“The Civil Rights Movement”

Events Caught on Video

Think About the Following Words Isolation Persecution Segregation Dehumanization Violence Inequality Sacrifice

Background Events/Facts Post Civil War:  13 th Amendment-Abolished slavery  14 th Amendment-Mandated citizenship and equal protection of the constitution  15 th Amendment-Gave everyone the right to vote

1896-Plessy vs. Ferguson The court declared that Louisiana law segregating black from whites in trains was alright by a vote of 7- 1 The idea of “Separate, but Equal” established segregation as legal in public facilities This came to be known as the “Jim Crow Laws” based on the notion that blacks were not innately equal to whites

Brown vs. the Board of Education, 1954 Landmark court case that overturned the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision making segregation illegal Southern states were informed to comply “with all deliberate speed”

Voting Rights Act of 1965 Signed by President L.B. Johnson Designed to uphold the 15 th Amendment of everyone’s right to vote Outlawed the common practice of disqualifying applicants who fail literacy tests Access and take the Louisiana Literacy Test for voting qualifications: ting_rights_and_the_supreme_court_the_impossible_ literacy_test_louisiana.html ting_rights_and_the_supreme_court_the_impossible_ literacy_test_louisiana.html The Federal Government now oversees and has jurisdiction over all voting practices

Highly influenced by the Selma to Montgomery marches, a.k.a “Bloody Sunday” Take 10 minutes to research the Selma march using the internet for events, statistics and photographs

1 st Selma March

Segregation In Photos Separate facilities examples:

Influential Organizations 1909-NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) forms 1942-CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) forms 1957-SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) is founded by Dr. King based on Ghandi’s teachings of nonviolent protest 1960-SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee) forms

Influential People Jackie Robinson – 1 st African-American to play major league baseball in 1946 Often harassed by fellow teammates and opposing players as well as fans and the general public

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Reverend in Montgomery Alabama Founded the SCLC Practiced Ghandi’s philosophy of nonviolent protest Started his Civil Rights Movement career during the Bus Boycotts in Montgomery Organized the 1963 “March on Washington” where he delivered his famous “I Have A Dream” speech

Wrote the famous “Letter From Birmingham Jail” in April of 1963

MLK (cont’d) Dec wins the Nobel Peace Prize April 4, 1968-assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee

Rosa Parks Arrested in 1955 for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus Was an active member of the NAACP in fighting for people’s rights

Claudette Colvin 1 st woman to be arrested for not giving up her seat on a bus

Emmett Till Murdered at age 14 in 1955 for allegedly flirting with a white female in which the assailants were aquitted This event motivated people to collectively get involved to promote change

Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth Led the fight against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, which included multiple attempts on his life Sought to integrate the public schools in Birmingham; Co-founder of the SCLC

Rev. Ralph Abernathy Dr. King’s main assistant during the movement Extremely active during the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Jimmy Lee Jackson Viet Nam Veteran who was shot to death in Marion, Alabama while trying to protect his mother from being beaten by law officials during nonviolent protesting

James Peck Civil Rights Activist who risked his life during the Freedom Rides in 1961 Severely beaten requiring 53 stitches to the head

Other Contributors Fred Gray-attorney who vowed to kill segregation John L. Lewis-Chairman of the SNCC Corretta Scott King-Dr. King’s wife who dedicated her life to fighting for equality and freedom for people all over the world “Greensboro Four”-college students from Chattanooga who conducted Sit-Ins at “whites only” lunch counters

Ruby Bridges-1 st African-American to attend a white elementary school at age 6 The students who tried to integrate the school systems in the 1960’s