Civil Rights Movement
14th amendment
(1868) The fourteenth Amendment guaranteed African Americans citizenship by birth and equal protection by the government. Additionally, the incorporation clause was applied the bill of rights to the states. This law became the focus of the famous court case Plessy vs. Ferguson, used in the arguments of both the prosecution and defense in all four cases.
James Chaney
(1964) James Chaney, a member of CORE and a volunteer at the Freedom Summer, was on his way to inspect the cause of a fire at a black methodist church when he and two other men mysteriously disappeared. His body was found on August 4, 1964, and the horrific incident shocked the country. His funeral was a powerful and emotional gathering which motivated activists to continue to fight for their cause.
Malcolm X
-Did not believe in non-violence that MLK breathes; he thought we needed to do anything to stop white opression
Mississippi Free Democratic Party
-Mississippi Free Democratic Party was an American political party formed by African-Americans which was assisted by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and Council of Federated Organization. -They created campaigns against violent opposition for African Americans to vote. In 1964, they challenged the convention to allow them to be part of the convention.
Ella Baker
-part of the NAACP and helped MLK organize SCLC. Baker suggested that the students did not join SCLC and create their own organization
Andrew Goodman Birmingham )
Andrew Goodman was a white volunteer in the Mississippi Freedom Summer who was kidnapped and murdered along with two other volunteers. This triple murder was a shocking instance of racist violence and left many people shaken up. The murder of these three men and the Mississippi Freedom Summer gained attention at that year's Democratic convention and ultimately helped transform Southern politics
Daisy Bates
Bates was a female civil rights activist. She was the agent for the children of the little rock 9
Why was Birmingham chosen as the site for Project C? What was its purpose? How did protesters bring their cause to attention and were they successful in Birmingham? Why?
Birmingham was the most segergated city in the South and thought that if they could break them, it would cause a domino effect and change everything. The goal was to raise awareness of segergation and dissegerate downtown Birmingham. They used media to bring their cause to attetion. They boycotted business community which worked
Gov. Orval Faubus
Black supported him at first but he wanted to be reelected again so he ordered military to be placed at Little rock HS to only allow white hs to go in. He defied federal laws.
Boynton v. Virginia
Boynton v. Virginia was a Supreme Court case with the ruling that outlawed segregated bus and train stations, airport terminals, and other facilities related to interstate transit. Since the South ignored these rulings, CORE organized another Freedom Ride campaign to integrate bus-station facilities. Though the Freedom Rides resulted in a lot of violence and mayhem, this only accelerated the campaign's momentum and brought it beyond schools and lunch counters.
Brown v. Topeka Board of Education Central High School
Brown v. Board of Education was a Supreme Court case with the unanimous decision that racially segregated public schools violated the constitutional principle of equal treatment for all citizens. The NAACP brief presented by Thurgood Marshall (who would later become the first black Supreme Court justice) relied on psychological and sociological studies showing the effects of segregation on children. This case singlehandedly unravelled over sixty years of legally sanctioned racial segregation.
Eugene "Bull" Connor
Bull Connor was the police chief of Birmingham who characterized the Civil Rights Movement as a movement created by misguided religions and corrupted groups of people. In response to the march from the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Connor brought in police dogs, fire hoses with 1000 pounds of pressure per square inch and put 25,000 demonstrators in jail. However, Connor's actions worked against him as the media blew up his brutality to a national scale and the US began to worry about its national image. Overall, Bull Connor's negative actions toward the Civil Rights Movement actually aided the movement with its national publicity and sympathy.
COFO
COFO, or the Council of Federated Organizations was created as a coalition of the NAACP, SNCC and CORE to coordinate the Mississippi Freedom Summer. Although a lot of violence was caused by the Mississippi Freedom Summer and COFO, many US citizens grew passionate about Civil Rights and Southern politics changed greatly.
CORE
Congress of Racial Equality
Elizabeth Eckford
Eckford was one of the students of the little rock 9 (1957). There is a famous photo of her being harassed by a mob while trying to enter school, which made an impact on the way people viewed segregation.
101st Airborne Division
Eisenhower sent these troops to Little Rock HS and said that mob cannot overcome the court's decision
Who was Emmett Till and what happened to him in the summer of 1955? How did Emmett Till's murder impact black people? Who killed him? Who identified the killers?
Emmett Till is a 14 year old boy who was caught flirting with a white woman. He was murdered by two white men and they pleaded guiltiy. -it showed how injust Southern society is -WHO IS THE KILLER? -Mose Wright, his Uncle
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Enacted on August 6th by President Lyndon Johnson, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was made possible by the Selma March. During the first attempt at marching from Selma to Montgomery on March 7th, 1965, it was the violence of the local police forces on the marches which made it apparent to Congress and President Johnson that a change had to be made. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 enforced the 15th amendment to the Constitution, finally giving all African Americans the ability to vote.
James Farmer
Founder of core| part of the freedom rides, summer, march on washington
Freedom Rides
Freedom Rides A form of protest to by appealing to the law. African Americans were given to ride without segregation in interstate commerce, and so they rode on busses to express this right (1961). Many white southerners firebombed the busses and killed the protesters.
What was the purpose of Freedom Summer? Who led and participated in it? How did the murder of the three civil rights workers at the beginning of the summer affect other participants?
Freedom Summer was created by COFO to expose Mississippi to the nation. It brought lawyers, doctors, whites, and blacks to break up social practices in the South. The death of three civil rights workers made the others even more determined that they need to fight on.
Fannie Lou Hamer
Hamer was a civil rights activist and a delegate for the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. She gave a speech questioning the morality and integrity of the United States with the presence of segregation (1964). The speech was cut off by Lyndon Johnson because he feared it would split the Democratic Party
Plessy v. Ferguson
In 1892, Homer Adolph Plessy, an African-American, decided to challenge the Louisiana law which stated that black and white people could legally be separated on train cars. -He considered this law unconstitutional because it violated the 14th Amendment which states that all citizens can not be deprived of personal life, liberty, or property and cannot be denied equal protections of the law. -Plessy purchased a ticket on the Louisiana railway and took a seat in a whites only car, the conductor told him to leave but he did not move. - Louisiana state court found Plessy guilty of violating the law so he appealed the court ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court which had the same ruling as the state.
What did MLK and other civil rights activists learn from the Albany Movement? Why were efforts to desegregate Albany unsuccessful?
In the Albany movement, the governor of Georgia was very kind to the protestors. Even praying with them. After the failure, Civil Rights activist turned to Birmingham-largest industrial town in the South
16th Street Baptist Church
It was bombed and it shocked many people
Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Clark was a psychologist who published an experiment called "the doll tests". Alongside his wife, Clark experimented by offering many African American children a choice between two nearly identical dolls of different races and seeing which one they preferred. The conclusion, that black children prefer the white doll, was used in the Brown vs. Board of Education case, showing that segregation takes a toll on the self-image of black children.
Nashville Sit Ins.
Lawson prepared students for the protest and it was a successful protest because they got what they wanted. Many of the AA community supported these students and one of the students Diane nash questioned Mayor West. Which led to the creation of Student NonViolent Coordinate Committee
James Lawson
Lawson was a civil rights activist who led workshops and trainings for students in order to prepare them for protests. His tactical and technical training enabled students to withstand the violence of mobs and led to well executed protests like the lunch counter protest on February 27, 1960.
William Simmons
Leader of the second KKK
John Lewis
Lewis was an influential leader of the SNCC. After Kennedy sent his civil-rights bill to congress, organizations rallied behind the president and organized a march on Washington. Contrastly, Lewis had little respect for the president and thought that his efforts were "too little and too late". Although Lewis had a speech of this nature prepared for the march, he was discouraged by A. Philip Randolph, who had been waiting his entire life for the march.
How did the experiences of the Mississippi Free Democratic Party impact the Civil Rights movement after the Atlantic City Convention?
Lost hope. Hamer asked if this was American, land of the free and home of the brave and stated that her race is constantly being threatened. this event eroded their faith in working within the system.
Lyndon Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson was the vice president during John F. Kennedy's presidency and was head of the President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunities. After the assassination of Kennedy, he became the 36th President. Johnson vowed to America and Kennedy that he will continue to pursue a proposal for the civil rights reform. In 1964, he signed the Civil Rights Act into law. This act prohibited racial discrimination in American society; employment, education, and public places. It also laid the formation for the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which protected rights for African-American to vote.
What did Malcolm X advocate and how did it differ from what Martin Luther King advocated?
Malcolm- Violent resistance MLK-Non Violent
What role does the media play in bringing about change?
Media publicized the horror and violence of racism in the South. It showed that there is a mistake in American society and it is time to fix it. It created tense atmosphere as MLK says.
Michael Schwerner
Michael Schwerner was a member of the Congress for Racial Equality and was brutally assassinated by the Klu Klux Klan. -Schwerner and his wife establishes a community center in Mississippi to assist African-American citizens to register to vote and encourage social activism. -Schwerner, his wife, and James Cheney, traveled to Ohio to prepare volunteers for the summer's Civil Rights campaign called the Freedom Summer. -After hearing that a local church was firebombed, they return back to Mississippi but was stopped by the Mississippi police for speeding. -They were taken to jail but were able to pay the fine and leave; however, the Klu Klux Klan caught them and brutally shot Schwerner and Chaney to death.
What did the NAACP argue in the Brown v. Board of Education case? (What arguments did they make?) How did the Brown v. Board of Education ruling impact the lives of southerners?
NAACP STATED THAT "separate but equal" violated the 14th amendment clause It was significant because this case was regarding racial inequality was a conroversial issue during the reconstruction of the U.S.
NAACP
NAACP enacted in its first campaign for the Plessy V. Ferguson of 1894--that stated that separate but equal schools for black and white children were constitutional. It portrayed the idea of "separate but equal". NAACP argued that "separate but equal" violated the 14th amendment clause that stated all citizens can not be deprived of equal protection by law. In the Brown v Board decision, the US supreme court ruled that the doctrine of "separate but equal" was unconstitutional.
Diane Nash
Nash was a strategist of the student wing of the civil rights movement. Her contributions include the organization of the integration of lunch counters in Nashville (1960), freedom rides (1961), and she was the co-founder of the SNCC (1960).
Martin Luther King, Jr.
One of the most influential Civil Rights activist part of the SCLC. He was thrown in Birmingham jail and wrote a letter respnding to the clergy.
Project C
Project C, also known as The Birmingham Campaign, is one of the most influential campaigns during the Civil Rights Movement. -It began with series of lunch counter sit-ins, marching and boycotting downtown businesses to pressure business owners to desegregate the laws in Alabama. -These movements were act of civil disobedience and were often met by violent attacks by fire hoses, police dogs, and angry white mobs. It is considered a major turning points in the Civil Rights movement.
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Proposed by John F. Kennedy but after his assasination, Lyndon Johnson, the vice president had it become a law in 1964.
"I Have A Dream"
Public speech spoken at the March on Washington -where he spoke about the end of racism -the speech was written in the honor or Abhram lincoln's gettsyburg address speech
Mamie Till Bradley
She insisted on open casket funeral so that the public can see what these two white men did to his son. Made it shown nationally.
Albany Movement
The Albany Movement was a push for bus station desegregation led by the NAACP, CORE and SNCC. In order to succeed, the movement relied on police brutality toward the demonstrators but instead, the Albany police responded by arresting demonstrators nonviolently. Ultimately, this movement was the Civil Rights movement's first real failure and the beginning of a new coherence.
Selma March
The Selma March was sparked on February 18th, 1965, when Jimmie Lee Jackson was shot by a police officer while participating in a peaceful protest in Marion, Alabama. Dr. Martin Luther King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) spearheaded a massive march from Selma to Montgomery, a 54 mile walk. After two failed attempts, President Johnson sent the US Army to protect the march which was completed on March 25th.
SCLC
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was created in 1957. Led by Martin Luther King, the SCLC was the most prominent religious civil rights organization. It was a non-violent group. Noteable SCLC campaigns include their campaign in Birmingham, Alabama, the March on Washington, and the Selma March.
SNCC
The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), was thought up by Ella Baker. Baker organized a conference in Raleigh, North Carolina in April, 1960, in which she encouraged black students to work for civil rights independently, instead of joining the SCLC. A month after this unofficial meeting, the SNCC became an official organization.
Freedom Summer
The freedom summer was led by COFO, a combination of the SNCC, CORE, NAACP, and SCLC. It took place in Mississippi and the goal was to encourage African Americans to vote (1964).
Little Rock - Why was the integration of Little Rock High School so difficult? What transpired in Little Rock, AR over the course of 1957-1958? (NEED TO FIX) -What was the experience like for the 9 black teens chosen to integrate Little Rock? o What role did the federal government play in the integration of Little Rock?
The intergration was difficult because the white southern society was united in opposing intergration. -they mainly opposed it because they feared interracial dating. -it was very scary and violent -federal government had to act upon and aid the little rock 9 students so that they follow their own laws
What bearing did it(ruling of brown v.board) have on the Plessy v. Ferguson ruling of 1896? Who was the lead lawyer in the case?
The lead lawyer was the cheif of NAACP -It made the ruling of "separate but equal" constitutional because the supreme court deemed it violation towards U.S. consitution
Martin Luther King, Jr. - What is the philosophy behind non-violent protest? How does non-violence bring about change?
The philosphy behind non-violent protest is that it challenges individual to think for themselves and how they could change things. It creates a tense atmosphere which forces people to realize the inhumanity of racism.
How did the events in Selma, Alabama lead to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965?
The three Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965 were part of the Voting Rights Movement underway in Selma, Alabama. By highlighting racial injustice in the South, they contributed to passage that year of the Voting Rights Act,
Mose Wright
The uncle of Emmett Till whose testimony was critical. He pointed at the two white men.
How did the Southern Manifesto and the White Citizens' Councils work to oppose Civil Rights during the 1950s and 1960s?
They told all the Southern States to use every way possible in law to resist desegergation and any possible ways to block the supreme court ruling
Emmett Till
Till was a 14 year old boy who was brutally murdered by two white southerners for flirting on a white woman (1955). His mother arranged an open casket so that the world could see what horrors Till passed through before death. His death made an impact on how the north viewed the south and their segregated society.
What was the strategy behind the Freedom Rides? How did the Kennedy administration respond to the Freedom Rides? What was the final result?
To ride on a national bus all the way into the south to dissegergate all the bus terminal. Kennedy adminstration told the freedom riders to stop but they didn't. They continued and they faced many violence events
Herbert Brownwell
Was the attorney general during Eisenhower's presidency. He was responsible for telling what the adminstration postition was in Brown v Board.
Greensboro, NC
Where the nashville sit in occur
Rosa Parks
did not give up her seat to a white man on the bus and was one of the most influential activist during her times -MLK organized a bus boycott the day Parks was told she violated segergation laws -became symbol
Southern Manifesto
marked a moment of southern defiance against the Supreme Court's 1954 landmark Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka (KS) decision, which determined that separate school facilities for black and white school children were inherently unequal. The Manifesto attacked Brown as an abuse of judicial power that trespassed upon states' rights.
Minnie Jean Brown
one of the little rock 9, she poured hot chili on the guy's head. She was expelled from the High School student.
Ernest Green
one of the students in Little Rock 9
March on Washington
to get equality in jobs and dissegergation
Cleveland Sellers
worked with SNCC -marched acrossed Mississippi after the attempt murder of James merideth -