The Civil Rights Movement The fight for equality in America 1950s – 1960s Answers to the big mama epic worksheet

Historical Background and Struggle for Equal Rights Page ONE on worksheet

NAACP National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Worked to END segregation Challenged laws that treated blacks unfairly Wanted equality for African-Americans

14 th Amendment Granted citizenship to all people born in the United States Did not matter if they were previously a slave Originally, did not include Native Americans

15 th Amendment Gave voting rights to all male citizens this included African-American men!

19 th Amendment Gave women the right to vote

Plessy v. Ferguson Court decision where “separate but equal” was made law Plessy (a black man) rode in a whites only train car. He was asked to go to the blacks only train car. Plessy challenged Ferguson (train owner) by saying this request was a violation of his 14 th amendment rights 8-1 vote sided with Ferguson saying “as long as there are two train cars, it’s okay”

Think about it! Do on your own Historically, what groups have been denied basic civil rights?

Goals of the Civil Rights Movement Page ONE on worksheet

1. Equality in Education Students of any color (black or white) should be able to access a high quality and equal education

2. Right to Vote Jim Crow Laws and other barriers to voting rights need to be outlawed. This includes: poll taxes, literacy tests, grandfather clauses, and threats at voting polls

3. End to Segregation “separate but equal” is inheritently not equal. True equality will come when blacks and whites share the same facilities. Integration = desegregation

4. Fair Employment Practices Blacks should not be discriminated against when they are looking for a job. They should be given the same opportunities as whites in their careers and not turned down simply because of their color.

Think about it! Do on your own How were the goals of this Civil Rights movement similar to historical movements to gain other minorities rights?

Brown vs. Board of Education Clip

Federal Government Reactions Page THREE on worksheet

Brown v. Board of Education 1954 Supreme Court law that overturned (un- did) “separate but equal” Vote was 9-0 in favor of Brown US law stated all schools must be desegregated immediately Southern states did not follow through right away causing more tension

Little Rock Nine Video Clip

Civil Rights Act of 1964 Proposed by John F. Kennedy (JFK), but passed by Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) when Kennedy died Banned discrimination in public facilities and outlawed discrimination in employment Wanted school desegregation to happen faster

Voting Rights Act of 1965 Passed by Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) Banned literacy tests and other barriers to voting Asked federal officials to register voters in states that usually practiced discrimination (the South mainly)

Think about it! Do on your own Which federal government reaction do you think was most influential on gaining equal rights? Why?

Emmett Till Video Clip

Key Events in the Civil Rights Movement Page TWO on worksheet

Montgomery Bus Boycott Video Clip

Montgomery Bus Boycott 70% of the bus riders in Montgomery, Alabama were black They refused to ride the buses – in response to the treatment of Rosa Parks Only planned for one day, the boycott lasted 381 days Finally, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on buses was illegal and unfair!

Selma Video Clip

Voter Registration Drives March from Selma to Montgomery (Alabama) to protest voting rights Led by King Turned violent

Woolworth Lunch Counter Video Clip

Sit-Ins A form of protest in which people sit and refuse to leave Students sat at a whites only lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina and would not get up until they were served

Freedom Riders Video Clip

Freedom Riders Civil Rights activist who wanted to test a Supreme Court decision that outlawed segregation in interstate travel The first ride was 13 people – 7 black and 6 white Successfully integrated bus stops until they were attacked in Alabama

Watts Riots Video Clip

Urban Riots Los Angeles, California race riots where 1,000 people were injured or killed

Think about it! Do on your own Which key event do you think would be MOST influential in gaining equal rights? Why?

Contributions and Perspectives of Key Individuals Page TWO on worksheet

Rosa Parks African-American civil rights leader Refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white person Was arrested Her actions started The Montgomery Bus Boycotts

Thurgood Marshall NAACP lawyer Defended Linda Brown in Brown v. The Board of Education Goal was to end segregation

Southern Christian Leadership Conference - SCLC Civil Rights organization started by Martin Luther King Jr. Had a non-violent approach

Malcolm X Clip

Malcolm X Rejected integration Said blacks will only be successful if they are completely separate from a white society Had a more violent approach than King Was killed in 1965

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights Leader Page THREE on worksheet

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Clip

Civil Disobedience The active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government Started by Henry David Thoreau and used by civil rights activists like Gandhi and King

Passive Resistance is the practice of achieving goals through symbolic protests, civil disobedience, economic or political noncooperation, or other methods, without using violence. PASSIVE = PEACEFUL RESISTANCE = AGAINST

“I Have a Dream” Speech Famous speech made by MLK at the March on Washington Called for an end to racism

March on Washington 250,000 listened to MLK speak in Washington, DC.

Assassination April 4, 1968 – Memphis, Tennessee Escaped convict James Earl Ray was held responsible for the shooting He was 39 years old

Think about it! Do on your own How do the beliefs of Dr. King compare/contrast to those of Malcolm X?

Notable African-Americans Page ONE on worksheet

Maya Angelou Clip

Maya Angelou American Poet & Author who wrote “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” & “And Still I Rise” The free bird leap son the back of the wind And floats downstream ill the current ends And dips his wings in the orange sun rays And dares to claim the sky. But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage Can seldom see through his bars of rage His wings are clipped and his feet are tied So he opens his throat to sing. The caged bird sings with fearful trill Of the things unknown but longed for still And his tune is heard on the distant hill, for The caged bird sings of freedom The free bird thinks of another breeze And the trade winds soft through the sighing trees And the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn And he names the sky his own. But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams His shadow shouts on a nightmare scream His wings are clipped and his feet are tied So he opens his throat to sing The caged bird sings with a fearful trill Of things unknown but longed for still And his tune is heard on the distant hill For the caged bird sings of freedom.

Henry Louis Gates Clip

Henry Louis Gates Historian and author Henry Louis Gates is a professor of history at Harvard University and a leading intellectual. He has authored several books, many of which argue that a Euro-centric version of American history is not an accurate portrayal of the past. Indeed, African-American perspectives – and the perspectives of women and other minority groups are essential to understanding history.

Charles Drew Clip

Charles Drew created the blood banking system that allows blood transfusions to take place Saving lives everyday, his work was especially vital to helping soldiers survive during WWII