Chapter 4 Civil rights

The Civil Rights Struggle: After the Civil War, African Americans routinely faced discrimination, or unfair treatment based on prejudice against a certain group. “Jim Crow” laws passed in the south required the social separation of the races which was known as segregation. It would take more than 100 years for African Americans to secure their civil rights – the rights of full citizenship and equality under the law.

“Separate but Equal” “Jim Crow” laws had mandated the “separate but equal” status for blacks in America - [Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)] Beginning to Change - Executive Order 9981 (1948) from President Harry Truman ordered an end to segregation in the nation’s armed forces. The biggest victory for equality of rights came with the decision in 1954. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, KS (1954) NAACP lawyers successfully argued that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. It violated the 14th Amendments principle of “equal protection under the law”

Montgomery Bus Boycott In 1955, one year after the Brown decision, an African American woman named Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man. Arrested for violating Alabama’s segregation laws. Her arrest spurred the local African American community to organize a boycott of the Montgomery, AL bus system. A year later, Supreme Court ruled that public bus segregation was unconstitutional. Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gained national prominence from their actions

Peaceful Protests Dr. King was a Baptist minister and one of the main leaders of the civil rights movement. His ability to speak and his belief in non-violent resistance helped move the cause. King helped organize marches, boycotts, and demonstrations that opened people eye’s to the treatment of blacks and that change was needed. Students were known for staging “sit-ins” at lunch counters that served only whites African Americans and whites sympathetic to the cause were “Freedom Riders” who traveled together on buses to protest segregation King’s “I Have a Dream Speech” was and still is inspirational to those who hope for racial equality.

Civil Rights Act of 1964 In response to the growing demand for government action, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This law prohibited discrimination in: - public facilities - employment - education - voter registration It banned discrimination by race, color, gender, religion, and national origin. Strengthened the 14th Amendment

Other Steps to Equality Ratification in 1964 of the 24th Amendment to protect African Americans when it came to registering and voting; banned poll taxes in America. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 ensured all citizens the right to vote, regardless of race.

Affirmative Action In the 1970’s, the federal government created programs that were intended to make up for past discrimination. These programs encouraged the hiring and promoting of minorities and women, and the admission of more minority students to colleges. From the beginning, affirmative action has been controversial. Critics complain that affirmative action programs give preferential treatment to women and minorities, amounting to discrimination against men and whites. “reverse discrimination”

Racial Profiling The struggle for equal rights continues today. Each year, the federal government receives more than 75,000 complaints of workplace discrimination. Many people are subject to racial profiling Racial profiling is being singled out as suspects because of the way they look. Some Americans are also victims of hate crimes – acts of violence based on a person’s race, color, national origin, gender, or disability.

Write 3 paragraphs using the following 5 terms to summarize the civil rights movement: discrimination, segregation, civil rights, affirmative action, racial profiling Underline the terms when they are first explained in your writing. You must also address the following – *Why was the civil rights movement started? *What other groups besides African Americans are struggling for equality under the law today?