The Civil Rights Movement

Chapter 25

What court case upheld the principle of ‘separate but equal’?

1. Brown v Board of Education

2. Dred Scott v Sanford

3. Plessy v Ferguson4. McCulloch v

Maryland

Origins of the Civil Rights Movement

1865- the Civil War ended

13th Amendment (1865)- officially ended slavery

14th Amendment (1868)- identified who was a US citizen & specified that all US citizens have “equal protection of the laws”.

15th Amendment (1870)- states may not interfere with any man’s right to vote= gave black men the vote.

Origins of Civil Rights Movement

1896-Plessy v Ferguson – established “separate but equal” segregation (segregation by law)- mostly in the South.

* “Jim Crow Laws” De facto segregation – segregation by custom (no

law)- popular in the northPoll taxes, literacy tests, lynchingNiagara Falls MovementNAACP (1909)workedto end segregation.

The Beginnings

NAACP- (1939-1961) led by attorney Thurgood Marshall; fought segregation, lynching.

Thurgood Marshall- later 1st black justice on Supreme Court

CORE- Congress of Racial Equality (1942)- used “sit-ins” to fight against segregation.

*Brown v Board of Education (1954)◦Called for desegregating

public schools◦Overturned Plessy v

Ferguson’s ‘separate but equal’

Southern Manifesto1956

101 Southern members of Congress

Denounced the ruling in Brown, as a clear abuse of judicial power & pledged to reverse it

Encouraged white Southerners to defy the Supreme Court

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Became National leader of the civil rights movement

At age 26 Led Montgomery Bus Boycott

◦In response to Rosa Parks◦Huge success with desegregation immediately

Influenced by Gandhi – non-violent protestCivil Disobedience – essay written by

Henry David Thoreau.◦Can disobey a law if it is unjust

**The Montgomery Bus Boycott 1955

1955- Rosa Parks- arrested for sitting in the “white section” of the Montgomery public transit.

Martin Luther King Jr. –chosen to lead a boycott of the public bus system in Montgomery, Alabama.

**King’s methods – passive non-violent resistance; “Civil Disobedience”

Boycott lasted 1 year; Supreme Court ruled in Park’s favor.

Montgomery bus transit system desegregated.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

*Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)◦Established by King (1st president)◦Group of black ministers with goal

of ending segregation & encouragingblacks to vote

*Little Rock 9

1957- Governor Faubus ordered troops to Little Rock High to prevent 9 African Americans from entering

Importance: Governor had used the National Guard to oppose the federal government

Little Rock 9

Result: Eisenhower sent federal troops to Little Rock to enforce federal law

The Civil Rights Act of 19571st civil rights law since ReconstructionCreated a Civil Rights division within

the Department of Justice (federal government can seek court injunctions against anyone interfering with an ind. Right to vote).

Created US Commission on Civil Rights- investigate voting rights violations

* SCLC- began a push to register 2 million new African-American voters.

The Sit-In Movement 1960- The Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-IN- 4

African-American students from NC A&T sat at the white lunch counter of Woolworth’s.

Next day- 29 more students appeared at the lunch counter End of the week- 300 students End of the Month- the movement spread to 54 cities (9

states).Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

formed April 1960; attracted young people. Marion Barry-John Lewis 1st leaders 1960-1965- played a role in desegregation of public

facilities Sent young volunteers into the Deep South to register

African-Americans to Vote.

SNCC- sponsored toregister African-Americans in the South to vote.1964- local officials inMississippi murdered3 SNCC workers

CORE- sponsored*Freedom Riders

◦Integrated bus ride from NC to Mississippi◦1962-Kennedy ended bus segregation federally

“African Americans have had 350 years of cooling off and if they cooled off anymore they would be in a deep freeze”

*The Voter EducationProject

*George Wallace◦1963-Governor of Alabama◦Blocked African Americans

from entering the University of Alabama

◦Federal officials forced him to move

James Meredith◦Wanted to attend the

University of Mississippi◦1962-JFK sent 500 federal

marshals to escort him

Birmingham Protests (1963) Martin Luther King Jr. wanted to push for a Civil Rights Law

to be passed Chose Birmingham- violent place Bull Conner- former head of Police running for Mayor King arrestedLetter from a Birmingham Jail King wrote to white leaders Explained why his use of non-violent protests

After MLK’s release- Bull Conner & Police used dogs, fire hoses, & clubs on protestors while Americans watched on TV.

** Kennedy ordered a new Civil Rights bill be written up Southern Senators threatened to filibuster.

March on Washington

August 28, 1963

Purpose- urge Congress to pass a Civil Rights law

200,000 demonstrators march on Washington

Dr. King’s “I have a dream” speech

**Civil Rights Act of 1964Filibustered for 87 days in the Senate &

finally passed◦Prevention of racial discrimination◦Segregation is illegal◦Required businesses to end discrimination in

the workplace

*24th Amendment◦Outlawed poll taxes in federal elections

The Selma March

1965-Demonstrations to register to vote

2,000 arrestedMarch from Selma to

Montgomery (50 miles)

Bloody Sunday◦Marchers beaten by

state troopers as they crossed the bridge out of Selma "I was hit in the head

by a state trooper with a nightstick... I thought I saw death."—John Lewis, SNCC

The Voting Rights Act (1965)

Federal examiners sent to register African-Americans & oversee elections

Suspended literacy testsResult- more than 250,000 African-

Americans registered to vote.

Martin Luther King Jr. won the Nobel Peace Prize (1965)

WATTS RIOTS

Racism & poverty still persistent Los Angeles- 1965Due to police brutality34 killed, 900 injured$30 million property damageRace riots erupted all over the countryUrban blacks saw the changes for Southern

blacks – they wanted the same*Kerner Commission

◦Detailed study of urban riots◦Blamed white society & racism for problems in

inner cities

Chicago Movement

Dr. King & wife moved into apartment in Chicago.

Draw attention to need for improvement of slum neighborhoods in big cities

Not very successful

Black PowerFounder-Stokely

CarmichaelAttracted young African-

AmericansAfrican Americans

should control the social, political & economic aspects of their culture

Emphasized black power & self-discipline rather than assimilation

Malcolm XSymbol of the Black Power

movementNation of Islam

◦Aka Black Muslims◦Malcolm X was a spokesperson◦Separation from whites & govern

themselvesKilled by member of the

Nation of Islam

The Black Panthers

Founded in 1966 by Huey Newton, Bobby Seale, Eldridge Cleaver in Oakland, California

Emphasized economic self-sufficiency, black nationalism, self-defense

Believed violent Revolution was necessary to get political & economic equality.

The Assassination of Martin Luther King

Memphis, TN

April 4, 1968 – King was assassinated on his hotel balcony by a sniper

Assassin – James Earl Ray

Significance- Civil Rights lost its most eloquent leader.