The Civil Rights Movement

Chapter 23

Civil Rights Court Cases

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) Even though Dred Scott lived in the free state

of Mississippi, he was still a slave. Slaves are ‘property’ and Congress did not

have the power to seize a citizen’s property. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Segregation is permissible as long as the facilities are ‘equal’.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Separate facilities are inherently unequal–

cannot legally have them.

Segregation

De jure segregation De facto segregation

Definition - Segregation on the basis of laws

- Based on informal norms

Example - Jim Crow laws - Separation of races in regards to housing

Part of the country

- South - North

The Case of Emmett Till

Who was Emmett Till? Where was he from? 14 year old African American from

Chicago, IL What was he accused of doing? What

does the article suggest actually happened? Accused of ‘flirting’ w/a white woman–

actually dared by one of his friends to do so.

What happens to Emmett Till? Kidnapped and brutally murdered; body

thrown in the Tallahatchie River.

The Case of Emmett Till

How does his mother react to his murder? Very upset– allowed an open casket and

pictures of her son’s body to be sent to Jet magazine for national attention.

What evidence was there against Milam and Bryant? Eyewitness accounts

What is the result of the trial? Found not guilty

The Civil Rights Movement Begins

Montgomery Bus Boycott On December 1st, 1955 Rosa Parks

refused to give up her seat to a white passenger, per Montgomery law.

Boycott of the Montgomery buses left the transportation system crippled.

Civil Rights Groups

Group Members Goal

NAACP(National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

African Americans– usually professionals

- Provide legal assistance to African Americans

SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference)

- Southern ministers

- Nonviolent resistance (esp. in the South) to fight injustice

SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee)

- Young civil rights activists

- Grassroots movement to coordinate all classes of African Americans to attain equality

Little Rock 9

What did the members of the Little Rock Nine set out to do? Volunteered to be the first to enroll at

newly desegregated Central High School.

How did the state of Arkansas respond? What did President Eisenhower decide to do? Governor Faubus used the National

Guard to blockade their way. President Eisenhower responded by sending in federal troops.

Little Rock 9

What did the Little Rock Nine face when they were finally allowed to go to Central High? They were surrounded by hostility. They

were yelled at, spat at and had to be escorted the entire year.

What happened to the students at the end of the school year? One of the students became the first

African American to graduate from the school.

Greensboro Sit Ins

What were the students in Greensboro protesting? The inability of blacks to be served in white

restaurants. What civil right were they exercising?

Right to peaceably assemble. What tactic did they use? How did it work?

Sit-ins nonviolent form of protest; students would remain seated until close of business.

What was the outcome of the sit-ins? Gained student support– increased media

attention.

James Meredith and Old Miss

What did James Meredith set out to do? Did he have the right to do this? Become the first African American to

attend Ole Miss. Yes– school desegregation included public universities.

How did Mississippi Governor Barnett respond publicly? Tried to keep Meredith out– passed a law

barring admission to those who had committed a crime.

James Meredith and Ole Miss What secret deal did Governor Barnett

make? With whom did he make the deal? Meredith would be allowed to enroll, only if

accompanied by federal troops. Attorney General Robert Kennedy.

How did southern newspapers react? Encouraged the hostility– documented the

forced integration. How did white southerners respond?

Rioting, violent mobs

James Meredith and Ole Miss

What was the outcome of Meredith’s attempt? Accompanied by federal marshals and

troops. Allowed to attend. In the end, what happened to James

Meredith? Graduated in 1963; later assassinated.

March to Washington

What was the goal of the March on Washington? To show support for a new civil rights bill.

Who marched on Washington? All the civil rights groups and members of labor

unions and religious groups. Why did civil rights leaders choose D.C. for

their march? Public attention– stage of the legislative debate.

What was King’s dream? “All men are created equal”

Civil Rights Act of 1964/Freedom Summer

Passed by: Lyndon Johnson The Act banned: segregation in

public accommodations.

Goal register as many African Americans to vote as possible.

Selma, Alabama

Goal pressure federal government to enact voting rights legislation

The March attempts to cross the bridge into Selma was met with armed troops. Led by MLK and members of SCLC. President Johnson publicly criticizes the event.

Results 24th amendment Banned the poll tax.

Freedom Rides

What did the Freedom Riders set out to do? Target interstate transportation, where segregation

had just been ruled illegal. Who were the Freedom Riders?

Members of CORE– 6 whites and 7 African Americans. What happened to the first bus on its way to

Birmingham? Firebombed

What happened to the second bus? Attacked by a mob

How did the local police respond? Arrested and sent the riders to jail

New Approaches

Leader Group Main Idea Tactics

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

SCLC Against physical and emotional

violence

Nonviolent protests

Malcolm X Nation of Islam Believed in separation of

the races

Nonviolence

Stokely Carmichael

“black power”– young African

Americans who followed

Malcolm X

Equality can only be

achieved when all blacks unite.

Black power= black violence

Bobby Seale and Huey Newton

Black Panthers Young militancy Violence– embracing of

African American heritage

Watts Race Riots

Where did the race riots break out? Los Angeles, CA

What were the results of the race riots? Death and destruction of poverty.

What did people think was the cause of the riots? Racial violence by blacks.

What did the Kerner Commission discover as the real cause of the riots? Growing discord over discrimination.

Civil Rights Leaders Assassinated

Malcolm X killed by three members of the Nation of Islam after a pilgrimage to Mecca (Islam holy land)

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. killed in Memphis while supporting a sanitation workers’ strike.

More legislation!

Civil Rights Act of 1968 Also known as the Fair Housing Act; Fair housing practices; could not

discriminate on the basis of race, faith or national origin.

Voting Rights Acts Amended the VRA of 1965–

strengthened and made it more widespread.

Challenges Remain

Affirmative action– reverse discrimination?

Issue of busing Should it be used as an integration tool? Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg County

Schools (1970) Integration of schools

‘Poorer’ neighborhoods have ‘poorer’ schools are all schools equal?