Civil Rights Key Events Study Guide

What was deemed unconstitutional in Boyton v. Virginia?

The segregation of interstate transportation.

Which organizations were involved in the Freedom Rides?

CORE initially organized the Freedom Rides, but SNCC took over.

What was the response of President Kennedy to the Freedom Rides?

He sent national guards to protect the protestors.

What was the strategy of the protestors who were arrested during the Freedom Rides?

They practiced 'jail no bail' as a form of peaceful protest.

What significant action did the Interstate Commerce Commission take in November 1961?

They pushed for transportation facilities to comply with nonsegregated facilities.

What event led to the assassination of Emmitt Till?

He was killed for supposedly whistling at or touching a white woman.

What happened to Medgar Evers in 1993?

His assassination was retried; it was pushed by his wife for 30 years.

What nickname was given to Birmingham due to church bombings?

'Bombingham'.

What tragic event occurred during a Sunday service in Birmingham?

A bomb went off, killing four young girls, referred to as 'four little angels'.

What significant legislation did Lyndon B. Johnson sign on August 5, 1965?

The Voting Rights Act of 1965.

What did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 ban?

The use of literacy tests that were used to disenfranchise African Americans.

What power was granted to the U.S. Attorney General by the Voting Rights Act?

The right to investigate the use of poll taxes in state and local elections.

Who was assassinated on April 4, 1968?

Martin Luther King Jr.

Who was accused of assassinating Martin Luther King Jr.?

James Earl Ray.

What major civil rights legislation was signed by President Johnson on April 11, 1968?

The Civil Rights Act of 1968, also known as the Fair Housing Act.

What did the Civil Rights Act of 1968 prohibit?

Discrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, or sex.

Who was Shirley Chisholm and what was her significance in 1968?

She was the first Black congresswoman elected to Congress, serving for 7 terms and ran for President in 1972.

What are civil rights?

Rights of citizens to political and social freedom/equality that protect individuals' freedom from infringement.

What did the 13th Amendment accomplish?

Abolished slavery and involuntary servitude.

What does the 14th Amendment guarantee?

Citizenship to people born or naturalized in the U.S. and equal protection under the law.

What right does the 15th Amendment grant?

The right to vote for all male citizens regardless of ethnicity or prior slave status.

What was the significance of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)?

Established the 'separate-but-equal' doctrine, stating that segregation did not violate the Constitution.

What was the outcome of Brown v. Board of Education (1954)?

Declared 'separate but equal' unconstitutional, stating that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.

What event involved the Little Rock Nine?

Nine black students were chosen to integrate an all-white school in Little Rock, Arkansas, facing opposition from the National Guard.

What was the Montgomery Bus Boycott?

A civil rights protest where African Americans refused to ride buses in Alabama to protest segregated seating, lasting from December 1, 1955, to December 20, 1956.

Who was Rosa Parks?

An activist whose refusal to give up her bus seat sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

What was the role of Thurgood Marshall in the civil rights movement?

He was the lawyer for the NAACP and later became the first Supreme Court Justice of color.

What did the Warren Court advocate for?

Progressive changes in society, including the ruling that segregation was unconstitutional.

What was the purpose of civil disobedience as advocated by MLK Jr.?

To achieve government change through non-violent means while accepting the consequences of one's actions.

What was the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)?

An organization pivotal in the civil rights movement that organized voter registrations and Freedom Rides.

What did the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) aim to do?

Give younger blacks a voice in the civil rights movement, organizing sit-ins and participating in Freedom Rides.

What was the March on Washington?

A significant event in the civil rights movement held on August 28, 1963, advocating for jobs and freedom.

What was the significance of the 24th Amendment?

Ratified in 1964, it prohibited poll taxes in federal elections.

What were Freedom Rides?

Organized protests where activists rode buses into the deep South to challenge segregation at bus terminals.

What was the impact of the Birmingham church bombings in 1963?

Killed four girls attending Sunday school, highlighting the violence against the civil rights movement.

Who were key figures in the civil rights movement?

John Lewis, Diane Nash, A. Philip Randolph, and Baynard Rustin.

What was the significance of the 1963 murder of Medgar Evers?

A civil rights leader whose assassination highlighted the dangers faced by activists.

What was the role of churches in the civil rights movement?

They served as organizing centers for protests and community support.

What was the significance of the phrase 'By any means necessary' as used by Malcolm X?

It called for immediate action and the use of any tactics, including self-defense, to achieve justice.

What was the response of President Eisenhower during the Little Rock Nine crisis?

He enforced federal law to ensure the integration of the school and provided protection for the students.

What did the term 'civil disobedience' mean in the context of the civil rights movement?

Refusal to obey government demands in a nonviolent manner to provoke change.

What was the outcome of the Browder v. Gayle case?

Declared segregation on Montgomery buses unconstitutional.

What was the significance of the 'separate-but-equal' doctrine?

It justified racial segregation in public facilities until it was overturned by Brown v. Board of Education.

Where was MLK protesting before his assassination?

He was protesting in Memphis, Tennessee, advocating for the rights of sanitation workers. It turned violent.

What was MLK’s “mountaintop” speech?

A speech delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. on April 3, 1968, in which he expressed his vision of equality and shared his fears about the future/his mortality. It was delivered the day before his assassination.

Who was Jesse Jackson?

An American civil rights activist and Baptist minister who was a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr. and played a key role in the Civil Rights Movement. He ran for president a few times.

Where was James Earl Ray caught?

He was captured at London's Heathrow Airport after fleeing the United States. He confessed to doing it and then denied killing MLK.

What was the result of MLK’s assassination?

led to widespread outrage, protests, and riots across the United States, as well as significant impacts on the Civil Rights Movement and resulting policy changes.

What was Shirley Chisholm’s nickname?

“fighting Shirley”

What was Shirley Chisholm given

The presidential medal of freedom

Shirley Chisholm Quote

"If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair."