Chapter 29.1 Civil Rights in the 1960s

Introduction What are human rights? What are CIVIL rights?

Human right – Opportunities and privileges one is afforded just by being human Civil right – the privileges that citizens’ can expect within their society that if interfered with by another gives rise to an action for injury (pressing criminal charges, lawsuit) Discrimination - occurs when the rights of an individual are denied or interfered with Racism – a host of practices, beliefs, and customs that produce a racial hierarchy and social structure that yields superiority and privilege for some and discrimination and oppression for others

Where does all of this come from? Prejudice – a preconceived belief or judgement about something or someone PREJUDICE is the belief… Racism/Discrimination are ACTIONS based on PREJUDICE.

Opening questions 1. Think to yourself: What do you know about the Civil Rights movement? 2. Write (1 paragraph): A. When did the Civil Rights Era begin? B. When did the Civil Rights Era end? C. Did it end? Is it still occurring? D. What, if any, are some examples of modern civil rights issues?

Background: The Civil Rights Act of 1875 – “All persons.. Shall be entitled to equal enjoyment of the accommodations of inns, public conveyances on land or water,, theaters, and places of public amusement.” **Declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court During Reconstruction, many African-Americans who were unable to leave the south remained in a state of unofficial slavery.

Background cont’d Plessy v. Ferguson – In 1890, a group of citizens got together to protest segregation laws. The Supreme Court ruled that “separate but equal” was permissible by law. This allowed segregation to continue well into the 20th century. Video

In the 1960s… There were two types of segregation in the United States: 1. De Facto Segregation (North) – Segregation by social norm and custom 2. De Jure Segregation (South) – Segregation by law

De Jure

De Facto

WWII sets the stage for the Civil Rights Era: One million African-American men soldiers returned from war and many of them began demanding their rights During the war the need for laborers at home opened up many job opportunities for African-Americans, Latin Americans, and white women. FDR ordered all war effort facilities to be desegregated

Challenging the status quo The NAACP fought since 1909 to end segregation. Thurgood Marshall and his team of law students took this fight to the legal system from 1934-1957. Brown v. Board of Education – A landmark victory for Marshall in which the Supreme Court ruled that “separate was NOT equal.”

The Little Rock 9 In 1948 Arkansas became the first southern state to admit African-Americans to state schools. The governor called in the national guard to keep the nine students who had volunteered to be admitted to an all-white high school from attending. In response, Eisenhower commandeered the Arkansas National Guard and used them to protect the students as they entered the high school.

Montgomery Bus Boycott Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat so a white man could “sit down without having to sit next to any blacks.” Contrary to popular belief (and your book), this was not a random act of civil disobedience but it was a planned event that Rosa Parks was specifically trained for by the NAACP. In response to Park’s arrest, the NAACP organized a massive community bus boycott of the public transportation system in Montgomery. Martin Luther King, JR. was asked to lead this boycott.

Freedom Summer The Summer of 1964 is known today as “Freedom Summer” because it involved large-scale protest movements that profoundly impacted Americans all over the country and helped to gain support for the Civil Rights Movement.

Important Organizations NAACP – National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples SCLC – Southern Christian Leadership Conference SNCC – Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee The Nation of Islam & The Black Panthers

Investigation Complete the worksheet.