THE BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT 2 SWBAT: EXPLAIN WHY THE MURDER OF EMMITT TILL AND THE ACTIONS OF ROSA PARKS HELP LEAD TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. HOMEWORK: STUDY FOR VOCAB QUIZ. DO NOW: READ THE ARTICLE ON NEWTOWN AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS.
EMMETT TILL HOMEWORK 1. What did Emmett do that got him into trouble? 2. What happened to Emmett Till? 3. What did Emmett’s mother decide to do with her son’s remains? Why did she do this? 4. What happened to the men on trial for the crime? 5. How did the murder of Emmett Till help start the Civil Rights Movement?
NEWTOWN ARTICLE Who is Noah Pozner? Why does Noah’s mother decide to have an open casket at her son’s funeral? What does Noah’s mother do when the governor arrives? What is the connection between Noah Pozner and Emmett Till?
The next image you’re about to see may be disturbing to some viewers.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EMMETT TILL CASE Emmett’s mother stated: “There was just no way I could describe what was in that box. No way. And I just wanted the world to see.” The acquittal of Emmett’s murderers brought to light racial injustice and inequality for many Americans- especially northern whites.
REASON NUMBER 3: ROSA PARKS Rosa Parks was a seamstress and member of the NAACP in Montgomery, Alabama. She took a seat in the front row of the “colored” section of a Montgomery bus. When the bus filled up, the driver ordered Parks and 3 others to move for white passengers. Parks said no and was arrested.
THE MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT Leaders in the Montgomery community and NAACP called for a boycott of all buses. Formed the Montgomery Improvement Association to organize it. They elected a 26 year old minster named Martin Luther King Jr. to organize it. A lawsuit was filed and for 381 days African Americans refused to ride the buses in Montgomery. Was the first example of a nonviolent, successful protest. In 1956 the Supreme Court outlawed bus segregation.
THE CREATION OF THE SCLC After the boycott, King together with other activists to form the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Goal: to build a nonviolent movement from the grassroots up throughout the South. But not everyone agreed and thought more confrontational methods would be necessary.
QUESTION: Do you think nonviolent protests are the best way to make drastic social changes?
THE BEGINNING OF SIT INS Sit ins became a popular way to protest segregation in the south. The most famous sit in occurred at the Woolworth’s store in Greensboro, SC.
WRITE A LETTER… Imagine you are a African American man or women living in the South in the 1950s-60s. Write to a friend up north explaining the 3 events that led to the Civil Rights Movement and how these events helped spark change. This should be ~6 sentences.