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Plessy v. Ferguson
Homer Plessy refused to sit ina Jim Crow car breaking a Lousiana law.Congress stated that a state law that “merely implies a legal distinction” between whites and blacks did not go aganist the 13th and14th Amendments by a 7-1 vote. The law provided “equal but separate accommodations for the white and colored races” on its railroads. Plessy lost.
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Jackie Robinson
After playing baseball Jackie joined the NAACP and became chairman of the Freedon FUnd drive. Jackie also corresponded with Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. He participated in many marches and protect to get what he believed. WIth his help the Freedom National Bank which helps black business owners and others receive loans that they otherwise wouldn't get.
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CORE
Known as the Congress of Racial Equality was founded in 1942 by an interracial group of students in Chicago-Bernice Fisher. They used nonviolent tactics to challenge segregation. Civil Rights activists from other organizations useed their tactics as well. Members staged sit-ins in Chicago, Illinios restaurants.
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Sweatt v. Painter
Sweatt was denied admission to the University of Texas Law School because of his color. It could be argued that excluding Sweatt from that school is no different from excluding white students from the new law school. The Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment requires that he be admitted into the school as soon as other applicants.
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Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was actually the name given to five separate cases that were heard concerning the issue of segregation in public schools.While the facts of each case are different, the main issue in each was the constitutionality of state-sponsored segregation.Meeting to decide the case, the Justices realized that they were deeply divided over the issues raised.
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montgomery bus boycott
African Americans refused to use buses to go against segregated seating. This is regarded as the first large-scale demonstration against segregation in the U.S. Four days before the boycott began Rosa Parks refused to yield her seat t a white man.The U.S. Supreme Court ordered Montgomery to integrate its bus system.
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Southern Manifesto
Introduced by Howard Smith of Virginia, chairman of the House Rules Committee in a speech on the House Floor. It was signed by 82 Representatives and 19 Senators. The document urged southerners to exhaust all “lawful means” to resist the “chaos and confusion” that would result from school desegregation.No Member rose to speak against it and a small group rose to applaud it.
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Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Created when 60 black ministers and civil rights leaders met in Georgia. Martin Luther King Jr. was chosen as the first president of the group. The SCLC struggled during its beginning but soon expanded with the student sit-in. Inn December 1961, the SCLC initiated its first direct action compain with a series of marhes to protest segregation.
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Little Rock - Central High School
Nine black students were enrolled in this formally all-white school testing a U.S.Supreme Court ruling that declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional.On the first day of classes at Central High,Governor Orval Faubus of Arkansas called in the state National Guard to bar the black students’ entry into the school.President Eisenhower sent in federal troops to escort the Little Rock Nine into the school on September 25 to start their first day.
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Student Nonviolent Coordinaring Committee
Was created on the campus of Shaw University. Was formed to give younger blacks more of a voice in the movement. SNCC struggled to define its purpose as it fought white oppression. Ella Baker encouraged thosenwho formed SNCC to look beyond integregation to broader social change. This group played a large part in the Freedom Rides.
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Greensboro Sit-ins
These sit-ins were very significant to the movement.Up until then African Americans accepted segregation. No matter what the whites did they did not fight back. They remained where they were. When college students say what was going on on tv, they did the same. The students would sit-in, go to jail, get out, them sit-in again.
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Freedom Rides
First freedom ride was taken by 7 blacks and 6 whites left Washington DC on 2 public buses heading towards the deep south. The first few days they only came across minor hostilitu, but the second week riders were beaten severely. One of the buses was burned. Several dozen whites then attacked the second bus two blocks away from the sheriff's office in Birmingham.
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James Meredith
He was one of the pioneers of the civil rights movement. In 1962 he becamw the first black student enrolled kn the University of Mississippi. The State Govenor opposed his emrollment and violent riots caused Kennedy to send 5,000 federal troops to restore the peace. For a number of years he continued his work as a civil rights activist.
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Medger Evers
Medger was aAfrican-American civil rights activist. After attempting to segregate the University of Mississippi Law School, he became the first NAACP field secretary in Mississippi. Evers recruited members throughout Mississippi and organized economic boycotts of white-owned companies. He also worked to investigate crimes perpetrated against blacks.
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March on Washington
This was not only the largest demonstration for human rights in US history, but was also occasioned a rare display of unity among various civil rights organizations. The event began with a rally at the Washington Monument featuring several celebrities and musicians.The three-hour long program included speeches from prominent civil rights and religious leaders. The day ended with a meeting between the march leaders and President John F. Kennedy.
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