1010thth American History American History

Unit V- A Nation Facing Unit V- A Nation Facing ChallengesChallenges

Chapter 18 – Section 1Chapter 18 – Section 1

Fighting SegregationFighting Segregation

Fighting SegregationFighting SegregationThe Main Idea

In the mid-1900s, the civil rights movement began to make major progress in correcting the national problem of racial

segregation.

Reading Focus

• What was the status of the civil rights movement prior to 1954?

• What were the key issues in the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, and what was its impact?

• How did events in Montgomery, Alabama, help launch the modern civil rights movement?

Separate but Unequal (04:46) Separate but Unequal (04:46)

The Civil Rights Movement prior to The Civil Rights Movement prior to 19541954

Pre-1900

• Opposition to slavery in colonial days

• Abolition movement and Civil War

• Legalized racism after Reconstruction

• 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson allowed the segregation of African Americans and whites.

To 1930

• Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois

• Founding of the NAACP in 1909

• African Americans suffered worse than others during the Great Depression.

• Roosevelt unwilling to push too hard for greater African American rights.

To 1940

• A. Philip Randolph forced a federal ban against discrimination in defense work.

• 1940s founding of CORE

• President Truman desegregated the armed forces.

• Brooklyn Dodgers put an African American—Jackie Robinson—on its roster.

A Major Leaguer (04:47)A Major Leaguer (04:47)

Seeking Change in the CourtsSeeking Change in the CourtsThe NAACP attacked racism through the courts.

In the 1930s Charles Hamilton Houston and Thurgood Marshall began a campaign to attack the concept of “separate but equal.”

The NAACP began to chip away at the 1896 Supreme Court ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson—the legal basis for segregation.

Examples:• 1938 – Missouri ex rel. Gaines v. Canada, Registrar of the University of Missouri• 1950 – Sweatt v. Painter

The Civil Rights Movement Prior to 1954The Civil Rights Movement Prior to 1954

What was the status of the Civil What was the status of the Civil Rights movement prior to 1954?Rights movement prior to 1954?

RecallRecall – Who established the NAACP? – Who established the NAACP? Describe-Describe- What was life like for What was life like for

African Americans after the Civil War African Americans after the Civil War and during the Reconstruction and during the Reconstruction period?period?

Make Inferences-Make Inferences- Why do you think Why do you think that President Franklin D. Roosevelt that President Franklin D. Roosevelt did not push harder for civil rights?did not push harder for civil rights?

The Civil Rights Movement Prior to 1954The Civil Rights Movement Prior to 1954

ExplainExplain – What does the – What does the abbreviation CORE stand for and abbreviation CORE stand for and what was the focus of the what was the focus of the organization?organization?

Make Inferences-Make Inferences- Why do you think Why do you think that NAACP focused on attacking that NAACP focused on attacking racisim through the court system?racisim through the court system?

Key Issues in the Supreme Court’s ruling Key Issues in the Supreme Court’s ruling on on Brown Brown v.v. Board of Education of Board of Education of

Topeka, KansasTopeka, Kansas Thurgood Marshall began to focus on

desegregating the nation’s elementary and high schools in the 1950s.

He found a case in Linda Brown of Topeka, Kansas.

The Supreme Court combined several school segregation cases from around the country into a single case: Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas.

The Supreme Court was aware of this case’s great significance.

Brown Brown v.v. Board of Education Board of Education

The Supreme Court heard arguments over a two-year period. The Court also considered research about segregation’s effects on African American children.

In 1954 Chief Justice Earl Warren issued the Supreme Court’s decision.

All nine justices agreed that separate schools for African Americans and whites violated the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection of the law.

Brown Versus Board of Education (06:41)Brown Versus Board of Education (06:41)

The Little Rock CrisisThe Little Rock CrisisIntegrationIntegration

The Supreme Court’s ruling The Supreme Court’s ruling did not offer guidance did not offer guidance about how or when about how or when desegregation should desegregation should occur.occur.

Some states integrated Some states integrated quickly. Other states faced quickly. Other states faced strong opposition.strong opposition.

Virginia passed laws that Virginia passed laws that closed schools who closed schools who planned to integrate.planned to integrate.

In Little Rock, Arkansas, In Little Rock, Arkansas, the governor violated a the governor violated a federal court order to federal court order to integrate Little Rock’s integrate Little Rock’s Central High School. Central High School.

The Little Rock NineThe Little Rock Nine On September 4, 1957, On September 4, 1957,

angry whites harassed nine angry whites harassed nine black students as they black students as they arrived at Little Rock’s arrived at Little Rock’s Central High School.Central High School.

The Arkansas National Guard The Arkansas National Guard turned the turned the Little Rock NineLittle Rock Nine away and prevented them away and prevented them from entering the school for from entering the school for three weeks.three weeks.

Finally, Eisenhower sent U.S. Finally, Eisenhower sent U.S. soldiers to escort the Little soldiers to escort the Little Rock Nine into the school.Rock Nine into the school.

The events in Little Rock The events in Little Rock revealed how strong racism revealed how strong racism was in some parts of the was in some parts of the country.country.

Central High (03:28) Central High (03:28)

Brown v. Board of EducationBrown v. Board of Education

What were the key issues in the Supreme What were the key issues in the Supreme Court’s 1954 ruling in Brown v. Board of Court’s 1954 ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, and what Education of Topeka, Kansas, and what was its impact?was its impact?

RecallRecall – Who represented Linda Brown? – Who represented Linda Brown? Explain-Explain- Why was the case of Linda Why was the case of Linda

Brown taken to the Supreme Court?Brown taken to the Supreme Court? Draw Conclusions-Draw Conclusions- Why do you think the Why do you think the

Court combined cases instead of just Court combined cases instead of just hearing Linda Brown’s case?hearing Linda Brown’s case?

Brown v. Board of EducationBrown v. Board of Education

AnalyzeAnalyze – Do you think that those – Do you think that those who organized massive resistance who organized massive resistance believed their tactics would stop believed their tactics would stop integration?integration?

Draw Conclusions-Draw Conclusions- Did Brown v. Did Brown v. Board of Education immediately Board of Education immediately change the pattern of segregation in change the pattern of segregation in public schools?public schools?

A Change is Gonna Come (03:47)A Change is Gonna Come (03:47)

The Montgomery Bus Boycott

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference

• In 1955 a local NAACP member named Rosa Parks refused to give her seat to white riders.

• The resulting Montgomery bus boycott led to a Supreme Court ruling that segregation on buses was unconstitutional.

• African Americans formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, or SCLC, to protest activities taking place all across the South.

• Martin Luther King Jr. was the elected leader of this group—which was committed to mass, nonviolent action.

Montgomery, AlabamaMontgomery, Alabama

The Montgomery Bus BoycottThe Montgomery Bus Boycott

When Rosa Parks was arrested, the NAACP called for a one-day boycott of the city bus system.

Community leaders formed the Montgomery Improvement Association and selected Martin Luther King Jr. as its leader.

African Americans continued to boycott the bus system for a year—which hurt the bus system and other white businesses.

After the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on buses was unconstitutional, integration of the buses moved forward.

King, Jr. Begins His Preaching Career (03:40)King, Jr. Begins His Preaching Career (03:40)

1957: The Southern Christian Leadership 1957: The Southern Christian Leadership

Conference: Non-Violent Resistance (01:47)Conference: Non-Violent Resistance (01:47)

A Boycott Begins in Montgomery, A Boycott Begins in Montgomery, AlabamaAlabama

How did events in Montgomery, Alabama, How did events in Montgomery, Alabama, help launch the modern civil rights help launch the modern civil rights movement?movement?

RecallRecall – What was the SCLC and what was – What was the SCLC and what was the groups purpose?the groups purpose?

Describe- Describe- Who were the first Who were the first members of the SCLSmembers of the SCLS??

Draw Conclusions- Draw Conclusions- Why was it Why was it important that SCLC be all-inclusive, important that SCLC be all-inclusive, open to all races and religions?open to all races and religions?