Civil Rights Movement. 1954-1968.

Origins of the movement:

Plessy v. Ferguson-1896.

This ruling confirmed separation. “ but equal.” discrimination.

Most shameful ruling since Dred Scott decision.

National Association for the Advancement of Colored

People. NAACP.• Court challenges won:

• Norris v. Alabama. Juries.

• Morgan v. Virginia. Interstate buses.

• Sweatt v. Painter. Law schools.

James Farmer-Congress of Racial Equality-CORE/

• Core used “Sit-Ins” to force restaurants to. Desegregate.

• They sat down and refused to leave!

• This worked a lot!

Brown v. Broad of Education-Kansas.1954.

• Overturn Plessy v Ferguson.

• Segregation was unconstitutional.

• It will take 20 years for this decision to fully work it way through out U.S.

Southern Manifesto.

• Massive resistance appeared the halls of Congress.

• 101 senators sign a document that stated the Court had: “…a clear abuse of judicial power…and then pledged “…all lawful means to reverse the decision….”

Montgomery Bus Boycott-1955.

• Rosa Parks refused to go to the back of the bus.

• African Americans, by law, had to sit there.

• She was arrested.

• This started the Boycott of buses.

Martin Luther King.

• MLK was chosen to lead the boycott and negotiate with the city.

• He believed in non violent methods to make social change.

• Court FINALLY ruled that bus segregation was illegal.

Sit In Movement

• Student leaders like Jesse Jackson lead a sit in movement.

• Students at sit ins keep their cool even when severely provoked.

• This put racists in a bad light on T.V.

• Ella Baker became the national coordinator of the sit in movement.

Freedom Riders.

• Groups from the North rode buses down to the South to bring attention to Racism.

• These buses were often met many times by hostile white crowds.

• Ku Klux Klan often worked WITH local law enforcement to attack bus riders.

Kennedy Acts.

• Justice dept. ordered to take action about civil rights violence and Hate Crimes.

• Kennedy then started to “Waffle.”

• Finally the Justice Dept. moved and stopped segregated bus terminals.

Integrating Colleges.

• James Meredith tries to go to University of Mississippi.

• The Governor tried to block him at the door.

• Kennedy sends Federal troops!

Violence in Birmingham, Alabama.

• King planned a march there knowing it would provoke a violent response by local law enforcement.

• He was right.

• The violence was shown all over America.

• The Federal government had to act.

Civil Rights Act of 1964.

• George Wallace governor of Alabama gave gave Kennedy his chance to introduce a civil rights bill.

• Wallace: “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever!

• He also blocked the steps of the University of Alabama to stop desegregation.

March on Washington.

• Over 200,000 people of all races marched on Washington to lobby for the Civil Rights bill.

• Dr. King gave his “I have a dream speech.”

• He moved a nation

• C.R.A. becomes law!

What did the C.R.A. do?

• Segregation illegal in most places like restaurants, hotel, parks, libraries, and theaters.

• Private employers must end discrimination.

Struggle for Voting Rights

• Twenty-Fourth Amendment ended Poll taxes.

• Across the South a wave of black churches were bombed by racists.

• 24 in Miss. alone.

Selma March.1965.

• Dr. King organized this march to win voting rights for African-Americans.

• Marchers were beaten by racists in full view of T.V. Rest of nation shocked.

• Pres. Johnson outraged.

• He proposed a voting bill on national T.V.

Voting Rights Act of 1965.• Allowed Federal examiners to register

qualified voters.• Disallowed literacy or other tests.• By the end of 1965, 250,000 more

African-Americans registered to vote.• 1965-100 African-American elected

officials. 1990-5,000. Obama, 5001?

Problems Facing Urban African-Americans.

• Channeled into low paying jobs.

• Worked in service industry.

• Blue collar jobs.

• 15 percent had professional, managerial, or clerical jobs,

• 44 percent for Whites.

Problems Continued…

• Almost half African-American families lived in poverty.

• Higher levels of illness and infant mortality.

• Higher drop out rates.

Watts Riot.

• Race riots broke out in dozens of American urban cities between 1965 and 1968.

• Watts Riot lasted for six days.

• Rioters burned and looted entire neighborhoods at a cost of $45 million.

Black Power.• More assertive move to make social change.• O.K. to use violence to defend self.• African-Americans needed to control more

social, political, and economic direction.• Stressed Black pride of culture and history.• Stressed racial distinction rather than

assimilation.• Demanded Afro American studies be taught.

Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam.

• Led by Elijah Muhammad.

• Malcolm X became a leader in the Nation of Islam.

• Black Muslims viewed themselves as their own nation.

• They organized their own business, schools, newspapers.

Belief’s Continued…

• They encouraged their members to respect each other.

• Strengthen their families.• Advocated self defense.• Malcolm X was a powerful speaker who

broke with the church over some scandals.

Malcolm X Murdered.

• He continued to criticize the church.

• He was murdered by three church members.

Black Panthers.

• The Black Panthers believed that a revolution was necessary to change racist America.

• They wanted African-Americans to arm themselves and confront white America.

• They wanted African-Americans to have control of their own pivotal institutions.

MLK Assassinated. 1968.

• Dr. King went to Memphis to support a strike by Black sanitation workers.

• While on a balcony he was shoot by James Earl Ray.

• His death was end to very important era in American history.