LBJ and the great society

Great Society

A set of domestic programs launched by LBJ aimed at reducing poverty and racial injustice.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Legislation that prohibited discrimination based on race in public places.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Legislation that eliminated discriminatory voting practices, such as literacy tests.

Medicare

A federal program that provides health care to elderly individuals.

Medicaid

A government-funded program providing health care to low-income families.

Barry Goldwater

A conservative politician who opposed the expansion of government programs established by the Great Society.

Brown v. Board of Education

A 1954 Supreme Court case that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional.

Massive Resistance

A strategy by southern states to resist desegregation following the Brown ruling.

Southern Manifesto

A document written by southern congress members opposing racial integration in public schools.

Freedom Riders

Civil rights activists who rode buses into the segregated southern United States to challenge the non-enforcement of Supreme Court decisions.

Black Power

A movement advocating for racial pride and self-defense among African Americans, emerging in response to civil rights strategies.

Urban Riots

Civil unrest often resulting from racial tensions, poverty, and police brutality, notably the Watts riot in 1965 and Detroit riot in 1967.

Kerner Commission

A commission established to investigate the causes of the 1967 urban riots, concluding they were fueled by systemic racism.

Little Rock Nine

A group of nine African American students who enrolled at Little Rock Central High School in 1957, facing violent opposition.

Harlem Renaissance

A cultural, social, and artistic explosion centered in Harlem, New York, during the 1920s, reflecting black pride and expressions.

Emmett Till

A black teenager whose murder sparked national outrage and became a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

A political and social protest campaign against racial segregation on the public transit system of Montgomery, Alabama.

SCLC

Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization formed to coordinate civil rights activism, led by MLK.

SNCC

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a key organization in the American civil rights movement, focusing on direct action.

Black Panther Party

A militant organization founded to protect African American neighborhoods and promote social welfare programs.

Malcolm X

Civil rights leader who advocated for black nationalism and self-defense, and initially opposed King’s nonviolent approach.

Head Start

A program providing early childhood education, nutrition, and health services to low-income families.

National Endowment for the Arts

A government agency that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence.