1. Origins of the Civil Rights movement

2. Origins
Jackie Robinson breaks the color barrier in major league baseball in 1947
Truman integrated the armed forces in 1948, introduced civil rights legislation in Congress
Race relations were changing, but African Americans in the South were still segregated, discriminated against
Social segregation kept many poorly education, economic discrimination kept many in poverty

3. Changing Demographics and Attitudes
Origins of modern civil rights movement traced back to the movement of millions of African Americans from the rural South to the urban centers of the North and South
Many African Americans joined the Democratic party during the New Deal
This represented a growing influence in party politics
As far as the Cold War went, the U.S. reputation for freedom and democracy was competing against Communist ideologies
Racial segregation and discrimination in the U.S. stood out as glaring wrongs

4. Desegregating the Schools
NAACP had been working for decades to overturn Plessy v. Ferguson
In Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka a team of NAACP lawyers argued segregation of black children in public schools was unconstitutional
Violated 14th Amendment rights to “equal protection of the law”

5. Desegregating the Schools
May the Court agreed with Thurgood Marshall, overturned the Plessy case
Chief Justice Earl Warren ruled:
“Separate facilities are inherently unequal” and unconstitutional
School segregation should end with “all deliberate speed”

6. Resistance in the South
101 members of Congress signed the “Southern Manifesto”
Condemned Supreme Court for “clear abuse of judicial power”
States fought the decision in several ways:
Closing public schools, opening more private schools
Ku Klux Klan used the sentiment in the South to regain prominence/members

7. Resistance in the South
1956- Arkansas governor used the National Guard to prevent nine students from entering Little Rock Central High
Eisenhower intervened- he did not actively support desegregation, but understood he had a constitutional duty to uphold federal authority
Used federal troops to stand guard and protect the black students
Resistance remained stubborn- in 1964, less than 2% of blacks in the South attended segregated schools
10 years after Brown v. Board

8. Montgomery Bus Boycott
1955- Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white passenger
Arrested for violating segregation laws
This was planned by the NAACP after Claudette Colvin had done the same thing 9 months prior to Parks
Parks’ arrest sparked a massive African American protest in the form of a boycott of the city busses

9. Montgomery Bus boycott
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was minister of the Baptist church where the boycott started
Emerged as an inspirational leader of the nonviolent movement to end segregation
The protests and Montgomery Bus Boycott resulted in the Supreme Court ruling segregation laws were unconstitutional

10. Federal Laws
Two civil rights laws of 1957 and 1960 were the first such laws passed since the Reconstruction era
Still modest in scope- created a permanent Civil Rights Commissions and gave the Justice Dept. more power to protect the rights of African Americans
Southern officials were still effectively able to keep African Americans from voting
Poll taxes, literacy clauses, etc. etc.

11. Nonviolent Protests
1957: Dr. King formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
Organized ministers and churches in the South to get behind civil rights
1960: four NCA&T students in Greensboro, NC started the sit-in movement at a segregated lunch counter in Woolworth’s downtown
Deliberately invited arrest to call attention to the injustice of segregated facilities
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was formed to keep the sit-in movement organized
Hotels, libraries, pools, etc. etc.

12. Entering the 1960’s
Results of boycotts, sit-ins, court rulings, and government responses marked a significant turning point for civil rights in America
Progress was slow- impatience among many African Americans would manifest into violent confrontations
Immigration issues, especially for Latin Americans, continued to worsen after the war as well

13. ?
What were two of the earliest indications that race relations were changing in the U.S.?
How did the Cold War affect Americans’ views about civil rights?
What was the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954)?
Give one or two examples of resistance to the Brown v. Board decision in the South.
Why did Eisenhower intervene in Little Rock, Arkansas even though he didn’t actively support desegregation?
What did public schools in the South look like by 1964, ten years after the Brown v. Board decision?
What was the result of Rosa Parks’ arrest for violating segregation laws?
What did the civil rights act of 1957 and 1960 provide for?
What happened in Greensboro, NC in 1960?
What would slow progress with civil rights reform result in during the early 1960s?