Vocabulary & Terms
What is Segregation?
The practice of keeping people separated based on their race, religion, or other differences.
What was integration?
Integration was the process of bringing together different racial or ethnic groups, especially in schools, public places, and other institutions, to ensure equal rights and opportunities for all.
Which Court Case overturned Plessy v. Ferguson?
Plessy v. Ferguson was overturned by Brown v. Board of Education.
What was the March on Washington?
The March on Washington, held in 1963, was a massive rally where over 250,000 people gathered to demand civil rights and economic equality for African Americans, and it is where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
How did Martin Luther King Jr. advocate for change?
Martin Luther King Jr. advocated for change through peaceful protests, marches, and speeches, promoting civil disobedience and nonviolent resistance to fight against segregation and racial injustice.
What is the Civil Rights Movement?
The Civil Rights Movement was a struggle in the 1950s and 1960s where people worked together to end racial segregation and discrimination, and to gain equal rights for African Americans.
What tactic was used to integrate lunch counters in the South?
Sit-ins.
What did Plessy v. Ferguson do?
Plessy v. Ferguson established the "separate but equal" doctrine, which justified racial segregation until it was overturned.
What did Marchers advocate for?
Different marches were held to end poll taxes and pass civil rights bills.
What event was Rosa Parks involved in?
Rosa Parks was involved in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, where she refused to give up her seat to a white person on a bus, leading to a protest against segregation on public buses.
What is Civil Disobedience?
Civil disobedience is the act of peacefully refusing to follow laws or orders that are seen as unjust, often to protest for change.
How did schools resist integration efforts?
Many schools resisted integration efforts by using tactics like closing schools, refusing to admit Black students, or using violence and intimidation to prevent desegregation.
What did Brown v. Board of Education do?
Brown v. Board of Education made segregation in public schools illegal, declaring that "separate but equal" schools were unfair and unequal.
What type of equal rights did African Americans need to spur on the Civil Rights Movement (there's 3)?
African Americans needed equal rights like the ability to vote without barriers like poll taxes, fair treatment in schools, jobs, and public places, and protection from discrimination and violence.
Who is Ruby Bridges?
Ruby Bridges is a civil rights activist who became the first African American child to integrate an all-white elementary school in the South, attending William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans in 1960.
What did the Jim Crow Laws do (2 major things)?
The Jim Crow Laws enforced racial segregation in the South & denied African Americans voting rights.
Who were the Little Rock Nine?
The Little Rock Nine were a group of nine African American students who were the first to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. Despite facing violent protests and harassment, they were escorted by federal troops sent by President Eisenhower to ensure their safety and uphold the Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, which declared school segregation unconstitutional.
What impact did Emmett Till's funeral have on the Civil Rights Movement and why?
Emmett Till's funeral had a major impact on the Civil Rights Movement because his mother chose to have an open casket to show the world the brutal violence he endured, which sparked outrage and increased support for the fight against racial injustice.
How were students involved in the Civil Rights Movement?
Students were heavily involved in the Civil Rights Movement by organizing and participating in protests, sit-ins, and marches.
For years now, I have heard the word “Wait!” . . . This “Wait” has almost always meant “Never.”
—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
Dr. King wrote these words to...
Justify using civil disobedience to obtain civil rights.
What was the main goal of Freedom Summer?
The main goal of Freedom Summer was to register African American voters
What impact did The Birmingham Children's Crusade have on the Civil Rights Movement?
The Birmingham Children's Crusade had a significant impact on the Civil Rights Movement by drawing national attention to the violent resistance African Americans faced in the South. The images of children being attacked by police dogs and sprayed with fire hoses shocked the public and brought more support to the movement. This event highlighted the cruelty of segregation, helped increase pressure on the federal government to act, and led to important changes, including the desegregation of public spaces and the eventual passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
What was the Birmingham Children's Crusade?
The Birmingham Children's Crusade, which took place in 1963, an event where thousands of African American children and teenagers in Birmingham, Alabama, marched to protest segregation and demand civil rights.
How was the Civil Rights Movement a success?
The Civil Rights Movement was a success because it led to important laws like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which helped end segregation and protect the rights of African Americans.
How did Malcolm X and the Black Panther Party advocate for change?
Malcolm X and the Black Panther Party advocated for change by any means necessary.