The Civil Rights Movement

1. The Civil Rights Movement

2. Natural v. Civil Rights • Natural Rights • “We are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” these rights are “self-evident” and they are “unalienable” • Civil Rights • Rights that are afforded to you based off of government law or precedent • Examples: • Unlawful search and seizure • Freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly • Voting • Equality of opportunity • Divorce • Bankruptcy

3. CIVIL WAR Amendments • 13th: 1865 abolished slavery • 14th: 1868 established citizenship and due process 15th: 1870 universal male suffrage

4. Plessy v. Ferguson • 1896 US Supreme Court legalizes segregation in the United States “SEPARATE BUT EQUAL”

5. W.E.B. DuBois—pushed for immediate civil rights and equality. Leader of NAACP Booker T. Washington founder of Tuskegee Institute. Early Civil Rights Leaders

6. Emmitt Till • 14 year old boy from Chicago • On vacation visiting relatives in Money, Mississippi he allegedly flirted with a white woman, 21 year old Carolyn Bryant • Several nights later, on August 28th1955, the woman's husband, Roy, and half-brother, J.W. Milam broke into the house and took Emmitt • They beat him, gouged one of his eyes out and shot him before dumping him in the Tallahatchie River with a 70 lbs cotton gin tied around his neck

7. Trial and funeral • Bryant and Milam were acquitted of murder, but only months later in a magazine interview, admitted their guilt • The family insisted on an open casket so people could see the brutality that was committed on Emmitt

9. Cause and Effect Map • U.S. History Name______________ Period _____________ • Directions: Throughout this unit, complete the graphic organizer by writing the causes and effects. • Cause(s): Effect(s): • What event creates change? What are the results of the cause? • Where does everything begin? What happened? • Topic: _____________________________________________________________________

10. The Rise of African American Influence • There were many reasons why African American influence accelerated during this time • African American Migration • After the Civil War, African American populations increased dramatically in most major U.S. Cities • The New Deal • African American votes became popular during this time in order to pass New Deal policies, thus the number of African Americans working in the federal government increased.

11. The Rise of African American Influence (continued) • World War II • During the war, the need for workers in northern cities increased. • African American population exploded in the North • This caused significant voting power for African Americans in some cities • Many people also started looking at the Holocaust and the atrocities that happened because of racism in the Europe. • This opened the eyes of many Americans to the racism and discrimination that was going on here in America.

12. The Rise of African American Influence (continued) The Rise of the NAACP • The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People • For years, the NAACP tried to fight Plessy v. Ferguson. • During this time the NAACP had made smalls gains towards overturning the “Separate but Equal” terms of Plessy v. Ferguson • NAACP’s best move was to employ a man by the name of Thurgood Marshall as the leader of their legal team

13. Jackie Robinson • First professional African American baseball player • April 15, 1947 • #42 was forever retired in 1997 by MLB commissioner Bug Selig

14. Cause and Effect Map Topic: The Rise of African American Influence Cause: African American Migration The New Deal WWII Effect: NAACP African American Influence in Politics and sports Segregation questioned

15. Brown v. Board of Education Read “The Story of Brown v. Board of Education” • Once you’ve read the story, answer the questions on “Questions for Discussion” • Each student will answer the questions on a separate piece of paper

16. Brown v. Board of Education • What were the causes? • What were the effects?

17. Little Rock Nine • Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas was one of the first High Schools to Integrate. • The governor of Arkansas put the National Guard in front of Central H.S. and instructed them to turn away the African American students.

18. Little Rock Nine • Once President Eisenhower heard about what the governor was doing, he took control of the National Guard and had them protect and escort the African American students.

19. Montgomery Bus Boycott • In 1955, the nation’s attention shifted from the courts to the streets of Montgomery, Alabama. • Who began the Bus Boycott? • Rosa Parks

20. Montgomery Bus Boycott • Two major accomplishments • Rise of Martin Luther King Jr. as a major leader in the Civil Rights Movement • Demonstrated that peaceful protest can work. • In 1956, the Supreme Court ruled that bus segregation, like school segregation, was unconstitutional.

21. Groups and Strategies

22. Groups and Strategies (Cont.)

23. The Struggle Intensifies • Sit-ins • Activists would simply sit in a white area, usually restaurants, and sit until they were given service • This became a very successful form of protest because most owners didn’t want to cause a disruption so they would serve the protesters. • These types of sit ins gained the approval of the SCLC and Martin Luther King Jr. • On occasion, these protesters were arrested • Martin Luther King Jr. told these protesters that being arrested was a badge of courage

24. Sit ins

25. The Freedom Rides • In 1961, CORE and SNCC organized the Freedom Rides to test the recent ruling of the Supreme Court in Boynton v. Virginia. • This ride was meet with much adversity and violence.

26. Freedom Riders Map

27. National Reaction to the Freedom Riders • The country was shocked to see how these riders where treated • Robert Kennedy had to eventually send federal marshals down to protect the freedom riders • Was it successful? • The Interstate Commerce Commission prohibited segregation in ALL interstate transportation. • This included: trains, planes and buses.

28. 1962 Univ. of Mississippi • Pres. Kennedy sends 5000 federal troops to Mississippi to allow James Meredith, the school’s 1st African-American student, to attend.

29. MedgarEvars • Field secretary for the NAACP in Mississippi • Was instrumental in helping overturn segregation at the University of Mississippi • Assassinated by Byron De La Beckwith, member of the White Citizens’ Council – later the KKK – on June 12, 1963 • Later taken to the hospital and was initially refused services because he was black and died 50 minutes later • De La Beckwith was not convicted by the all white jury • Evars was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery

30. The Political Response • Despite President Kennedy’s promise to voters during his campaign to support the Civil Rights Movement, his acts as president were slow to develop. • By 1963, many Americans had grown tired and embarrassed by the amount of violence that had taken place during the movement. This would lead to one of the more significant events in the Civil Rights Movements. • The Soviet Union was beginning to call out the United States on its own civil rights record

31. The March on Washington • In August 1963, 200,000 activist marched on the nations capital. • Despite the fear of violence breaking out, the march remained peaceful. • There were speeches, songs preformed, and many other events that went on during the protest.

32. The March on Washington • Dr. Kings “I have a Dream” speech became the highlight of the protest.

33. 1963 Bombing in Birmingham • 16th St. Baptist Church, a bomb explodes on a Sunday morning, killing four young girls. • KKK member seen planting bomb, is arrested, but found guilty of possessing dynamite without a permit. Fined $100 and six months in jail.

34. Stand in the Schoolhouse Door • Gov. George Wallace promises “segregation today, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever!” • Refuses to desegregate Univ. of Alabama • Stands aside only after being confronted by federal marshals and the Alabama National Guard.

35. 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer • Civil rights activists attempt to register African-Americans to vote

36. The Selma March • Many southern blacks still had a difficult time gaining voting rights. • In Selma, Alabama, police arrested blacks who were registering to vote. • Martin Luther King decided to help the cause and formed a march from Selma to the capital in Montgomery 50 miles away. • On Sunday morning in March 7th of 1965, the marchers began and police were waiting and used extreme brutality.

37. Bloody Sunday • State and local police on horseback attacked the crowd of 600. Police on foot used billy clubs and tear gas. They would not let the people cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge. • 17 marchers were hospitalized and it was broadcast all over the nation. • President Johnson sent in the National Guard and Army helicopters to assist the marchers. • By the time the marchers reached Montgomery, they had 25,000 people.

38. Civil Rights Legislation • Civil Rights Act of 1964 • Kennedy’s bill that didn’t pass until after he was assassinated. • Voting Struggles • Even after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, African Americans still struggled to earn the right to vote. • This lead to The Selma March and Bloody Sunday • Because of the Selma March, Johnson passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965; a stronger law to protect voting rights.

39. KING: Non-violent, passive resistance Influenced by Ghandi Black Power: proactive, militant, focus on black pride and African heritage. Term popularized by Stokely Carmichael of SNCC Protests—different views

40. Malcom X • Joined the Nation of Islam and became one of its most prominent proponents. • He advocated separation of the races. • He became too vocal, controversial, and popular and was outcast. • He went on a pilgrimage to Mecca where he became a Sunni Muslim and came home believing the two races could get along. • He was assassinated by three members of the Nation in New York in February of 1965.

41. Robert Kennedy • Was the US Attorney General from 1961 t0 1964, then became a Senator from New York. • He was very supportive of the Civil Rights Movement, not just for blacks, but Hispanics as well. He helped much of the legislation get passed. • He ran for president in 1968 and was well on his way to the Democratic nomination when in June of that year he was assassinated by SirhanSirhan. • Sirhan claims it was for Kennedy’s support of Israel and not of Palestine. Sirhan is still in prison to this day in California.

42. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. • Born January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. • He was the middle of three children. • He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Battle of Birmingham, the March of Washington, the Selma March, opposed the Vietnam War.

43. MLK Jr. • In 1964, he was the youngest person to ever receive the Nobel Peace Prize. • He was assassinated April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. Just two months before Robert Kennedy.

44. 1965-67 Urban Race Riots – a call for economic rights • Watts (Los Angeles), Detroit, Newark

45. Legacy of the Movement • Significant losses • President Kennedy: 1963 • Malcolm X: 1965 • Martin Luther King Jr.: 1968 • Robert F. Kennedy: 1968

46. Legacy of the Movement • It was a long, difficult struggle. One that did not see immediate results. • Even President Johnson was devastated by the amount of violence that still existed at the end of his Presidency. • So the question is; How would the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement feel if they lived in our time?

47. Civil Rights Today • Do we face civil rights issues today? • Are we a desegregated, equal society? • Are there other groups dealing with civil rights questions today?