The Civil Rights Movement

AN OVERVIEW OF KEY CASES, PEOPLE, EVENTS

Plessy v. Ferguson
In 1896 in an act of civil disobedience Homer Plessy attempted to sit in a "whites only" train car in Louisiana: He was convicted and fined $25 dollars His case was appealed to the Supreme Court The court upheld state's laws requiring racial segregation in public facilities. "Separate but equal" was deemed constitutional and not in violation of the 14th Amendment Jim Crow

What do you think?

Take the survey

Strange Fruit
Billie Holiday Strange Fruit 1939

What do you think this song is about?

WWII
The Second World War brought about changes in the military that would spill over into civilian society. Blacks in the military served and served well. If they were willing to fight and die for their country why would their country treat them like second class citizens? July 26, 1948 - Pres. Harry S. Truman issues Executive Order 9981 ordering the end of discrimination in the military. Many Black soldiers coming back from war expected a heroes welcome but received the same second class treatment as they had before they left A shift in mood was occurring and many in the Black community were ready to take a stand.

Brown v Board of Education

May 17, 1954

Plaintiffs in the case argued that the system of racial

separation, while masquerading as providing separate but equal treatment of both white and black Americans, instead perpetuated inferior accommodations, services, and treatment for black Americans. Result: Segregation of students in public schools violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, because separate facilities are inherently unequal.

Brown v Board of Education

Here is a video describing Brown v. Board of education and its impact.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

Protest campaign against the policy of racial

segregation on the public transit system of Montgomery, Alabama. Rosa Parks Boycott

Why do you think boycotting was so effective ?

Browder v. Gayle The Rise of MLK

Birmingham Campaign
SCLC Nonviolent protest Is it ever justifiable to break the law? Sit-ins Letter From Birmingham Jail Read-

aloud/ QtA activity. Would you do the same??

Civil Rights Act of 1964

President Lyndon B. Johnson Outlawed discrimination based on race, sex, religion, and nationality.

The results of the Civil Rights Movement: Can you imagine a segregated country now?
Imagine: The friends you wouldnt be able to go to school with. The athletes you couldnt watch play together. Some of us possibly wouldnt even have been born.

What have you learned?

What case initially upheld separate but equal? Has your opinion changed on the subject? Go here to explain. What major court case revitalized the civil rights

movement? What document became a unifying explanation and justification for nonviolent protest and civil disobedience? Who were some important figures in the movement?