CHPATER 29, SECTION 1

THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT BEGINS

JUDICIAL ORIGINS

Post-Civil War Origins:– 1868: 14th Amendment: Did What?

Guarantees all U.S. citizens equal protection and/or treatment under the law

– 1875: Civil Rights Act of 1875: Did what? Outlawed segregation in public facilities

– 1883: Supreme Court declares 1875 Civil Rights Act Unconstitutional

– 1896: PLESSY v. FERGUSON

JUDICIAL ORIGINS (Cont’d.)

PLESSY v. FERGUSON: – Origin: 1890: Louisiana passes law requiring

railroads to provide “separate but equal” accommodations for “colored” and white passengers.

– 1896: Supreme Court decision:LA. State law does not violate the 14th AmendmentOrigin of “separate but equal” justification for

segregated public facilities, etc.

JUDICIAL ORIGINS (Cont’d.)

Results?– Segregated facilities were not “equal”– State gov’ts., especially in South, begin passing

Jim Crow lawsJim Crow: Laws specifically designed to place

minorities at a disadvantageExamples?

– Schools, Voting rights, housing, etc.– Large African-American migration to North during

the WW I – WW II era

JIM CROW ERA LYNCHINGS

World War II & Civil Rights

World War II impacts Civil Rights: Why?– FDR supported minority participation in war

effort– Eleanor Roosevelt, FDR’s wife, supported Civil

Rights– Wartime demands for troops, created new job

opportunities for minorities, but not necessarily in the South

– Truman Administration supports integration of the military (1948)

Civil Rights & The Supreme Court

20th Century Origins:– 1909: N.A.A.C.P. founded: Define– 1938: NAACP prepares legal strategy to overturn

standing court decisions: Describe:NAACP will present a series of cases that will slowly attack every aspect of legal / judicial discriminationWho? Thurgood Marshall is chosen to lead the effort (see bio., p.258)

Thurgood

Marshall statue,

Annapolis, MD

Brown v. Board of Education

When? 1954 Where? TOPEKA, KANSAS (Why significant?) Who?

– Plaintiffs: Brown family ; Thurgood Marshall represents– Defendants: Board of Education, Topeka– Presiding judge: Chief Justice Earl Warren– What is the importance of Warren Court

participation? Issue: Why does Linda Brown have to attend a non-white

public school? Decision: See quote, p. 858

– Segregation is unconstitutional

Marshall & fellow

Lawyers celebrate

Brown v. Bd. Of Ed.

Decision, 1954

LITTLE ROCK

Brown v. Board decision is not supported in many areas Problem

– What if state gov’ts. / schools resist integration of public schools?– How will the U.S. Gov’t. enforce the Supreme Court’s decision?

Problem realized:– When? 1957– Where? Little Rock, Arkansas– Why?

Little Rock city gov’t. had begun plans to desegregate public schools

GOVERNOR ORVAL FAUBUS runs for re-election Faubus uses segregation as a platform to get votes Faubus refuses to allow 9 African-Amer. students to enroll at

Little Rock Central HS Faubus uses Arkansas National Guard to prevent integration

Governor Orval Faubus,

Arkansas, 1957

LITTLE ROCK (Cont’d.)

Crisis:– Arkansas state gov’t. is violating Supreme Court decision– So What?– What if state is allowed to disregard Supreme Court

decision? Result?

– Pres. Dwight Eisenhower informs Faubus students must be allowed to enroll

– Students known as the “LITTLE ROCK NINE”– Faubus refuses– Eisenhower sends U.S. Army (101st Airborne Division) to

ensure integration

U.S. Army

Troops at

Little Rock H.S.,

1957

ROSA PARKS

Who? Seamstress & NAACP officer Where? Montgomery, AL When? Dec., 1955 Issue:

– Despite Brown decision, many states resisted the decision– Montgomery’s Af.-Amer. population made heavy use of

public buses– Buses were still segregated

Did What?– Refused to move to another seat when ordered to by bus

driver So What?

– Public challenge to segregation& Jim Crow laws

ROSA PARKS (Cont’d.)

Parks arrested NAACP arranges boycott of city buses Protest movement develops; led by members of the

Af.-Am. Religious community– Who? REV. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. leads movement– Why him? Speaking ability, charisma

Montgomery bus boycott: – 381 days– Success

Result? 1956: Supreme Court outlaws bus segregation

PROTEST MOVEMENTS DEVELOP

Success of Montgomery bus boycott:– Puts MLK in forefront of protest movement– Proves NAACP organizing methods work– Proves nonviolence can be successful protest method

Where does NAACP get idea to use nonviolence?– Various historical figures– Examples?

Jesus, Gandhi, etc.

Why nonviolence?

S.C.L.C. and the S.N.C.C.

S.C.L.C. - Define:– Southern Christian Leadership Conference– Led by MLK– Organize public protests & train organization activists

S.N.C.C. (otherwise known as “Snick”) Primary protest movement:

– “SIT-INS”: Define: Refusal to leave lunch counters in public restaurants until

served or arrested– Results?

Widespread violence against protesters Widespread arrests Media coverage of protest movement increases

So what?

S.C.L.C.

Logo, 1955