-
Period: to
KEY 1: Achievement, Protest, and Legislation/Supreme Court Case
Achievement:
- Barbara Jordan’s Address at the Democratic National
Convention
- Hank Aaron’s Home Run Record
- Shirley Chisholm's Presidential Campaign - 1972
Protest:
- The Greensboro Sit-in
- March on Washington
Legislation/Supreme Court Case:
- The Civil Rights Act of 1957
- Swann vs. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
- University of California Regents vs. Bakke: June 28,
1978 -
Period: to
KEY 2: Violence by Protesters, Violence by Opposition, and No Violence
Violence by Protesters:
- Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Violence by Opposition:
- Assassination of Medgar Evers - June 12, 1963
- The Little Rock Nine Crisis
- Birmingham Movement
- Emmet Till's Murder
No Violence:
- Keys vs. Carolina Coach
- Montgomery Bus Boycott -
Emmett Till’s Murder
After being falsely accused of flirting with that store clerk at a convenience store, Emmett Till a fourteen year old boy was beaten until disfigured. At the funeral, his mother wanted the casket to be open so that others could see what an awful deed. It is even believed that the Civil Rights movement was born out of Emmett Till's death. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
After Rosa Parks arrest on December 1st, the African American community decided it was time for a protest. So on May 5th, 1955, around ninety percent of African Americans stopped using buses and as a result MIA or the Montgomery Improvement Association was formed. While many negotiation attempts were made, none proved to be very successful. Yet finally after about a year, a decision finally was reached by the supreme court that removed laws allowing bus segregation. -
Keys v. Carolina Coach
After being taken off a bus and arrested for refusing to give up a seat to a white man, Sarah Keys decided to fight back. Her case was presented to the Interstate Commerce Commission and after several years was finally decided in 1955. The decision was in her favor and stated that a person can not be moved to a different seat, which is considered an act of discrimination. -
The Little Rock Nine Crisis
When the Supreme Court ruled that segregation was no longer allowed in schools, many southerners protested. They would stand in front of schools and prevent African Americans from going into school. The issue had become so bad that finally after about 3 years, president Dwight Eisenhower sent U.S. Army troops to the scene to personally escort the nine students, who were to attend the school, in order to protect them from the mob. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1957
This act was important to the civil rights movement as it created a federal Civil Rights Commission to look into acts of discrimination and provide correction. It also was the first piece of civil rights legislation established since the reconstruction of the south. -
Greensboro Sit-In
In a bar in Greensboro North Carolina, four African Americans college students sat in the white section of a segregated lunch counter. This nonviolent protest sparked several more sit-ins and after a while restaurants and dining areas were used and attended by African Americans. -
The Birmingham Movement
This movement began in 1963 as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference joined with the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights through a series of boycotts and protests in order to break down the segregation system in Birmingham Alabama. However as a result of these protests, the Birmingham police and fire department were asked to halt these protests with force. This violence was broadcast live to the entire nation and proved to be a success for the civil rights movement. -
The Assassination of Medgar Evers
Medgar Evers was a well known and praised abolitionist and while walking up to his front door was shot in the back by Byron de la Beckwith. His murder was not taken lightly and some thousand mourners followed the funeral procession. His death inspired other civil rights activists to continue the struggle for equal rights. -
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
With demands to end segregation and provide fair wages to all, over two hundred fifty thousand people gathered at Washington D.C. Several Civil Rights leaders spoke including Martin Luther with his, "I have a dream speech" and live music was played, which some consider to be the most iconic in that time. -
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
At the start of April of 1968, Martin Luther had come to Memphis Tennessee to lead a strike. However while standing on the balcony of the hotel he was staying at, he was shot and died about an hour later. His death led to protests of looting, burning, and rioting in almost 100 cities around the US. -
Swann vs. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
This Supreme Court case, ruled as an additional measure to the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case, instituted busing programs which sought to increase the pace of race integration which Brown v. Board of Ed. was lacking to do. This process of bussing was not only adopted in the Charlotte Mecklenburg school district, but also throughout the US, helping to bring integration to a much higher level in schools. -
Shirley Chisholm's Presidential Campaign
Shirley Chisholm's campaign was different than most. For one thing, she was the first African American woman to run for president. But this wasn't at all scary for her as she had also been the first African American congresswoman. Most people didn't necessarily want to vote for her because they didn't think she had a chance, however her goal for running was more to get support for her views and then try to use this support to persuade whoever wins the candidacy. -
Hank Aaron’s Home Run Record
Hank Aaron was an inspiration to others, not only being the best of his time with a total of 755 home runs which shatters Babe Ruth's previous record, but he also did this being an African American in a racist time. Through his fame and persistent hard work, Henry Aaron became an African American hero as well as to White racists. -
Barbara Jordan’s Address at the Democratic National Convention
In her speech, Barbara Jordan begs the people that to grow as a society, we must join together and stop fighting. She also speaks to the public officials to act on their promises. -
University of California Regents vs. Bakke
This Supreme Court case stated that universities and schools cannot base college admittance on someones race due to equal protection under the law from the 14th amendment. It was also found that this claim violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as the racial quota system which was instituted in the University of California was an act of discrimination as it only left 16 spots out of every hundred for minorities.