The System of Segregation Since the 1890s, a government mandated system of segregation had been in place in the United States The wars in Europe and Vietnam, set the stage for the modern-day civil rights movement If African Americans could fight for their country in foreign lands, didn’t they deserve rights here? Why defend democracy across the world, when true democracy didn’t exist at home?

The Court Challenge to Segregation Eight-year old Linda Brown had charged that the board of education of Topeka, Kansas, had violated her rights by denying her admission to an all-white elementary school In Brown vs. Board of Education, the supreme court struck down segregation in schooling as a violation to the 14 th amendment It would be difficult for the government to enforce these new standards

Resistance to School Desegregation KKK reappeared to prevent African American children from attending school Little Rock Crisis Nine African American students attempted to integrate Little Rock Central High School A federal judge ordered they be allowed in Soldiers were sent to protect the students, but they were harassed outside, in the stairways, halls and cafeteria The school was shut down, because of the chaos.

Montgomery Bus Boycott Began by Martin Luther King after Rosa Parks arrest For one year, African Americans in Montgomery walked to work, church, etc, rather than taking the bus This destroyed the bus industry, and by the next year, Montgomery busses were integrated

Sit-Ins Began by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee Protesters would sit down and refuse to leave until they were served Popularized by students at NC A & T University Students were beaten, spit on and had food thrown on them, yet they did nothing in return

Freedom Riders African Americans and White Americans rode busses into the deep south in an effort to force integration Hoped to provoke a violent reaction that would convince the government to enforce integration laws Riders were brutally beaten, busses were bombed Movement worked, as segregation was banned on all interstate travel facilities

Heading to Birmingham Had a long history of racial violence 16 th Street Baptist Church Bombing Birmingham Children’s March Civil Rights leaders decided that something had to be done about Birmingham Led protests, economic boycotts and negative media coverage Finally convinced officials to end segregation

March on Washington ,000 people assembled on the national mall to protest for Civil Rights Here, MLK gave his most famous speech I Have a Dream Led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

The Selma Campaign 1965 Major voting rights campaign in Selma, Alabama 50-mile protest march from Selma to Montgomery, the state capital Turned violent TV crews captured the violence That summer, the Voting Rights Act was passed

New Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement Malcolm X Stokely Carmichael Leader of SNCC Led black power movement Black Panthers Fought police brutality Advocated for self-sufficiency of African-American communities