Civil Rights SOL VUS.13

Brown v. Education was a landmark Supreme Court decision. It was declared in this decision that segregated schools are unequal.

This decision reversed the decision in Plessy v. Ferguson. The Supreme Court stated that schools must desegregate.

Thurgood Marshall was the lawyer that presented the Supreme Court case of Brown v. Education. He was on the NAACP Defense Team. Later, Kennedy appointed him to the Supreme Court.

Oliver Hill was head of the defense team for the NAACP Legal Defense Team in Virginia. Hill was close friends with Thurgood Marshall.

Oliver Hill as head of the legal defense team for the NAACP in Virginia had filed Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County. This case was consolidated with Brown v. Education when it went to the Supreme Court.

Virginia had massive resistance to desegregation. Some schools were even closed! Prince Edward County closed schools for several years rather than desegregate.

A voucher system in Virginia allowed students to attend schools of their parents choice instead of the designated school.

Virginia strongly resisted the desegregation movement by: oEstablishment of private academies oWhite flight from urban school systems oClosing some schools oVoucher system

African Americans, working through the court system and mass protest, reshaped public opinion and secured the passage of civil rights legislation.

Participants in the 1963 March on Washington were inspired by the “I have a dream” speech given by Martin Luther King, Jr.

This march helped influence public opinion to support civil rights legislation.

One outcome of this march was that it demonstrated the power of non-violent, mass protest.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, and gender.

This act desegregated public accommodations such as restaurants, buses, movies, and swimming pools.

President Lyndon B. Johnson played an important role in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed literacy tests. These tests had been used to block voting rights for African Americans.

To ensure proper voting registration procedures, federal registrars were sent to the South to register voters.

The act resulted in an increase in African American voters.

President Lyndon B. Johnson played an important role in the passage of this act. J o h n s o n s i g n s t h e V o t i n g R i g h t s A c t

In addition to this act, Johnson helped pass the 24 th amendment to the Constitution. This amendment abolished poll taxes. These taxes had been used to discriminate against some voters.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP, was formed to assist African Americans in their quest for equality. Creators of the NAACP

The NAACP challenged segregation and discrimination in the courts.

1. What was decided in Brown v. Education? Segregated schools are unequal and they must desegregate

2. What Supreme Court decision did Brown v. Education reverse? Plessy v. Ferguson

3. Who was the head of the defense team in Brown v. Education? Thurgood Marshall What group did he represent? NAACP

4. Who was the Virginian defense attorney for the NAACP in Brown v. Education? Oliver Hill What case did Hill defend in Virginia? Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County

5. What was demonstrated in the 1963 March on Washington? The power of non-violent mass protest

6. What famous speech was given in the 1963 March on Washington? Martin Luther King, Jr’s “I have a dream” speech

7. What president was a strong supporter of civil rights? Lyndon B. Johnson

8. What act forced the desegregation of public accommodations? Civil Rights Act of 1964

9. What was outlawed in the Voting Rights Act of 1965? Literacy tests as a part of voter registration How was this enforced? Federal registrars were brought into the South to register voters

10. What amendment did Lyndon B. Johnson help pass that aided civil rights? 24 th Amendment – no poll tax