Civil Rights Movement Overview

Brown vs. Board of Education Who was involved? NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Thurgood Marshall Linda Brown What Happened? Brown denied admission to white school nearby Told to go to black school across town Family and NAACP sue Board of Education of Topeka Kansas Case goes to Supreme Court 1954 ruling: Segregation in public schools is unconstitutional

Brown vs. Board of Education Impact on the Civil Rights Movement Established that separate facilities are inherently unequal African American race is NOT inferior Desegregation and integration of public schools Southern resistance spurs further events in the Civil Rights Movement Encourages activism

Montgomery Bus Boycott Who was involved? Martin Luther King Jr. What Happened? MLK leads nonviolent boycott of Montgomery buses in honor of Rosa Parks’ refusal to sit in the back of the bus. People organized car pools or walked to work rather than use public buses Impact on the Civil Rights Movement Moved CRM from court cases to protests, boycotts, and demonstrations Challenged segregation on buses as unconstitutional MLK joins the CRM

Little Rock School Crisis Who was involved? Little Rock Nine Governor Orval Faubus Arkansas National Guard President Dwight D. Eisenhower 101st Airborne Division What Happened? Gov. Faubus refused to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, AR Sent AR National Guard to block nine African American students from entering the school; white mob joins Eisenhower sends 101st Airborne to protect the African American students from the mob and escort them to school for the year

Little Rock School Crisis Impact on the Civil Rights Movement Enforced public school integration Upheld Supreme Court decision in Brown vs. Board against segregation Gave hope to African Americans

Sit-In Movement Who was involved? What Happened? Joseph McNeil Ezell Blair Jr. David Richmond Franklin McCain What Happened? 4 African American students sat at the lunch counter of a Woolworth’s in Greensboro, NC Owner refused to serve them Taunted, food and drinks poured on them, beaten, kicked, burned with cigarettes and coffee Sit-Ins spread to other cities

Sit-In Movement Impact on the Civil Rights Movement Brought college students into the CRM Encouraged peaceful, nonviolent protest Showed nonviolent protests could work Established Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

Freedom Riders Who was involved? What Happened? James Farmer Sheriff Bull Connor What Happened? African Americans and whites rode interstate buses to draw attention to integration Riders were attacked by angry whites Firebombs Rocks Chains Lead Pipes Bull Connor order the KKK to attack riders

Freedom Riders Impact on the Civil Rights Movement President Kennedy felt compelled to do something about violence towards African Americans CRM gets national attention Increased risks to protesters

Violence in Birmingham Who was involved? Martin Luther King Jr. President John F. Kennedy Mayor Bull Connor What Happened? Nonviolent protesters demonstrate in Birmingham, AL MLK jailed Connor orders police to use clubs, police dogs, and fire hoses on the protesters

Violence in Birmingham Impact on the Civil Rights Movement Kennedy prepared a Civil Rights bill MLK defended nonviolent protest (Letter from Birmingham Jail) Americans outraged by violence CRM gets more national attention

March on Washington Who was involved? What Happened? MLK A Philip Randolph What Happened? 200,000 demonstrators march to the Lincoln Memorial Speeches, hymns, songs “I Have a Dream” speech Impact on the Civil Rights Movement Built support for the Civil Rights bill Encouraged peaceful demonstrations

Selma March Who was involved? What Happened? MLK SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) SNCC Jim Clark What Happened? March from Selma to Montgomery, AL for voting rights Stopped at bridge outside of Selma Jim Clark orders demonstrators to disperse Demonstrators knelt in prayer Clark ordered an attack by 200 state troopers and armed citizens 70 African Americans hospitalized and injured

Selma March National attention to violence against African Americans President Lyndon B. Johnson proposes voting rights law