1. Civil Rights The 1950s

2. Segregation Jim Crow Laws –De jure segregation is imposed by law –Plessy v. Ferguson – ‘Separate but equal’ –Voting laws –De facto segregation is unwritten, consent and tradition allow it

3. African American Demographics As a community would be considered a lesser developed country High birth and death rates, high infant mortality rate, low literacy rate, high unemployment rate, etc. Moving through demographic transition

4. Push begins for more equality During WWII, they fought bravely for the U.S. and experienced little discrimination in Europe CORE – Congress of Racial Equality is formed –Influenced by Thoreau and Gandhi – uses non-violent direct methods to gain civil rights

5. Jackie Robinson 1947 – breaks the ‘color barrier’ in baseball Faced death threats, spat upon, couldn’t stay in some places when team was in south Truman appoints Committee on Civil Rights –Recommends anti-lynching laws and fed. Protection of voting rights –No Congressional support Southern voting block Uses executive order to desgregate military

6. Brown v. Board of Education Topeka, Kansas NAACP, Thurgood Marshall challenges segregation using the 14 th Amendment –Previous cases using 14 th Amendment Sweatt v. Painter – Texas all black law school McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents – admitted, but denied access to some facilities Chief Justice Earl Warren writes decision – ‘with all deliberate speed’ KKK sees revival – south plans to fight school segregation Mexican Americans – Hernandez v. Texas – Mexican Americans allowed on trial juries