Years Leading Up

1863: The Emancipation Proclamation frees the slaves of the Confederate states in rebellion against the Union

1865: The 13th Amendment abolishes slavery in the USA

1865: The Black Codes: Limited African Americans’ rights

1877: Jim Crow Laws

1896: Plessy V. Ferguson: The Supreme Court case upheld "separate but equal" segregation laws, allowing racial segregation in public facilities as constitutional.

Stepping Stones Leading to the Movement

The great migration → The new deal → World War II

Rise of the NAACP

The NAACP had been trying to get Plessy v. Ferguson overturned

Thurgood Marshall: AKA Mr. Civil Rights

Oliver Hill: Lawyer who won over 50 million dollars in educational funds for African Americans

Brown V. Board of Education

Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case in 1954 that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional, overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson.

The reaction to Brown v. Board of Education was mixed, with some supporting desegregation and others opposing it. It led to significant social and legal changes in the United States.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott

The Montgomery Bus Boycott began on December 5, 1955, after Rosa Parks, an African American woman, was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This event sparked a year-long boycott of the city's bus system by African American residents, led by civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr.

Civil Disobedience: The refusal to obey certain laws or pay taxes and fines as a peaceful form of political protest

1956: Supreme Court rules bus segregation unconstitutional

The Little Rock 9

The Little Rock Nine were a group of African American students who were enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957. They faced intense opposition and segregation when trying to integrate the school, leading to a significant event in the civil rights movement. Weeks later, Eisenhower sent 1200 101st Airborne Division members to escort the students to school.

1958: Faubus closes the school for the year

1959: The federal government reopens it integrated

The Struggle Intensifies

Sit-Ins

Created in 1943 by CORE to desegregate the Jack Spratt Coffee House in Chicago.

During the Civil Rights Movement, sit-ins were nonviolent protests where participants would occupy segregated spaces like restaurants to challenge racial segregation policies peacefully.

By the end of 1960, some 70,000 students had participated in sit-ins, and 3,600 had served time in jail. By 1960, southern dining facilities were being integrated.

The Freedom Rides

Interracial bus rids to the southern USA to protest segregated bus terminals/test bus desegregation laws.

Attorney General Robert Kennedy eventually sends 600 federal marshals to the freedom riders and pressures the Interstate Commerce Commission to pass a ruling eliminating segregation on trains, planes, and busses. The Justice Department would sue any community that did not comply. It passed in the fall.

Integration At Ole Miss

In 1962, James Meredith's enrollment at the University of Mississippi sparked riots, prompting federal intervention by President Kennedy who sent troops. Despite the challenges and resistance to desegregation, Meredith's graduation in 1963 marked a symbolic victory. This event had a lasting impact, highlighting the struggles and ongoing racial tensions post-integration, leaving a significant legacy in civil rights history.

→ The NAACP sues when he is rejected

→ President Kennedy sends federal marshals to accompany Meredith to campus

Kennedy

Kennedy moved slowly on civil rights issues to keep southern Democratic senators happy. He appointed African Americans (such as Thurgood Marshall) to prominent positions but also named several segregationists to federal courts.

After the Birmingham incidents, JFK proposed a strong civil rights bill prohibiting public segregation, limiting discrimination, and advancing school desegregation.

The March on Washington

The March on Washington was a historic event on August 28, 1963, where over 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C., to advocate for civil and economic rights for African Americans. The highlight was Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, calling for an end to racism and equality for all. The march played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement, leading to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Lyndon B. Johnson

LBJ makes the passing of JFK’s civil rights bill a priority. After the House of representatives passes the bill, its opponents start a filibuster. LBJ supports a cloture (3/5 vote limit debate and calls the bill to a vote) and the filibuster ends. The bill is passed.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark legislation in the United States that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination.

After the Civil Rights Act, voting rights become a focal point for the movement.

Freedom Summer (1964): 80 Mob attacks, 1000 arrests, church burnings, and KKK rallies are held in response to a voter registration drive.

The Selma March: Dr. King organizes a protest march from Selma, Al to the state capital (Montgomery) in response to black people being arrested for standing in line to vote.

25,000 people join the march by the time it reaches Montgomery.

Malcolm X

Malcolm X was a prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement, advocating for black empowerment through self-defense and separatism. He was a key leader in the Nation of Islam before breaking away and forming his own organization. Malcolm X's speeches and writings challenged the nonviolent approach of other civil rights leaders, emphasizing the need for black pride and self-reliance.

• Strongly disagreed with the goals and tactics of the early civil rights movement

• 2/1965: Shot to death at a rally NY

SNCC

SNCC became more radical under Stokely Carmichael’s leadership.

He encouraged workers to carry guns to make SNCC exclusively black.

Black power: Carmichael’s call for blacks to unite in seeking equality and being proud of their race.

The Black Panther Party

• Wanted African Americans to lead their own communities

• Demanded that the federal government rebuild the nation’s ghettos because of previous neglect

• They often confronted white authorities. “Power flows from the barrel of a gun.”

• Contributed to a split in the civil rights movement