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The theme of the 1950s was the beginning of the rise in protests during the Civil Rights movement and many organizations were started to generate these mass protests. There were also efforts starting to be made to crack down on segregation policies. This is important to American history because this is where we see the movement really start to pick up.
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Supreme Court Case- Herman Marion Sweatt tried to apply to a law school in Texas but was rejected because of his race. The court made a unanimous decision to have the university admit Sweatt into the school. -
Supreme Court Case- The case was based on when Sarah Keys Evans refused to give up her seat on a state-to-state charter bus. The Interstate Commerce Commission outlawed the segregation of Black passengers traveling through state lines. -
Violence by opposition- Emmett Till was a 14-year-old African-American from Chicago that was murdered for being accused of flirting with a white woman. After his murder, many mass protests spread throughout the country demanding for equal change. -
Achievement/ No Violence- The association was established to help fight for civil rights for African-Americans and specifically the desegregation of bus systems in Alabama. The association was the first predominately black civil rights organization to fight independently from the NAACP. -
Protest- Was a civil rights protest where African-Americans refused to ride city buses in order to protest against segregated seating. The boycott is regarded as one of the first mass protests in the US and helped bring national and international attention to civil rights struggles. -
Violence from protesters- After the passing of Brown Vs. Board of Education, there were still many people who were against the desegregation of schools. This resulted in mobs of pro-segregationists patrolling streets to prevent African-American children from registering into schools. -
Achievement/ No Violence- The group was an offshoot program from the Montgomery Improvement Association which staged a boycott of Montgomery's segregated bus system. This group was founded to make it easier to organize civil rights protests in the south. -
Violence by opposition- After Brown v. Board of Education, the school board in Little Rock, Arkansas adopted a plan to integrate African-American students into their schools. Nine African-American students arrived at the Central High School and were met with a crowd of people shouting and throwing things at them. This caused them to be prevented from entering the school. -
Legislation- The act was signed into law by President Eisenhower and it did not create new rights but established the civil rights section of the justice department. The purpose of the act was to increase the number of registered black voters in the south. -
Supreme Court Case- Following the Little Rock Nine Crisis, members of the school board filed a lawsuit against Arkansas's segregation policies in public schools. The court ruled that the state of Arkansas could not undermine Brown v. Board and that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. -
During the 1960s, there was a rise in protests from both sides that would sometimes result in violence. Towards the end of the decade, prominent figures of the movement were lost which devastated the entire nation. The theme for this decade was the rise in mass protesting and efforts to generate changes. This is important to American history because it highlights all the efforts that were made to pass civil rights legislation.
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Protest- The Greensboro sit-in was a civil rights protest that started in 1960 where American students staged a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter and refused to leave after being denied service. The first sit-in was organized by the Greensboro four after the murder of Emmett Till. This was a critical turning point in the Civil Rights Movement, bringing it to national news. -
Protest- The Freedom Riders were groups of white and African American civil rights activists that rode through the American South on buses to protest segregated bus terminals. Resulted in regulations of prohibiting segregation in interstate transit terminals. -
Protest- The Albany Campaign was a desegregation movement that was formed by local activists and different organizations. The movement protesters used mass demonstrations, jail-ins, sit-ins, boycotts, and litigation. The movement inspired many people in the community to join the protests. -
Violence by protesters- After the enrollment of James Meredith into the University of Mississippi, many riots erupted on campus from locals, students, and committed segregationists. The riots ended with two deaths and hundreds of injuries. -
Protest- The campaign was led by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and they wanted to bring national attention to the efforts of local Black leaders to desegregate public facilities. The protest was led by Martin Luther King Jr. and Fred Shuttlesworth. -
Violence by opposition- Medgar Evers was shot outside his home in Jackson, Mississippi by white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith. Evers was a civil rights leader that made efforts to encourage African Americans to vote and join the movement. -
Protest- Was a massive protest march that took place in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., making it the largest civil rights protest during the time. Was meant to draw attention to the inequities African-Americans were facing and was where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have A Dream" speech. -
Protest/ Violence from protesters- The project was a voter registration drive which aimed to increase the number of Black voters in Mississippi. The members were met with violent attacks from the Klu Klux Klan and local law enforcement which reached national news spreading awareness about the civil rights movement. -
Legislation- Prohibited employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin and ended segregation in public spaces. Was signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson. -
Supreme Court Case- The Heart of Atlanta Motel in Georgia would refuse to accommodate any African-Americans looking for a place to stay. This was illegal as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbade any racial discrimination by place of public accommodation. -
Violence by opposition- Malcolm X was a civil rights activist and religious leader that was assassinated during his address to the Organization of Afro-American Unity. -
Protest- Protesters marched from Selma to Montgomery which is the capital of Alabama to raise awareness of difficulties Black voters face. They were confronted by violence from local authorities and people who opposed the movement and had to be protected by the National Guard. -
Achievement- Outlawed discriminatory voting practices which were present in many southern states. Was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. -
Protest- James Meredith was the first African-American to enroll at the University of Mississippi and was a civil rights activist. He began a solidarity walk, intending to walk from Memphis, Tennessee to Jackson, Mississippi to call attention to voter discrimination in the south. -
Violence by opposition- Martin Luther King was shot while standing on the balcony outside his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee. His death sparked major outbreaks of racial violence nationwide. -
Legislation- prohibited discrimination in the sale, renting, financing, or advertising of housing. Was encouraged by Lyndon B. Johnson to be passed after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. -
There was a theme of achievement during the 1970s as there started to be more prominent African-American figures in the media and politics. This is important to American history as it shows what achievements were made as a result from the previous decades.
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Supreme Court Case- After Brown v. Board of Education, there was still little effort to integrate African-American students into all-white schools. The Supreme Court made a unanimous decision to uphold busing systems to speed up the integration process in public schools. -
Achievement- Shirley Chisholm became the first black candidate for a major-party nomination for the presidential election. She was also the first woman to run for the Democratic Party's nomination. -
Achievement- Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's record of 714 home runs when he ran his 715th run of his career. This was a bittersweet victory because he received a lot of threats and racist comments after achieving this record. -
Supreme Court Case- Bakke was a white man trying to apply to the university of medical school but was rejected even though is scores were above average. Bakke sued the school on the basis that they were discriminating against him based on his race. -
No Violence/Achievement- Barbra Jordan was the first woman and African-American to give a keynote address at a democratic convention. In her speech she asked for Americans to commit themselves to a "national community" and the "common good."