Civil Rights

In the Supreme Court – Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Court overturned Plessy v. Ferguson… “Separate but Equal” is unconstitutional

Montgomery, AL (1955) – Rosa Parks refused to give her seat to a white passenger – Bus Boycott – Led by Martin Luther King, Jr. – Black passengers refused to ride bus until policies changed Little Rock, AK (1957) – Governor Orval Faubus refused to allow 9 black students to attend Central High School – Eisenhower sent in 101 st Airborne to force the desegregation

“Ole Miss” (1962) – James Meredith denied admission – JFK sent in troops to restore order Civil Rights Organizations – National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) (1910) – Congress Of Racial Equality (CORE) (1942) – Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) (1957) – Formed after the success of the Montgomery bus boycott (MLK) – Encouraged non-violent protest – Church leaders moved to the forefront of the struggle – Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (“SNICK”) (1960)

Civil Disobedience SIT-INS – Blacks sat in a segregated establishment and refused to move – Many arrested FREEDOM RIDES – Blacks rode buses into segregated areas to see if Southerners would obey the Supreme Court – First Bus met with violence in Alabama

Additional Protests Albany Movement, 1961 – Georgia protesters began a year long struggle – MLK went to help Birmingham, 1963 – MLK and others protested – MLK arrested and released – MLK got children to join protest – 900+ people got arrested – Protesters injured – Shot with fire hoses – Attacked by dogs – Beaten with clubs – Letter from a Birmingham jail

Washington, D.C., August 28 th 1963 – MLK marched on Washington – MLK made “I have a dream…” speech

Malcolm X Militant approach to civil rights – Joined nation of Islam – Supported “black nationalism” – Believed equality could come by any means necessary

Legislation Civil Rights Act of 1964 – Ended voting restrictions – Prohibited discrimination based on – Race – Gender – Religion Voting Rights Act of 1965 – Ended voting restrictions – Ended literacy tests