Jim Crow Laws History >> Civil Rights for KidsWhat were the Jim Crow laws? Jim Crow laws were laws in the South based on race. They enforced segregation between white people and black people in public places such as schools, transportation, restrooms, and restaurants. They also made it difficult for black people to vote. When were the Jim Crow laws enforced? After the Civil War there was a period in the South called the Reconstruction. Why were they called "Jim Crow"? The name "Jim Crow" comes from an African-American character in a song from 1832. Examples of Jim Crow Laws Jim Crow laws were designed to keep black and white people apart. Alabama - All passenger stations shall have separate waiting rooms and separate ticket windows for the white and colored races. Grandfather Clauses In order to make sure that all white people could vote, many states enacted "grandfather" clauses into their voting laws. Black Codes After the Civil War, many southern states created laws called Black Codes.
African-American Civil Rights Movement History >> Civil Rights for Kids March on Washington Aug 28, 1963from the United States Information Agency The African-American Civil Rights Movement was an ongoing fight for racial equality that took place for over 100 years after the Civil War. Background The Civil Rights Movement has its background in the abolitionist movement before the Civil War. Segregation and the Jim Crow Laws Jim Crow Drinking Fountain by John Vachon After the Civil War, many southern states continued to treat African-Americans as second class citizens. In the early 1900s, black people began to protest the Jim Crow laws that southern states were implementing to enforce segregation. The Movement Grows The civil rights movement gained momentum in the 1950s when the Supreme Court ruled that segregation in schools was illegal in the case of Brown v. Major Events in the Movement The 1950's and early 1960's brought about several major events in the fight for the civil rights of African-Americans. Civil Rights Act of 1964
March on Washington History >> Civil Rights for Kids Background to the March Despite gaining their freedom from slavery after the end of the civil war, African Americans were still facing legal discrimination in the 1950s and early 1960s. This included segregation of schools, lower wages, and discrimination when applying for jobs. March on Washingtonfrom the Library of Congress Why did people march? The signs telling people about the march called it the "March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom." Planning the March The March was planned to take place on August 28, 1963. 1963 was the 100 year anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves during the Civil War. Because there would be so many people marching, it took a lot of planning. How many people marched? It is estimated that between 200,000 and 300,000 people showed up for the march. I Have a Dream Several of the leaders spoke to the crowd from the Lincoln memorial including three of the Big Six. Meeting with the President Results
Segregation Before 1954 Although Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery in the US through his Emancipation Declaration in 1863, blacks were still being discriminated against for almost another century. It was not before the beginning of the 1950s when the 1896 Supreme Court ruling separate but equal gradually ceased to exist. In 1955 it was Mrs Rosa Parks who protested against separate seating in buses in Montgomery, Ala, by refusing to stand up from her seat in the front of a public bus, as it was customary for blacks only to be seated in the back. This incidence not only triggered off a bus boycott in Montgomery, but in fact the whole civil rights movement which was to last for at least the following 20 years. Marrying a white person, whistling at or reckless eyeballing (i.e. looking at a white female) were considered crimes. After 1953 - Landmarks of the Civil Rights movement If you want to buy the little book Dear Mrs.
Jim Crow Laws Jim Crow Laws were statutes and ordinances established between 1874 and 1975 to separate the white and black races in the American South. In theory, it was to create "separate but equal" treatment, but in practice Jim Crow Laws condemned black citizens to inferior treatment and facilities. Education was segregated as were public facilities such as hotels and restaurants under Jim Crow Laws. In fact, the United States military was segregated until integrated by Harry S. Truman after World War II. The term "Jim Crow" originally referred to a black character in an old song, and was the name of a popular dance in the 1820s. Jim Crow laws in various states required the segregation of races in such common areas as restaurants and theaters. A Montgomery, Alabama, ordinance compelled black residents to take seats apart from whites on municipal buses. Montgomery bus operators were supposed to separate their coaches into two sections: whites up front and blacks in back.
Rosa Parks Refuses to Give Up Her Seat | How Rosa Parks Fought for Civil Rights Sitting Down On Thursday evening December 1, 1955, after a long day of work as a seamstress for a Montgomery, Alabama, department store, Rosa Parks boards a city bus to go home. Tired as she is, Mrs. Parks walks past the first few — mostly empty — rows of seats marked "Whites Only." The bus continues along its route. QUESTIONS FOR ROSA PARKS Was Rosa Parks nervous standing her ground? Tommie Smith on 1968 Olympic protest with John Carlos, athlete activism - Sports Illustrated There wasn’t a specific plan in place on that day in Mexico City in October 1968, when 24-year-old Tommie Smith won the Olympic gold medal in the men’s 200 meters and approached the podium alongside third-place finisher and fellow American John Carlos. But both men knew they would protest against racial injustice in some form. What they didn’t know is that their actions would spark a legacy of athlete activism. “We were preparing to walk across the track and get on the victory stand and receive the award. Smith and Carlos’ gesture on a warm October night has become immortalized in Olympic lore over the last five decades. Smith, the son of a field worker and cowboy in north Texas, made his way to California in 1965 as he joined the San Jose State track team. “San Jose State was the strongest track and field team in history. The athletes at San Jose State quickly became tired of the treatment they received outside of the track.
‘I Have a Dream' Speech - MLK, Dates & Summary The “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. before a crowd of some 250,000 people at the 1963 March on Washington, remains one of the most famous speeches in history. Weaving in references to the country’s Founding Fathers and the Bible, King used universal themes to depict the struggles of African Americans before closing with an improvised riff on his dreams of equality. The eloquent speech was immediately recognized as a highlight of the successful protest, and has endured as one of the signature moments of the civil rights movement. READ MORE: 7 Things You May Not Know About MLK’s ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech Civil Rights Movement Before the Speech Martin Luther King, Jr., a young Baptist minister, rose to prominence in the 1950s as a spiritual leader of the burgeoning civil rights movement and president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SLCC). READ MORE: Black History Milestones: Timeline March on Washington ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech Origins ‘Free At Last’
Civil Rights Movement: Timeline, Key Events & Leaders The civil rights movement was a struggle for social justice that took place mainly during the 1950s and 1960s for blacks to gain equal rights under the law in the United States. The Civil War had officially abolished slavery, but it didn’t end discrimination against blacks—they continued to endure the devastating effects of racism, especially in the South. By the mid-20th century, African Americans had had more than enough of prejudice and violence against them. They, along with many whites, mobilized and began an unprecedented fight for equality that spanned two decades. Jim Crow Laws During Reconstruction, blacks took on leadership roles like never before. In 1868, the 14th Amendment to the Constitution gave blacks equal protection under the law. To marginalize blacks, keep them separate from whites and erase the progress they’d made during Reconstruction, “Jim Crow” laws were established in the South beginning in the late 19th century. World War II and Civil Rights Rosa Parks Sources
School Integration Webpicks – Speakeasy News Brown v. the Board of Education in 1954 is remembered in the U.S. as a landmark moment in the fight for civil rights. The segregated school that seven-year-old Linda Brown attended while the case for desegregation made its way through the courts is now a National Park Service Historic Site. These videos and websites are useful for covering this topic in class. This video is from the National Park Service Brown vs Board of Education Historic Site in Topeka, Kansas. It's available to watch online, or download. It's subtitled in English, and there is a transcript available. It alternates testimony from the late Mrs Zelma Henderson, one of the 13 parents associated in the Brown v Board of Education case with scripted commentary delivered by two teenagers, one black, one white. The segment from 7:00 to 9:35 is very usable because it gives very concrete examples of how schoolchildren faced discrimination. Separate is NOT Equal This is a well produced video from the State Bar of Georgia.
Mexico Olympics Black Power Protest Video – Speakeasy News The silent protest of two African American athletes on the podium at the 1968 Mexico Olympics was an iconic moment in civil-rights history. We've selected some teaching tools for language classes on the Black Power protest. In 2016, the prestigious Smithsonian opened a new, and long-awaited museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture. One of the museum's permanent galleries is called Sports: Leveling the Playing Field. As the introductory text says: Because sports were among the first, and most high profile spaces to accept African Americans on relative terms of equality, sport has had a unique role within American culture. The gallery features a life-size statue of Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who used their Olympic medal ceremony to make a Black Power salute and protest in favour of civil rights. It is presented by civil-rights campaigner and lawyer D'Army Bailey, the founder of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. For example: Copyright(s) :
sans titre the Green Book, in full The Negro Motorist Green Book, The Negro Travelers’ Green Book, or The Travelers’ Green Book, travel guide published (1936–67) during the segregation era in the United States that identified businesses that would accept African American customers. Compiled by Victor Hugo Green (1892–1960), a Black postman who lived in the Harlem section of New York City, the Green Book listed a variety of businesses—from restaurants and hotels to beauty salons and drugstores—that were necessary to make travel comfortable and safe for African Americans in the period before passage of Civil Rights Act of 1964. Automobile travel exploded in the United States during the mid-20th century as more and more Americans were able to afford cars and had disposable income and leisure time (including paid vacations) that allowed them to explore the country. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now