Period Three Civil Rights Project

1

Ivan Allen ● Elected mayor of Atlanta in 1962 who

developed 1-285 and sports teams in Atlanta

● Ordered the removal of Colored and Whites signs on first day in office.

● Removed restrictions on African American policeman and integrated fire department and city government

● Worked with MLK to make the city’s transition into desegregation smooth

2

Benjamin Mays • Gandhi impressed upon Mays the ideals of

passive resistance strategies • President of Morehouse college• Martin Luther King Jr. entered Morehouse

and the two formed a mentor/mentee relationship

• Became the first African American to serve on the Board of Education

3

Three Governor Controversy

● After the death of Eugene Talmadge, three people claimed the governor’s office: Arnall, H. Talmadge, and Thompson

● This event was an embarassment for Georgia● The Georgia Constitution was newly written with

an addition of a Lt. Governor. ● The court decided the Lt. Governor (Thompson)

would take over until a special election can be held.

4

● Up until 1945, African Americans could not vote in Primary Elections leaving white democrats to run unopposed in most elections.

Primary- determines main democratic and republican candidate General- elections for political offices● Without any desireable candidates to elect, many African

Americans became disinterested in voting and did not even register.

● 1945 the federal court ruled the white primary unconstitutional.

The End of the White Primary

5

Herman Talmadge● Elected governor of Georgia in 1946 on the

platform of maintaining segregation of public schools.

● He was a segregationist like his father, but later changed his tune in order to get black voters: gave $ to African American teachers, expansion of Black colleges, hospitals, etc.

● With the end of the White Primary and the County Unit system, African American votes were needed to win elections.

6

William B. Hartsfield ● Mayor of Atlanta for 6 terms (1930’s-

1960’s) creating Hartsfield airport and interstate system.

Civil Rights: • Organized an integrated alliance that

included Martin Luther King, Sr. and Reverend Borders.

• Hired 8 black police officers for restricted duties

• Worked on ending lunch counter segregation

7

Brown vs. Board of Education• 1954 Linda Brown, a black student,

tried to enroll in an all-white school in Topeka, Kansas and she was denied enrollment

• NAACP helped her father go to court and sue the Topeka Board of Education

• The Supreme Court ruled “separate but equal schools are unconstitutional’’ and ordered racial integration of schools “with deliberate speed.”

• The Georgia Assembly was opposed to this ruling and declared the decision null and void. 8

● After Rosa Parks arrest for sitting in the white section of the bus Civil Rights leaders, such as Dr. Martin Luther King asked all African Americans to stay off buses and rather find other ways of transportation

● The boycott lasted one year causing the city to lose revenue since 75% of bus riders were African American.

● The case went to the US Supreme Court where it ruled that segregation on public transportation was unconstitutional.

● The Bus Boycott started December 4, 1955, and ended December 21, 1956

9

Montgomery Bus Boycott

African Americans agreed to continue the boycott until their demands were met, which were:

1) Africans american passengers were to be treated with courtesy

2) African american drivers would be assigned to mostly black routes

3) That seating would be served on a first come, first served basis

State Flag of 1956● As a protest of the Brown vs Board ruling to integrate

schools, the Georgia Assembly changed to include the confederate battle symbol

10

● The flag wasn’t changed until 2001

● Caused GA to lose millions of dollars in tourism

Martin Luther King

• Georgia native • Believed in nonviolence (inspired

by Gandhi)• Instrumental in ending

segregation and racial equality• Lead countless peaceful strikes,

protests, and movements• Won Nobel Peace Prize

11

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee● Major Civil Rights organization made up of high school

and college-aged students. ● They worked with the Southern Leadrship Conference to

organize peaceful protests like sit-ins, and freedom rides● They focused in Atlanta and Albany and was at the

forefront of the Albany Movement.

12

The Sibley Commision

● 1960- After the Brown vs Board court decision to desegregate schools, Georgia governmor Ernest Vandiver pushed legislation to form this committee.

● The committee was to investigate was Georgian’s opinions were on desegregation of schools.

● After the session, 60% of Georgians claimed that they would rather close the public schools than to integrate.

● 1961 the city of Atlanta desegregated its schools.

13

Desegregating UGA● Despite being ideal candidate, two African American students applied to

the Univeristy of Georgia but were not accepted.● They conitinued to applie multiple times but were denied each time. ● They took their case to federal court and won. ● They faced a riot upon arriving on campus.● Both graduated from UGA, though not treated well by their peers, they

were never in physical danger after the riot.

14

Charlayne Hunter:● Graduated from Henry W. Grady

school of Journalism at UGA● Became nationally accredited

newspaper and public TV reporter (NY Times)(PBS)

● Graduated in 1963

Hamilton Holmes:● Orthopaedic Surgeon● Graduated with honors● In 1963 went to Emory

University( the 1st African American to do so)

The Albany Movement

● Albany,GA

● Fall of 1961- summer of 1962● Members of the SNCC and the local community began to protest the

segregationist policies of the city. The protesters performed civil disobedience by sitting in the white section of the Albany bus station to test the new Supreme Court ruling prohibiting segregation in interstate bus and train stations

● The group was met with massive resistance from whites and police with more than 500 protestors sent to jail.

● MLK, Jr came to join the protest which he still considered a failure, yet an important learning experience for the rest of the Civil Rights Movement.

15

March on Washington

16

• Over 250,000 gathered in Washington D.C. to promote their cause for civil rights legislation.

• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr gave his “I Have a Dream” speech

• This march led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 & The Voting Act 1965

● President JFK planned and asked congress to pass the bill, but was assassinated before it became a law

● Lyndon B. Johnson became president and carried out the bill.

● Civil Rights Act of 1964: Forbade discrimination on the basis of race and sex in hiring, promoting, and firing. It also made the desegrgation of public places illegal.

● The Voting Rights Act of 1965: Prohibited states from imposing any voting qualification on voting or dent the right of any citizen of the United States on account of race or color.

17

Maynard Jackson!!1!!1!!● Atlanta’s youngest and first black mayor● Created “neighborhood planning units” to give local

community citizens a voice● Promoted black-owned businesses● Added more black police officers to Atlanta’s police force ● Founded and funded a foundation to empower black youth

with leadership skills● Built massive new terminal in Hartsfield International

Airport ● Worked to end poverty in Atlanta● Spoke widely in support of Civil Rights Movement● His election ushered an age of black political power in ATL

18

Lester Maddox● Winner over former Governor, Ellis Arnall● Known segregationist who ironically appointed

more African Americans to state boards and commissions than all prior Governors combined

● Extras: -Reformed state prisons and integrated the Georgia State Patrol -Increased spending on teacher salaries and higher education

19

Andrew Young● Mayor of Atlanta in 1981● Became the first African American since

reconstruction to be elected into congress

● Southern Christian Leadership Conference

● Organized “citizenship schools” to train protested for the Civil Rights Movement

● He became a trusted aide to Martin Luther King Jr.

● Participated in the following Movements: Albany, Birmingham, Selma and March on Washington, D.C.

20

Freedom Riders

● The CORE organized Freedom Rides. ● Their plan was to travel to major cities

in the south to protest Jim Crow laws with nonviolence.

● They were to start in Washington D.C and end in New Orleans,Louisiana.

● Along the way they had ups and downs, although in Atlanta they were welcomed by “A city too busy to hate.”

21

NAACP● Founded Feb. 12. 1909● The nation's oldest, largest and most widely

recognized civil rights organization. ● Its more than half-million members and

supporters throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, campaigning for equal opportunity and conducting voter mobilization.

● Members include: MLK, Rosa Parks, and Andrew Young

22

Ralph McGill (1898-1969)-Editor and publisher for the Atlanta Constitution - A leading voice for racial and ethnic tolerance in the South from the 1940s through the 1960s-In his writings he did not advocate for intergation, yet he courageously called out the South’s failure to live up to the “separate but equal” ruling and supported the Brown vs Board decision. -He did this by point out deplorable conditions of black schools, comparing their budgets for buildings and books compared to white schools. -He wrote carefully knowing that if he wrote relentlessly about integration, he would lose his southern readers. -He was vilified receiving nasty phone calls and letters regularly.

23

Sit In:

● Any organized protest in which a group of people peacefully occupy and refuse to leave a premises.

● Rich’s Department store was often used as a location for sit-ins.

24

CORE (Congress of Racial Equality)

25

● Founded in 1942● Became one of the leading activist organizations in the early

years of the American Civil Rights Movement. ● This group sponsored the Freedom Rides, a series of

integrated bus rides through the south. ● Also sponsored the March on Washington