities like LA, Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago

◦http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement/videos/voting-rights-bill?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

The End and Impact

1968: Robert Kennedy and MLK Jr. both assassinated

War protests increase: public is distracted

Not all goals of the movement were accomplished right away, but major impact made on America:◦Non-violent protest shown as effective way to create

positive change◦Encourages other minority groups to fight for equality◦Forces nation to redefine what we stand for and brings

up issues we still discuss today◦Racism becomes less socially acceptable

Practice Question

The Civil Rights Movement was all about the road to equality. One of the leaders of this movement was Martin Luther King Jr. What type of protest did he promote how did it work? Then please explain three different examples of Civil Disobedience and or non-violent protest during the Civil Rights Movement. (4 bullet points)

Black Power Movement

Malcom X (Malcom Little 1925-1965):◦ Father killed by white supremacists, mother committed to

mental institution◦ In prison for robbery: Studied Marcus Garvey and became

part of the Black Muslims◦ Believed “white devils” were inherently racist and blacks

should not integrate into American society◦ Preached against King’s non-violence and instead wanted

blacks to form their own society

Black Panther Party: Malcom X was not a member◦ Also spoke against non-violence and cooperation with whites◦ Promoted Black nationalism and self-defense◦ http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-move

ment/videos/malcolm-x?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

Speeches

“I Have Seen the Mountain Top” MLK’s Last Speech◦http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixfwGLxRJU8

&safe=activeGay Rights:

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/alex-wagner-arizona-religious-freedom-law-equivalent-to-jim-crow-laws-for-gays/