The civil rights movement

Gunnar Myrdal

Author of 'An American Dilemma' (1944) which exposed systemic racism in U.S. society.

An American Dilemma

Book by Gunnar Myrdal that identified contradictions between American Creed and the reality of segregation.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Established the 'separate but equal' doctrine and legalized segregation in the U.S.

14th Amendment

Political equality only, as claimed in the Plessy v. Ferguson case.

Dissent by John Marshall Harlan

Argued that 'Constitution is color-blind' in the Plessy v. Ferguson case.

Thurgood Marshall

NAACP chief counsel who led the legal strategy against segregation and later became the first Black Supreme Court Justice.

Missouri ex rel. Gaines v. Canada (1938)

Case that ruled states must provide equal education.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Landmark case that overturned Plessy in education, declaring that 'separate educational facilities are inherently unequal'.

Brown II (1955)

Ordered desegregation with 'all deliberate speed', leaving implementation to local authorities.

Southern Manifesto (1956)

Document signed by over 100 Congress members opposing the Brown decision, claiming judicial overreach.

Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–1956)

Mass protest led by Martin Luther King Jr. resulting in the Supreme Court banning bus segregation.

Nonviolent Civil Rights Movement

Movement led by Martin Luther King Jr. influenced by Gandhi's nonviolence and Thoreau's civil disobedience.

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

Founded in 1957 by MLK to promote nonviolent resistance and mass mobilization.

Little Rock Nine (1957)

Group of 9 Black students who integrated Central High School, facing opposition from Governor Orval Faubus.

Federal Response to Little Rock Nine

President Eisenhower sent troops to enforce Supreme Court's desegregation ruling.

Key Themes in Civil Rights Movement

Include conflict between federal and state power, nonviolence as tactic, and tied to U.S. Cold War image.

Overall Trajectory of Civil Rights (1938–1958)

Characterized by court victories weakening segregation, federal enforcement, and gradual progress against resistance.