Civil Rights Movement African-American history

the supreme court handed down landmark decision in case of brown v. board of education (1954) of topeka. decision led dismantling of legal segregation in areas of southern life, schools restaurants public restrooms, occurred , after concerted activism african americans. ruling brought new momentum civil rights movement. boycotts against segregated public transportation systems sprang in south, notable of montgomery bus boycott.

civil rights groups such southern christian leadership conference (sclc) organized across south tactics such boycotts, voter registration campaigns, freedom rides , other nonviolent direct action, such marches, pickets , sit-ins mobilize around issues of equal access , voting rights. southern segregationists fought block reform. conflict grew involve steadily escalating physical violence, bombings , intimidation southern whites. law enforcement responded protesters batons, electric cattle prods, fire hoses, attack dogs , mass arrests.

in virginia, state legislators, school board members , other public officials mounted campaign of obstructionism , outright defiance integration called massive resistance. entailed series of actions deny state funding integrated schools , instead fund privately run segregation academies white students. farmville, virginia, in prince edward county, 1 of plaintiff african-american communities involved in 1954 brown v. board of education supreme court decision. last-ditch effort avoid court-ordered desegregation, officials in county shut down county s entire public school system in 1959 , remained closed 5 years. white students able attend private schools established community sole purpose of circumventing integration. largely black rural population of county had little recourse. families split parents sent children live relatives in other locales attend public school; majority of prince edward s more 2,000 black children, many poor whites, remained unschooled until federal court action forced schools reopen 5 years later.

dr. martin luther king, jr. delivers famous have dream speech during march on washington

perhaps high point of civil rights movement 1963 march on washington jobs , freedom, brought more 250,000 marchers grounds of lincoln memorial , national mall in washington, d.c., speak out end southern racial violence , police brutality, equal opportunity in employment, equal access in education , public accommodations. organizers of march called big 6 of civil rights movement: bayard rustin strategist has been called invisible man of civil rights movement; labor organizer , initiator of march, a. phillip randolph; roy wilkins of naacp; whitney young, jr., of national urban league; martin luther king, jr., of southern christian leadership conference (sclc); james farmer of congress on racial equality (core); , john lewis of student nonviolent coordinating committee (sncc). active behind scenes , sharing podium dr. king dorothy height, head of national council of negro women. @ event, on steps of lincoln memorial, king delivered historic have dream speech.

this march, 1963 birmingham children s crusade, , other events credited putting pressure on president john f. kennedy, , lyndon b. johnson, culminated in passage civil rights act of 1964 banned discrimination in public accommodations, employment, , labor unions.

president johnson signs historic civil rights act of 1964.

the mississippi freedom summer of 1964 brought thousands of idealistic youth, black , white, state run freedom schools , teach basic literacy, history , civics. other volunteers involved in voter registration drives. season marked harassment, intimidation , violence directed @ civil rights workers , host families. disappearance of 3 youths, james chaney, andrew goodman , michael schwerner in philadelphia, mississippi, captured attention of nation. 6 weeks later, searchers found savagely beaten body of chaney, black man, in muddy dam alongside remains of 2 white companions, had been shot death. there national outrage @ escalating injustices of mississippi blood summer , had come known, , @ brutality of murders.

in 1965 selma voting rights movement, selma montgomery marches, , tragic murders of 2 activists associated march, inspired president lyndon b. johnson call full voting rights act of 1965, struck down barriers black enfranchisement. in 1966 chicago open housing movement, followed passage of 1968 fair housing act, capstone more decade of major legislation during civil rights movement.

by time, african americans questioned effectiveness of nonviolent protest had gained greater voice. more militant black leaders, such malcolm x of nation of islam , eldridge cleaver of black panther party, called blacks defend themselves, using violence, if necessary. mid-1960s mid-1970s, black power movement urged african americans africa inspiration , emphasized black solidarity, rather integration.