What Are Civil Rights?What Are Civil Rights?

The American Civil Rights The American Civil Rights MovementMovement

After the Civil War laws were passed that After the Civil War laws were passed that limited the rights of African-Americans. limited the rights of African-Americans. These were called black codes.These were called black codes.

Plessy v Ferguson was a court case in the Plessy v Ferguson was a court case in the 1890s that upheld this separation1890s that upheld this separation

Jim Crow Laws were laws passed after Jim Crow Laws were laws passed after Plessy v Ferguson that limited the rights of Plessy v Ferguson that limited the rights of African-Americans. African-Americans.

Provided for the separation of the races.Provided for the separation of the races.Brown v Board of Education ruled that Brown v Board of Education ruled that

separate is never equalseparate is never equal

Civil RightsCivil Rights

Definition: Rights granted to all peopleDefinition: Rights granted to all people

Brown vs. Board of Education of Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)Topeka (1954)

A case in which the Supreme Court ruled A case in which the Supreme Court ruled that “separate but equal” education for that “separate but equal” education for black and white students was black and white students was unconstitutional.unconstitutional.Overturned Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896)Overturned Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896)Provided the foundation for most of the civil Provided the foundation for most of the civil

rights laws in the 1950s and 1960srights laws in the 1950s and 1960s

Linda Brown

(age 8)

Monroe School, the segregated school that Brown was forced to

attend in 1954

Showdown in Little Rock (1957)Showdown in Little Rock (1957)

The school board in Little Rock, Arkansas made The school board in Little Rock, Arkansas made plans to integrate the public schoolsplans to integrate the public schools

Nine African-American students were enrolled to Nine African-American students were enrolled to integrate Central High integrate Central High

Gov. Orval Faubus sided with the Gov. Orval Faubus sided with the segregationists and ordered National Guard segregationists and ordered National Guard troops to prevent students from entering troops to prevent students from entering This continued for 3 weeksThis continued for 3 weeks

President Eisenhower ordered the 101President Eisenhower ordered the 101stst Airborne Airborne to escort the students into Central Highto escort the students into Central High

Little Rock’s Central High School

The Little Rock Nine

Gloria Ray

Terrance Roberts

Melba Patillo

Elizabeth Eckford

Ernest Green

Minnijean Brown

Jefferson Thomas

Carlotta Wells

Thelma Mothershed

Terrence Roberts being stopped from entering

Central H.S by National Guardsmen

The Little Rock Nine being escorted by the 101st Airborne on the campus

of Central High School

Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955)Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955)

City buses: white passengers in the front, City buses: white passengers in the front, black passengers in the back (blacks were black passengers in the back (blacks were forced to give up seats to whites)forced to give up seats to whites)

Rosa Parks: arrested for not giving up her Rosa Parks: arrested for not giving up her seat to a white manseat to a white man

Martin Luther King Jr. was chosen to help Martin Luther King Jr. was chosen to help lead the boycottlead the boycott

Before the boycott began, 2/3 of bus riders Before the boycott began, 2/3 of bus riders in Montgomery were African-Americanin Montgomery were African-American

An empty Montgomery city bus during the boycott (1956)

Montgomery Bus Boycott (1956)Montgomery Bus Boycott (1956)

The boycott continued for 13 monthsThe boycott continued for 13 monthsBoycotters organized carpools and walkedBoycotters organized carpools and walkedLeaders of the boycott were threatened by Leaders of the boycott were threatened by

bombs, death, and jail sentencesbombs, death, and jail sentencesNational media attentionNational media attentionNovember 13, 1956: The Supreme Court November 13, 1956: The Supreme Court

ruled that the laws were unconstitutional ruled that the laws were unconstitutional and ended segregation on Montgomery and ended segregation on Montgomery buses.buses.

Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on a city bus in 1955

Martin Luther King Jr. getting booked in a Montgomery, AL jail (February, 1956)

Results of the Montgomery Bus Results of the Montgomery Bus Boycott…Boycott…

Ended segregation on Montgomery busesEnded segregation on Montgomery busesLed to the founding of the Southern Led to the founding of the Southern

Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)Coordinated nonviolent civil rights protests Coordinated nonviolent civil rights protests

across the Southacross the SouthBegan the well-known career of Martin Began the well-known career of Martin

Luther King Jr. and his leadership on civil Luther King Jr. and his leadership on civil rights issuesrights issues

Two African-American men sit in the first seat behind the bus driver after

the Supreme Court ruled segregation on buses was unconstitutional.

The Sit-in MovementThe Sit-in Movement

February 1960: 4 African-American college February 1960: 4 African-American college students began a sit-in movement in students began a sit-in movement in Greensboro, NCGreensboro, NC They were trying to integrate a lunch counter in a They were trying to integrate a lunch counter in a

storestore They sat at the counter and ordered coffee but were They sat at the counter and ordered coffee but were

refused service because of their racerefused service because of their race The first day, the students stayed for one hour. As the The first day, the students stayed for one hour. As the

days went on, they started bringing more and more days went on, they started bringing more and more protesters and staying for longer periods of time.protesters and staying for longer periods of time.

Sit-in at a Walgreen’s in Nashville, TN. 1960

What happened during the sit-ins?What happened during the sit-ins?

Protesters were abused by segregationistsProtesters were abused by segregationistsCovered with ammonia, itching powder, and Covered with ammonia, itching powder, and

acidacidBurned with cigarettesBurned with cigarettesYelled at and beatenYelled at and beatenSome were sent to jailSome were sent to jail

New protesters would replace the abused New protesters would replace the abused ones, and the cycle continuedones, and the cycle continued

Sit-in that took place in Jackson, Mississippi was the most widely publicized. (May, 1963)

Thurgood MarshallThurgood Marshall

African-American lawyerAfrican-American lawyer1940- Appointed chief counsel of the 1940- Appointed chief counsel of the

NAACPNAACPWon 29 out of 32 Supreme Court casesWon 29 out of 32 Supreme Court cases

Brown v. Board of Education of TopekaBrown v. Board of Education of Topeka

1967-Appointed by Lyndon Johnson as 1967-Appointed by Lyndon Johnson as the first African-American Supreme Court the first African-American Supreme Court JusticeJusticeServed in this role for 24 yearsServed in this role for 24 years

Thurgood Marshall’s Supreme Court

Portrait

Marshall after being appointed to the Supreme Court in 1967