A. BROWN V. BOARD

B. VIOLENCE STARTS

C. FIGHTING SEGREGATION

D. 63 TO 64

E. CIVIL RIGHTS AND VOTING RIGHTS ACTS

ON MAY 17, 1954, CHIEF JUSTICE EARL WARREN READ THE

BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION, TOPEKA,

KANSAS DECISION THAT SAID “SEPARATE

EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES ARE

INHERENTLY UNEQUAL.”

THIS ENDED THE TRADITIONAL “SEPARATE BUT EQUAL” RULING FROM THE PLESSY V. FERGUSON CASE.

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THE NEW RULING SET THE STAGE FOR THE VIOLENCE THAT WOULD ACCOMPANY DESEGREGATION.

IN AUGUST 1955 IN SUMNER, MISSISSIPPI, 14 YEAR OLD EMMETT TILL (VISITING FROM CHICAGO) WAS FOUND SHOT IN THE HEAD WITH HIS BODY MUTILATED FOR FLIRTING WITH A WHITE WOMAN. THE MEN WHO TOOK HIM FROM HIS UNCLE’S HOME WHERE AQUITTED BY AN ALL WHITE JURY…

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ON DECEMBER 1, 1955, ROSA PARKS REFUSED TO MOVE TO THE BACK OF THE BUS IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA. SHE WAS BREAKING ONE OF THE TRADITIONAL “JIM CROW” LAWS. HER REFUSAL AND ARREST LAUNCHED THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT…

“THE LONG WALK HOME” IS THE STORY OF TWO WOMEN AND HOW THE BOYCOTT

CHANGED THEIR LIVES3-21

THE MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT BROUGHT TO THE FOREFRONT OF NATIONAL

ATTENTION… DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

-KING HELPED TO FOUND THE SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE (SCLC)

-HE WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT OF SCLC IN 1957 AND HEADED IT FOR 11 YEARS UNTIL HE WAS ASSASSINATED IN 1968.

-KING WAS AWARDED A NOBEL PEACE PRIZE IN 1964.

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ONE OF THE MOST NOTORIOUS CLASHES OVER SEGREGATION OCCURRED AT LITTLE ROCK’S CENTRAL HIGH

SCHOOL (ARKANSAS). IN SEPTEMBER OF 1957, NINE AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS WERE SCHEDULED TO

ATTEND THE ALL WHITE SCHOOL. ELIZABETH ECKFORD’S FAMILY DID NOT HAVE A PHONE SO SHE WAS NOT TOLD THAT THEY HAD CANCELED THE ATTEMPT TO ATTEND ON SEPTEMBER 4TH. SHE ALONE WAS GREETED BY AN ANGRY

MOB.

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-NINE STUDENTS DID NOT ACTUALLY ENTER THE SCHOOL UNTIL SEPTMEBER 23.

-UNTIL THE END OF SCHOOL, FEDERAL PARATROOPERS (ORDERED IN BY PRES. EISENHOWER) ESCORTED THEM TO AND FROM CLASS.

-ERNEST GREEN BECAME THE FIRST BLACK GRADUATE OF CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL AT THE END OF THAT YEAR.

IN RETALIATION, ARKANSAS CLOSED ALL OF ITS PUBLIC SCHOOLS THE NEXT YEAR. AFTER THE SUPREME COURT RULED THIS UNCONSTITUTIONAL, ARKANSAS SCHOOLS REOPENED FULLY INTEGRATED THE NEXT YEAR.

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THE PEACEFUL “SIT IN” MOVEMENT BEGAN IN GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA WHEN FOUR YOUNG COLLEGE STUDENTS DARED TO SIT AT THE WOOLWORTH’S “WHITES ONLY” LUNCH COUNTER--

FEBRUARY 1, 1960.

*THE PEACEFUL PROTEST WAS THE CORNERSTONE OF KING’S STRUGGLE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS.

TODAY THAT COUNTER IS ON DISPLAY AT THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE.7-21

“RUBY BRIDGES” IS THE STORY OF THIS BRAVE YOUNG GIRL

IN 1960, FIVE YEAR OLD RUBY BRIDGES WAS SELECTED TO BE ONE OF THE FIRST TO INTEGRATE NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. FOR A YEAR THE YOUNG GIRL FACED ANGRY MOBS AND ENTERED A CLASS WHERE SHE AND HER TEACHER WERE ALONE BECAUSE OTHER PARENTS PULLED THEIR CHILDREN OUT OF THE SCHOOL.

Please, God, try to forgive those peopleBecause even if they say those bad things,

They don't know what they're doing.So You could forgive them,

Just like You did those folks a long time agoWhen they said terrible things about You.

-PRAYER OF RUBY BRIDGES (1960)

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IN MAY 1961, CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS TURNED THEIR ATTENTION TOWARD INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION. THE “FREEDOM RIDES” WERE DEVELOPED IN THE HOPES THAT AN INTERRACIAL BUS TRIP THROUGH THE SOUTH WOULD LEAD TO MORE FEDERAL INTERVENTION AND THE END OF JIM CROW LAWS…

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…THIS WAS TRUE, BUT ONLY AFTER THE 13 PEOPLE ON BOARD THE BUS (7 BLACK, 6 WHITE) WERE ATTACKED ALONG THE WAY.

WHEN THEY GOT TO ALABAMA, TWO BUSES WERE TAKEN.

-BROKEN WINDOWS

-TIRES SLASHED

-FIRE BOMB THROWN THROUGH REAR WINDOW

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A MOB IN BIRMINGHAM PULLED THE RIDERS FROM THE BUS AND BEGAN BEATING THEM WITH CLUBS AND LEAD PIPES.

ONE RIDER NEEDED 50 STITCHES ON HIS HEAD, ANOTHER WAS LEFT PARALYZED FOR LIFE.

AMERICANS WATCHING THE NEWS ON MAY 14, 1961 WERE SHOCKED. THE FREEDOM RIDES WERE TEMPORARILY HALTED…

FURTHER ATTEMPTS ENDED IN ARRESTS…

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JAMES MEREDITH WAS THE FIRST TO CHALLENGE THE “WHITES ONLY” UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS. MEREDITH, A FORMER AIR FORCE STAFF SERGEANT, WANTED TO ATTEND THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI.

HIS FIRST ATTEMPT WAS BLOCKED BY GOV. ROSS BARNETT HIMSELF. HE WAS ONLY ALLOWED TO REGISTER ON HIS THIRD TRY (ESCORTED BY FEDERAL TROOPS).

THE TROOPS STAYED FOR THE YEAR TO ENSURE HIS PROTECTION. HE GRADUATED IN 1963 WITH A DEGREE IN POLITICAL SCIENCE.

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ON JUNE 13, 1963, MEDGAR EVERS (FIELD SECRETARY FOR THE NAACP) WAS SHOT IN HIS OWN DRIVEWAY. ALTHOUGH

BYRON DE LA BECKWITH OPENLY BRAGGED ABOUT

COMMITTING THE MURDER, HE WAS ACQUITTED TWICE. IT WAS NOT UNTIL 30 YEARS

LATER THAT HE WAS TRIED AND SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON

(HE WAS 73).

THE STORY OF HOW HIS MURDERER WAS FINALLY CONVICTED CAN BE SEEN IN “THE

GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI.”13-21

ON AUGUST 28, 1963 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. GAVE HIS FAMOUS “I HAVE A DREAM” SPEECH AT THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL DURING THE “MARCH ON WASHINGTON.” MORE THAN 200,000 PEOPLE ATTENDED…

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character…”

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18 DAYS AFTER THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON, A BOMB EXPLODED AT THE SIXTEENTH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH IN BIRMINGHAM KILLING FOUR LITTLE GIRLS… (SEPTMEBER 15, 1963)

PRESIDENT KENNEDY WAS ASSASSINATED ON NOVEMBER 22…

“SINS OF THE FATHER” TELLS OF HOW ONE OF THE MEN RESPONSIBLE WAS FINALLY

BROUGHT TO JUSTICE IN 2002. (WITH THE TESTIMONY OF FAMILY MEMBERS)

Bobby Frank Cherry went to jail in 2002 for the bombing.

ADDIE MAE COLLINSCAROLE ROBERTSON

CYNTHIA WESLEYDENISE MCNAIR

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BOMBINGS WERE NOT UNCOMMON.IN BIRMINGHAM THERE WERE 18 UNSOLVED BOMBINGS BETWEEN 1957 AND 1963…

MARCHERS WERE MET WITH ARRESTS, FIREHOSES, AND POLICE DOGS… (EVEN

WHEN THEY WERE CHILDREN)

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A MARCH FROM SELMA-TO-MONTGOMERY WAS PLANNED FOR MARCH 7, 1964. 600 MARCHERS SET OUT BUT WERE CONFRONTED BY ALABAMA STATE TROOPERS WITH CLUBS AND TEAR GAS. THIS CAME TO BE KNOWN AS “BLOODY SUNDAY.” IT WAS ALL CAPTURED ON NATIONAL TELEVISION…

THEY TRIED AGAIN ON MARCH 9 AND WERE STOPPED…

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FINALLY ON MARCH 16 A DISTRICT COURT JUDGED THEY HAD THE LEGAL RIGHT TO MARCH…THE PRESIDENT ORDERED THE ALABAMA NATIONAL GUARD ALONG WITH REGULAR ARMY AND FEDERAL MARSHALLS TO PROTECT THE MARCHERS…(JOHNSON ANNOUNCED HIS INTENTION TO SUBMIT A VOTING RIGHTS BILL TO CONGRESS)

PROTESTORS, BLACK AND WHITE MARCHED ON MARCH 21. BY THE TIME THEY REACHED MONTGOMERY 4 DAYS LATER, THEY NUMBERED 25,000…

“SELMA LORD SELMA” IS A MOVIE ABOUT A YOUNG GIRL’S

PARTICIPATION IN THE MARCH18-21

IN THE SUMMER OF 1964, THREE YOUNG MEN [GOODMAN, CHANEY, SCHWERNER] WORKING FOR SNCC (STUDENT NON-VIOLENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE) DISAPPEARED IN MISSISSIPPI… THEIR BODIES WERE LATER FOUND; THEY’D BEEN SHOT AND AT LEAST ONE WAS BURIED ALIVE…

“MISSISSIPPI BURNING” TELLS THE STORY OF

SCHWERNER, GOODMAN, AND CHANNEY

21 WHITE MEN WERE ARRESTED. 6 EVENTUALLY SERVED TIME FOR “VIOLATING THE CIVIL RIGHTS” OF THE VICTIMS

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WITHIN TWO WEEKS, PRESIDENT JOHNSON SIGNED THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964. (IT FOCUSED ON DISCRIMINATION IN PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS…)

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THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT; HOWEVER, WAS NOT ENOUGH—IT DID NOT ADDRESS THE RIGHTS OF

VOTING GUARANTEED BY THE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT. THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965

ASSURED AFRICAN-AMERICANS OF THE RIGHT TO VOTE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THEIRS 100

YEARS EARLIER WITH THE END OF THE CIVIL WAR.

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