Chapter 26 - The Civil Rights Movement
Section 1
The Civil Rights Movement Begins
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The 1896 Supreme Court ruling Plessy vs. Ferguson strengthened segregation.
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Plessy vs. Ferguson stated that separate but equal facilities was legal.
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African Americans were forced to use separate facilities such as bathrooms, drinking fountains, movie theatres, schools and many others.
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Many of the facilities were not equal and not maintained very well.
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The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was organized to fight discrimination.
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It’s goal was to “eradicate…race prejudice and secure complete equality before the law.”
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After serving in the armed services in World War II, minorities wanted justice between the races at home.
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When Branch Rickey hired Jackie Robinson, he helped to integrate Major League Baseball.
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Harry Truman ordered the desegregation of the Armed Forces.
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This is one of the few Civil Rights laws Truman could pass because he did not need approval of the Southern states.
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The Korean was the first war in which African Americans and white Americans fought side by side.
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Segregation in the Schools
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Thurgood Marshal argued for school desegregation in the Supreme Court case Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka.
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In this case, the Court ruled to end school segregation.
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In 1957, nine African American students tried to enter Central High School in Little Rock Arkansas.
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Governor Orval Faubus called in the state’s National Guard to keep them out.
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President Eisenhower called in federal troops to protect the students
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Montgomery Bus Boycott
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Rosa Parks was arrested when she refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger.
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The Women’s Political Council organized a boycott of buses on Parks’ trial day.
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Martin Luther King Jr. urged African Americans to continue the boycott.
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Some white leaders were outraged by the boycotts. Some even bombed King’s home.
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After the boycott went on for more than a year, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on buses was unconstitutional.
Section 2
An Expanding Role for Government
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Chief Justice Earl Warren believed the Constitution should be interpreted flexibly.
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In Miranda v. Arizona, the Court Ruling expanded the rights of the accused.
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“You have the right to remain silent…”
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In Tinker v. Des Moines School District, the Court expanded the concept of freedom of speech.
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John F. Kennedy was not only the youngest president in history but also the first Catholic president.
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Presidents Kennedy’s Domestic Goals:
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End Poverty
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Fight Disease
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Ensure Justice for All
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Space Program
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Kennedy had a wide variety of goals and programs however many were not enacted due to a less than agreeable congress.
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Programs Congress Agreed to:
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Kennedy was not allowed to see the achievement of the many goals he had put forth. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 2nd 1963 by an unknown assailant.
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Kennedy’s vice-president, Lyndon B. Johnson, was sworn in as the President shortly after Kennedy’ death.
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Great Society : Expanded opportunity and provided a decent standard of living for all Americans.
Head Start: Free education for needy children.
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To assist the elderly in paying medical bills
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Medical Assistance to the needy
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Assistance for paying for groceries
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To provide cash payments to the poor
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Builds middle and low income housing for needy families.
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Housing and Urban Development (H.U.D.)
Section 3
The Civil Rights Movement Continues
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1957 – Martin Luther King Jr. joins with other African American church leaders to form the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
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1960 – Four African American college students refuse to leave a lunch counter, starting a type of protest known as a sit-in protest.
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1961 – Freedom Rides take place to desegregate public transportation across state lines.
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1962 – James Meredith tries to attend the University of Mississippi and riots break out.
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1963
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Massive demonstrations take place in Birmingham, Alabama, and police respond with Violence.
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Nearly 250,000 people come together to support civil rights legislation in the famous March on Washington.
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1964 – President Johnson pushed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through congress. This act outlaws segregation, advances voting rights, bans job discrimination and brings forth school desegregation.
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1965
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In King’s march for voting rights people walk from Selma to Montgomery. States troopers set upon the marchers with tear gas, clubs and whips.
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1964 – President Johnson pushed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through congress. This act outlaws segregation, advances voting rights, bans job discrimination and brings forth school desegregation.
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1965
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In King’s march for voting rights people walk from Selma to Montgomery. States troopers set upon the marchers with tear gas, clubs and whips.
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Congress passes the Voting Right Act of 1965, which removes barriers to voting and African Americans ability to register.
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Malcolm X, once a believer in black separation, is killed.
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Riots occur in the Watt neighborhood of Los Angeles in response to police brutality.
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1967 – Thurgood Marshal becomes the first African American Supreme Court justice.
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1968 – Martin Luther King Jr. is killed. Riots occur throughout the country.
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1970 – Affirmative Action, a program through which groups who were previously discriminated against get preferential treatment, is established. Critics argue that it gives unfair advantages in jobs and education
Section 4
Other Americans Seek Rights
Women’s Rights
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Betty Friedan’s the Feminine Mystique criticized women’s limited role in society.
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Friedan helped organize the National Organization for Women (NOW) which was a women’s advocates group.
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NOW’s goals were: medical school and law practices hire more women and daycare facilities provided to working mothers.
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NOW led a movement to ratify an amendment that would give equal protection to women. It was known as the Equal Rights Amendment.
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The Equal Rights Amendment was proposed in 1972. The ERA was designed to outlaw any form of sex discrimination.
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Argument for the ERA: Provide equal protection regardless of sex.
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Arguments against the ERA: undermines traditional values, women might lose certain rights that already have such as, alimony and immunity from the draft.
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The 1963 Equal Pay Act ensured equal pay for men and women doing the same job or amount of work.
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Civil Rights Act of 1965 banned discrimination based on sex.
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In the 1960s and 1970s, the number of women working outside the home and attending college increased
Mexican Americans
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In the Southwest, many Mexican American children went to Mexican Schools, which were not as good as the all-white schools.
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Mexican American World War II veterans formed the American GI Forum to challenge discrimination.
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In Hernandez v. Texas, the Supreme Court ruled that excluding Mexicans from juries was illegal
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Cesar Chavez was one of the founders of the United Farm Workers. He organized a nationwide boycott of California grapes. The boycott led to American growers agreeing to negotiate with the UFW.
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The Voting Rights Act of 1975 was important because it established bilingual elections.
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Legislation for bilingual education was passed.
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Native Americans
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The National Congress of American Indians had some success in regaining land, mineral and water rights for Native Americans.
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The AIM was more militant. Armed members went to Wounded Knee, South Dakota. Its goal was to remind people of Native American treatment in the past.
Older Americans
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Mandatory retirement means stopping people from working at a certain age.
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The AARP championed health insurance for retired Americans.
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Maggie Kuhn formed the Gray Panthers to fight age discrimination.
Americans with Disabilities
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Organization for the disabled championed laws the required public accommodations.
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The Education for Handicapped Act of 1975 guaranteed free education to those with disabilities.
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The Americans With Disabilities Act made it illegal to discriminate in hiring practices.
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