Unit 10: Civil Rights Movement

Freedom Riders Freedom Rides May 4, 1961 13 activists recruited by CORE (Congress of Racial Equality), both black & white Departed from Washington, D.C.; attempted to integrate facilities at bus terminals along the way into the Deep South African-American Riders tried to use “whites-only” restrooms and lunch counters, and vice versa.

Freedom Riders Freedom Rides Encountered tremendous violence from white protestors along the route, but also drew international attention to their cause. Over the next few months, several hundred Freedom Riders engaged in similar actions. In September 1961, the Interstate Commerce Commission issued regulations prohibiting segregation in bus and train stations nationwide

Freedom Riders Eyes On The Prize “I Ain’t Scared of Your Jails” 27:35- 53:45

King organizes in Birmingham MLK decided to focus on Birmingham, one of the most segregated cities Had closed its parks, pools and golf courses rather than integrate them

Birmingham In 1963, people began to march demanding desegregation Arrested for marching without a permit On May 2 & 3, 1000 Birmingham youths marched for equal rights “The Children’s Crusade”

Birmingham Police chief “Bull” Connor Arrested so many marchers that the jails could not hold any more Unleashed police dogs & sprayed the children with fire hoses with 700 lbs. of pressure

The Images

Responses How do you think people around the country would have responded to seeing these images?

Responses to MLK 8 white Alabama clergymen wrote public letter about the Marches in Birmingham - "A Call for Unity" Agreed that social injustices existed but argued that the battle against racial segregation should be fought solely in the courts, not in the streets Called King an “outsider” who was causing trouble on the streets of Birmingham

Letter from Birmingham Jail MLK was arrested for marching in Birmingham While in jail, he wrote a letter to the ministers of Birmingham who called him an “outsider” “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” http://okra.stanford.edu/media/audio/630416001.mp3

Effects of Marches in Birmingham Across the U.S., people were horrified by the images of the violence in Birmingham Kennedy administration intervened and pushed businesses to negotiate Ultimately, after tense negotiations, the signs mandating segregation came down The Civil Rights Movement had gained an important victory

16th St. Baptist Church Meeting place for Southern Christian Leadership Conference A man placed a box under the steps of the church At 10:22 AM a bomb exploded, killing four children who were attending Sunday School

Violence in Birmingham Birmingham proved resistant to change – and violent Bombings First an integrated motel was bombed Then MLK’s brother’s home was destroyed by a bombing Shootings NAACP field rep. Medgar Evers was shot in the back 16-year-old black Birmingham youth was shot from behind by a police shotgun 13-year-old boy was shot while riding his bicycle