CH 16: The Movement Begins

The origins of the movement “Separate-but- equal”~ 1896, The Supreme court declared segregation constitutional in the Plessy v. Ferguson Case, establishing the “separate-but-equal” doctrine. Rosa Parks challenged segregation by her legendary bus ride, leading to the launch of the Civil Rights movement. Days after her arrest, African Americans in Montgomery organized a boycott of the bus system. The Civil Rights movement was not only against segregation and the laws that supported it, but against de facto segregation (Segregation by custom and tradition)

Court Challenges Begin Since 1909 The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) had supported court cases intended to overturn segregation. Several of the court cases they were involved with would help turn the tides for African Americans in the U.S.

Early Supreme Court Decisions on Civil Rights Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Separate-but-equal doctrine : Segregation was permitted as long as equal facilities were provided for African Americans Norris V. Alabama (1935) African Americans should not be excluded from serving on juries. Morgan v. Virginia (1946) Segregation on Interstate buses was unconstitutional (Decision had no control over local bus policy) Sweatt v. Painter (1950) State law schools had to admit qualified African American candidates. Brown V. Board of Education (1954) Segregation in public schools was unconstitutional and violated the equal protection clause of the fourteenth Amendment.

New Political Power African Americans enjoyed an increased political power, that came about after the “Great Migration” when African Americans would move from southern cities where they were unable to vote, to northern cities, where their vote was sought after The combination of this new political power and victories in court gave African Americans the courage to push for more equality.

Push for Desegregation Chicago 1942 James Farmer and George Houser founded the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) James Farmer George Houser

C.O.R.E. 1943 CORE attempted to desegregate restaurants through sit-ins. (a form of protest first used by union workers in the 1930’s) Members of CORE would walk into segregated restaurants and order something, if they were denied service they would simply sit-down and refuse to leave till they were waited on. Using these type of protests, CORE successfully integrated many restaurants, but not with out their share of abuse

Civil Rights Movement Begins Thurgood Marshall NAACP’s Chief Counselor Director of NAACP’s legal defense Helped bring justice in many cases concerning racial inequality, including Brown v. Board of education

The bus ride that started a movement

Montgomery Bus Boycott The Call for African Americans to not ride the public transit in Montgomery on the day Rosa Parks was to appear in court. The boycott was such a success that several African American leaders formed the Montgomery improvement association to run and negotiate with city leaders for an end to segregation They elected 26 year old pastor Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. Earned a PhD. In theology from Boston University. Believed that non-violent passive resistance like that of Gandhi of India, was the only moral and effective way to end segregation “We must use the weapon of love. We must realize that so many people are taught to hate us that they are not totally responsible for their hate.” Stirred by King’s powerful words, African Americans in Montgomery continued their Boycott of the bus system for over a year

The Role of the Church African American Churches in the South provided leadership and meeting places for the civil rights movement. African American ministers established the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957 They set out to eliminate segregation from American society, and to encourage African American to register to vote Dr. King Served as the SCLC’s first President

Eisenhower and Civil Rights Sympathized with the goals of the Civil Rights movement Personally disagreed with segregation , ordered navy ship yards and Veterans hospitals to de-segregate But, disagreed with the way in which Civil Rights activist were going about it. Believed that segregation and racism had to end gradually as values changed. Felt that forcing the issue with white southerners on segregation would lead to violence that could divide the nation, and in the midst of the cold war felt it could be very dangerous for the nation. President Dwight Eisenhower with Civil Rights leaders

Crisis in Little Rock September 1957 school board in Little Rock Arkansas, won a court order to admit nine African American Students to Central High, a school with 2,000 students The governor of Arkansas, Orval Faubus, determined to win reelection, campaigned as a defender of white supremacy, ordered troops from the Arkansas National Guard to prevent the nine students from entering the school. Faubus was using the National Guard to oppose the authority of the Federal Government, the first such challenge of the Constitution since the Civil War Eisenhower could not let this happen and ordered Fubus to remove the Guard, he did so, but allowed an angry white mob to Vandalize and terrorize the school and African American students. The result was the U.S. army ordered in to Little Rock to maintain order and escort the students into the school, they stayed and guarded the school for the rest of the year.

The Little Rock Nine

New Civil Rights Legislation 1957 Congress passes the 1st Civil Rights law since Reconstruction The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was intended to protect the right of African Americans to vote. Several Southern Senators did try to stop the act, but thanks to Lyndon Johnson’s compromise the act passed. After the bill passed the SCLC announced a campaign to register 2 million new African American voters