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African American Migration
African Americans migrated to large northern cities, like New York City. Their community grew -
National Urban League
Assisted people moving to major American cities; helped African AMericans moving out of the South find homes and jobs and ensured that they received fair treatment at work; worked for migrant families on ships docks at train stations and found safe clean apartments -
The New Deal
During the Depression, FDR used black votes to support New Deal policies; the number of working African Americans in the federal government grew greatly -
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NAACP
The group formed as an interracial organization with both white and black members; W.E.B Du Bois was the founding member; focused on challenging the laws that prevented African AMericans from exercising their legal right to equality; the NAACP worked to end lynching; had successful segregation lawsuits; appealed mainly to educated, middle-and upper-class and critics charged that it was out of touch with the basic issues of economic survival -
World War 2
During the war, demands for labor grew in northern cities along with the rise in the black population. This increased African American voting powers. Also, the horrors of the Holocaust shed a light on racism and discrimination in the US. -
Congress of Racial Equality
Founded by pacifists; dedicated to bringing about change through peaceful confrontation; it too was interracial with both African American and white members; during WW2 organized demonstrations against segregation in cities -
League of United Latin American Citizens
Founded in 1929; a funeral home refused to bury a hispanic WW2 vet and LULAC; faced inferior segregated public schools; a Federal District Court judge ruled that segregation of Mexican American students was unconstitutional; -
Rise of NAACP
The NAACP worked hard in the courts to challenge segregation laws; they tried to overturn the "separate but equal" decision; Thurgood Marshall fought many battles over segregation in the courts and achieved great gains; Oliver Hill won many civil right suits along with Marshall and together they worked to chip away at "separate but equal" -
Reaction to Brown v. Board of Education
African Americans rejoiced; many white Americans accepted the decision and hoped desegregation could happen peacefully; Eisenhower privately disagreed but supported the ruling, but not everyone was willing to obey -
Native Americans
Federal government managed the reservations where most Native Americans lived in terrible poverty; the government adopted a new approach known as termination which sought to eliminate reservations altogether; the policy met resistance and the government discarded it; the civil right advances were tokens of the real gains needed -
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks took a seat in the colored section of the bus; the front of the bus was reserved for white passengers but African Americans were expected to give up their seats up to white passengers; a white man asked for her seat and she said no; police arrested her at the next stop -
Brown v. Board of Education
Oliver Brown sued Topeka, Kansas B.O.E to allow his daughter to attend a "white only school"; this case reached the Supreme Court with Thurgood Marshall arguing on behalf of Brown; the court declared the "separate but equal" doctrine was unconstitutional and could not be applied to education; the Court ruled that schools should move to desegregate -
Southern Manifesto
Many southern whites reacted with fear and angry resistance to the Supreme Court ruling; the Klu Klux Klan also became more active threatening those who advocated acceptance of the Brown decision ; congressional representatives of states in the south joined together to protest the ruling; they claimed it violated states' rights and was an example of "judicial usurpation"; many dd not comply with the ruling -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The civil rights leaders met and they organized the bus boycott; African Americans refused the entire bus system; lasted a year + 50,000 African Americans avoided city buses; the buses didn't change policies; Supreme Court ruled that bus segregation was unconstitutional -
Little Rock Nine
Arkansas Governor declared that he could not keep order with integration; he instructed Arkansas National Guard troops to turn away nine African American students; there was a mob turning them away; Eisenhower placed the National Guard under federal command to protect the nine students -
Nonviolence
Peaceful protest against restrictive racil policies; do not resist when attacked by opponents -
SCLC
Martin luther King Jr. founded a new organization; advocated for nonviolent protest; shifted the focus of civil rights to the South -
SNCC
Met for students active in the struggle; 200 students showed up for the first meeting; most from southern communities; student leaders met with SCLC and CORE to maintain their independence from other civil rights groups; filled its own niche in the American movement; -
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
M.L.K.Jr was a Baptist preacher; one of the most loved -and most hated- people in the US; leader for civil rights but also a symbol of nonviolent protest; influenced by the beliefs of Gandhi; King began training volunteers for what they might expect in the months ahead; won the Nobel Peace Prize