Transcript Civil Rights

Civil Rights
1954-1980
Civil Rights
1954-1968
Origins of Civil Rights
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Emancipation Proclamation: During the
Civil War, Lincoln granted slaves in the
South their freedom. It was impossible to
enforce, but it set the groundwork for
eventual freedom.
13th Amendment: Prohibited slavery in the
U.S.
14th Amendment: Granted citizenship to
blacks and equal protection under the law.
Restraint of Civil Rights
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1896 –Plessy v. Ferguson established
“separate but equal” for accommodations.
Jim Crow Laws: These laws passed by
individual states kept the black population
submissive and under the control of
whites.
Early Anti-Discrimination Laws
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1941: Roosevelt established a temporary
Fair Employment Practice Committee to
prevent discrimination by defense
industries against workers because of
“race, creed, color, or national origin”
1945: New York State passed the first law
against discrimination in employment with
the Ives-Quinn Act.
Brown v. Board of Education
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The Supreme Court unanimously decided
that segregation of black children in public
schools violated the 14th amendment.
NAACP lawyer Thurgood Marshall argued the
case
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The KKK and the White Citizens Council defended
segregation as the “Southern way of life”.
Several southern state legislations approved
“interposition” resolutions stating that education was
a state issue, not a federal one.
Brown v. Board of Education
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Chief Justice Earl Warren voiced the
opinion that overturned Plessy v.
Ferguson.
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Separating black children from others solely because
of their race “generates a feeling of inferiority as to
their status in the community” … “separate
educational facilities are inherently unequal”
The Supreme Court ordered that the
desegregation of public schools should
begin “with all deliberate speed.”
Montgomery Bus Boycott
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December 11, 1955: Rosa Parks refuses to
move to the back of a public bus. She was
arrested for violating the law.
In response, MLK leads a boycott against
the public transportation system for over a
year. Blacks organize car pools.
In November of ’56, the Supreme Court
ruled that segregated seating in local
transportation was unconstitutional.
Little Rock 9
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President Eisenhower encouraged states
to work out how they would implement
Brown.
At several hundreds of schools in the
South, integration was accomplished
peacefully.
There were, however, several instances of
violence and protest against integration.
The most notable in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Little Rock 9
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In September, 1957, the city’s board of
education was prepared to admit nine black
students into the all-white high school
Governor Orval Faubus used the National Guard
to prohibit the students from entering the
school, because he thought there would be
violence (and he was a racist…)
Eisenhower stated that was illegal and forced
Faubus to remove the national guard.
Little Rock 9
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When a crowd taunting and intimidating
the students stopped the students from
entering the high school, Eisenhower sent
federal troops to escort the students.
The soldiers protected the students all
year (only 8 of them remained as one
withdrew from the school)
Daisy
Bates of
NAACP
The Little Rock Nine
Civil Rights Act of 1957
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The first such act since Reconstruction
Many white, southern legislators argued against
it
It created a six-member panel (Civil Rights
Commission) to investigate voting rights issues
and violations of equal protection under the law.
The Att. General was authorized to obtain court
orders to secure the right to vote anywhere in
the nation.
Civil Rights Act of 1960
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It empowered federal judges to appoint
referees to assist blacks in voting and
registering
It made it a federal crime to transport
explosives across state lines or to cross a
state line in order to escape prosecution
for having bombed a building. (In
response to increased number of churches
being bombed)
Freedom Rides
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In 1961, CORE (Congress of Racial Equality)
began a campaign against “For Whites Only”
facilities in bus terminals in the South.
Started in Washington DC and went to New
Orleans
Attacked by hostile mobs at several stops along
the way – he worst in Alabama.
In response, the commerce commission
prohibited segregation on buses and in terminals.
Desegregation of Universities
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1961: Air force veteran, James Meredith
received a court order to allow entrance
into the University of Mississippi
As he tried to enter he was repeatedly
barred from entrance – once by the
governor himself.
Kennedy ordered federal troops to escort
Meredith the whole year.
March on Washington
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In August, 1963 some 200,000 blacks and
whites participated in an orderly and
peaceful march.
MLK gave his “I Have a Dream” Speech.
Civil Rights Act of 1964
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Prohibited election official from applying
different standards to black and white voters.
Forbade discrimination in public places: hotels,
restaurants, retail stores…
Prohibited discrimination in government owned
or operated facilities – pools, parks, etc…
Prohibited discriminatory practices by employers,
employment agencies and labor unions
24th Amendment
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Prohibited the use of a poll tax as a
requirement for voting in a federal
election
It affected 5 southern states that still had
a poll tax
Voting Rights Act of 1965
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Southern officials tried to hinder voting by
blacks in the South
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Ex: In Selma, AL out of a possible 15,000
black voters only 335 were registered
This led to the march from Selma to
Montgomery to focus the nation’s
attention on Southern racial barriers to
voting.
This forced Congress to pass the Act.
Voting Rights Act of 1965
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In any state or county where less than
half of the possible voters were registered,
all literacy and other qualification tests
were suspended.
The Attorney General was empowered to
send federal examiners to any county
practicing voting discrimination