9a Civil Rights Movement9a Civil Rights Movement.doc

Lecture 9 The Civil Rights Movement Lead-in Activity Watch the video clip (22:30) of Forrest Gump and answer the following question: Q1: What was taking place on the campus (in Tuscaloosa) of the University of Alabama? A1: In 1963 the governor (Wallace) of Alabama physically blocked 2 black students, Vivian Malone and James Hood, from enrolling at the University of Alabama. And President Kennedy sent federal troops to desegregated the University. Fighting Segregation The Civil Rights Movement prior to 1954 Seeking Change in the Courts Key Issues in the Supreme Court’s ruling on Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 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 v. Board of Education The Little Rock Crisis Integration The Supreme Court’s ruling did not offer guidance about how or when desegregation should occur. Some states integrated quickly. Other states faced strong opposition. Virginia passed laws that closed schools who planned to integrate. In Little Rock, Arkansas, the governor violated a federal court order to integrate Little Rock’s Central High School. Montgomery, Alabama The 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. Freedom Now! (Slogan in 1960s) Non-Violent Protests during t