1. The Civil Rights Movement Topic 8.1 and 8.2 Part 1

2. NAZI GERMANY or AMERICAN SOUTH in the 1960s?

3. Setting the Scene August 1945 Branch Rickey (general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers) called Jackie Robinson into his office African Americans were required to play in a separate league Branch Rickey wanted to challenge that rule 1947 Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers First African American to play in the Major Leagues

4. Rise in African American Influence African American Migration Blacks moved to the cities in large numbers –Between 1910-1940 the African American population of New York City went from 60,000 to 450,000 –Other cities experience a similar growth Developing political power and concentrated community leadership. –Doctors –Lawyers

5. The New Deal – FDR began to court black voters to gather support for his new deal. WWII –Demands for labor –End of WWII revealed the horrors of the Holocaust –Opened many peoples eyes to the racism and discrimination taking place in the United States

6. Rise in African American Influence Rise of the NAACP National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Sought to bring an end to legalized segregation Worked hard in courts to challenge segregation laws throughout the country De facto segregation- Separation caused by social conditions such a poverty De jure segregation- racial segregation created by law

7. Rise in African American Influence Major asset for the NAACP was its legal team Leading the NAACP’s legal defense was Thurgood Marshall –Studied law at Howard University

8. Brown vs. Board of Education Headed by the NAACP Sought to overturn Plessey v. Ferguson, which established “separate but equal”. Oliver Brown sued Topeka, Kansas Board of Education to allow his 8 year old daughter Linda to attend a nearby school for whites only Celebrating Brown v. Board of Education: Mrs. Nettie Hunt and daughter Nikie on the steps of the Supreme Court, 1954

9. Went all the way to the Supreme Court –NAACP lawyer was Thurgood Marshall Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas May 17, 1954 –Separate but equal doctrine was unconstitutional and could not be applied to public education –All schools in America must now integrate Thurgood Marshall (center), chief counsel for the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund, George E. C. Hayes (left) and James M. Nabrit (right) took it on.

10. Montgomery Bus Boycott Rosa Parks –Active member of the local NAACP Took a seat at the front of the “colored” section of a bus –Bus driver ordered Parks to give up her seat She refused and was arrested and ordered to stand trial for violating segregation laws

11. Montgomery bus boycott - called for African Americans to refuse to use the entire bus system until the bus company agreed to change its segregation policy Boycott lasted 381 days (13 months) –Black Churches raised money for new shoes, cab fare, and car pools –This is the first time we see MLK in a large scale leadership role. This job puts him in the forefront of the Civil Rights Moment

12. Montgomery Bus Boycott cont. Over 50,000 African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama walked, rode bicycles, or joined car pools

13. Bus Companies wouldn’t change policies, the case went to the Supreme Court –1956 Supreme Court ruled that bus segregation was unconstitutional

14. “The Little Rock 9” 1957 Arkansas Governor Orval Fabus declared he could not keep order if he had to enforce integration Ordered Arkansas National Guard troops to Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas Ordered to turn away the nine African American students who were supposed to attend school that year Elizabeth Eckford

15. “The Little Rock 9” Eisenhower was not an ally of the civil rights movement Fabus’s actions were a direct challenge to the constitution –Defiance of the Supreme Court’s Brown vs. Board of Education Eisenhower sent federal troops to protect the students, and allowed the students to attend Little Rock’s Central High School. –Defend the authority of the Supreme Court

16. Organizations NAACP One of the oldest organizations in the United States Formed in 1909 as an interracial organization W.E.B. Du Bois-founding member –First African American to receive a doctoral degree from Harvard University Worked for full legal equality for all Americans

17. CORE - Congress of Racial Equality Founded by pacifists in 1942 Sought to bring about change through peaceful confrontation. Both white and African American members James Farmer worked to turn the CORE into a national organization CORE director James Farmer

18. National Urban League Founded in 1911 Sought to assist people moving to major American cities –Assisted poor African Americans moving into major urban areas Helped African Americans moving out of the South find homes and jobs Looked for migrant families on ship docks and train stations –Found safe, clean apartments for them Worked to persuade factory owners and union leaders to allow African American workers the chance to learn skills that could lead to better jobs

19. SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) –Formed by clergymen to protest racial inequality. MLK was the founder. –Advocated nonviolent protest-peaceful way of protesting against restrictive racial policies

20. Martin Luther King Jr. Born in Atlanta Georgia in 1929 –Went to Morehouse College in Atlanta –Doctorate in theology at Boston University –Met and married Coretta Schott Went to jail for his beliefs Death threats were frequent Became a leader in the African American civil rights movement A symbol of nonviolent protest

21. Dr. King Leads the Way King was influenced by the beliefs of Mohandas Gandhi –Leader in India’s long struggle to gain independence from Great Britain –Finally succeeded in 1947 –Preached a philosophy of nonviolence Must remain nonviolent regardless of the violent reactions Requires tremendous discipline and courage

22. Student Non- violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Began in 1960 Formed by students who felt the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) did not meet the needs of young blacks (particularly students) –Nearly 200 students showed up to the first meeting –Most came from southern communities The focus shifted from church leaders and gave young activists a chance to make decisions Became a strong and vital organization for students wanting to take part in the civil rights movement

23. The Civil Rights Movement Topic 8.2 Part 1

24. Sit-ins Created by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) A group of CORE members simply sat down at a segregated lunch counter Other public places as well If refused service Stayed where they were

25. Sit-ins Sit-ins forced business owners to either serve the protestors or risk disruption and loss of business MLK told students that arrest was a “ badge of honor” By the end of 1960 70,000 students had participated in sit-ins Boycotts and sit-ins were both were very effective forms of non-violent protest used by the CORE, SCLC, and SNCC.

26. Non-violence – No matter what happened to you, you would not react to your aggressor. This technique showed the hatefulness and aggression of the segregationists.

27. Freedom Rides 1960 Supreme Court expanded its ban on segregation on interstate buses –Bus station waiting rooms and restaurants 1961 CORE and SNCC organized the freedom rides –Group of civil right activist tested southern states compliance to the Supreme Court ban of segregation on interstate buses

28. Freedom Rides Organized bus ride from Washington D.C. to through the South First freedom ride May 4, 1961 Both African American and white Americans boarded two interstate buses

29. Freedom Rides In Anniston Alabama Armed white mob met the first bus at the terminal Bus attempted to leave Mob slashed the tires Followed the bus to the outskirts of town Firebomb into the bus Riders escaped the bus but are beaten by the mob

31. Eugene "Bull" Connor Birmingham's Commissioner of Public Safety when the Freedom Riders came to town –completely against integration –Close ties to the KKK –Connor encouraged the violence that met the CORE Freedom Riders He would see to it that 15 or 20 minutes would elapse before the police arrived

32. The “Freedom Riders” were met with extreme violence at every turn. Americans were alarmed at the images from the ride.

33. Integration at Ole Miss James Meredith wanted to transfer from Jackson State to University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), and was denied. Meredith got legal help from the NAACP-lawsuit saying his application was turned down on racial grounds The Case went to the Supreme Court, and Meredith was admitted –1962 Supreme Court upheld Meredith’s claim

34. Integration at Ole Miss cont. Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett Declared that Meredith could not enroll Riots and 2 deaths followed his admission. President Kennedy sent army troops to restore order

35. Lynching One of the great risks that protestors brought upon themselves and their families was that of lynching, which was a very real threat in the South. The people that were guilty of the lynching were never punished

37. Birmingham Protest Civil rights leaders looked for places to protest nonviolently MLK called Birmingham “the most segregated city in America”.

38. King called for a series of marches and sit-ins that would bring about change.

39. The campaign began nonviolently –Protest marches –sit-ins King (and others) were arrested for conducting a “parade” without a permit. King was criticized by local white ministers for his civil disobedience. On April 16, 1963 King Responds with his “A Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Defended his tactics

40. As the marches continued, Commissioner Eugene “Bull” Connor had firemen blast protestors with water hoses, and had his policemen use police dogs to break up the unarmed protestors, many of whom were young people

41. The nation was shocked to see these images of widespread violence against the protestors. The protest worked, and the city of Birmingham was desegregated.