Civil Rights Movement 1950s

African Americans had been fighting against racial discrimination for centuries; during the 1950s, however, the struggle against racism and segregation entered the mainstream of American life.

Elizabeth Eckford and Hazel Bryan – Little Rock 9 Elizabeth Eckford and Hazel Bryan – Little Rock 9. photo taken by Will Counts in 1957 at the desegregation of Little Rock High school If you could ask someone in the photo one question – what would it be and who would you ask?

Elizabeth and Hazel (now Massery) in front of Little Rock High school in

Elizabeth Eckford is the only member of the Little Rock Nine still living in Little Rock. While visiting the city, I was fortunate enough to meet her. When she spoke of the events of 1957, tears filled her eyes. She recalls, "At first I thought things would get better….Most days it would be difficult to get up and go back to that hell hole day after day." When our interview was over, I thanked Ms. Eckford for her time, and commented at how amazing I thought the nine of them were. She looked at me hard for a moment and said, "No, we were just ordinary people. I was an average student. I was very shy. If I can do it, anyone can do it. That's what I tell kids."

Key words: Segregation – this means to separate people Integration -where different groups of people are brought together allowed to mix (opposite of segregation) White supremacy – the feeling that white people are better than others Ku Klux Klan – a violent group of white supremacists Acquitted – to be let off with a crime, have the charges dropped Intimidation – threatening behaviour either verbal or physical, to scare people

Much of it was to do with slavery. The American Civil war was fought between 1861 and 1865. The war was between the North and the South. It began after the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, but trouble had been brewing between North and South for a number of years. Much of it was to do with slavery.

By 1958, 19 northern states had become ‘Free States’, where slavery had been abolished. The Southern states resented the growing abolition movement in the North. There was a lot of concern over loss of business, and a lot of racism against black people. The election of Lincoln was the final straw in 1860, he was a Northerner, and was against slavery. Many southern states formed the Confederacy, a new country that was to govern itself and make its own laws. Lincoln couldn’t let this happen, and the Civil War started.

This is the flag adopted by the Confederate States of the South This is the flag adopted by the Confederate States of the South. The flag can still be found in the ‘Deep South’, where some people still hold on to the heritage of the Confederacy.

13th Amendment (December 1865), slavery was abolished The war lasted for four years, but eventually the Confederacy was defeated. Lincoln made many changes to the Constitution (the American law book) after the war, some of which affected black slaves and led to their emancipation (freedom from slavery): 13th Amendment (December 1865), slavery was abolished 14th Amendment (1866), black Americans were given full citizenship of the U.S.A. 15TH Amendment (1870), black and white men were given equal voting rights

The Harlem Renaissance ‘Flowering’ of black arts in the 1920s. Jazz, blues, literature and other art forms became popular with black and white Americans. Claude McKay Louis Armstrong Bessie Smith

Segregation …

Ku Klux Klan – a ‘white supremacist group who terrorised African Americans through intimidation, beatings, and Burning crosses and churches

Rosa Parks – the ‘mother of ‘Civil Rights’

1961 ‘Freedom Riders’

The Freedom Riders were a group of white and African American students who rode desegregated buses into the South. They faced violence as their buses were firebombed but they kept going . In Alabama, KKK violence was organised by the local police sergeant.

Share your ideas with your partner, back up your views with evidence. Do you think the abolition of slavery meant that African Americans were really free? Share your ideas with your partner, back up your views with evidence.

Explain the following terms: Segregation Civil Right Human Right Integration Freedom Riders Racism Rosa Parks Confederate States Intimidation White supremacy