Sports Activism (Jackie Robinson)
What does it mean to be an activist athlete?
An activist athlete is a professional athlete who openly speaks out about racial and social issues.
What was the original court case that made the notion “seperate but equal” legal?
Plessy vs. Ferguson1896
What were ways in which Black people traveled to work, home, school, etc. during the boycott?
Either by working, having black community members drive them, or having Black cab drivers lowering their fare to that of the busses (10 cents)
Why did Emmett Till get lynched by two white men?
Emmett Till got lynched by two white men because he broke the social boundaries. He whistled at a white woman.
Who were the Freedom Riders? What injustice were they challenging?
In 1961, the freedom riders were a group of black and white men and women who were challenging segregation in the south. They wanted to see if the ruling from two court cases were being put in place.
Why was Jackie Robinson chosen to be the first professional sports player?
Jackie Robinson was a talented baseball player but not the best best baseball player in the Negro leagues. He was chosen because the Dodgerse and MLB thought he would be a good person to break the color line in professional sports. He was intelligent, level-headed, and passionate about Civil Righrs.
Why was Olivia Brown and her family suing the board of education?
There was a school two blocks away that was white only, and she was denied access. She had to drive on the bus two hours each way to attend school. It effected her health negatively.
How did certain groups respond to the legalization of integrated bussing?
White supremacists and groups like the KKK were found brutalizing people on integrated buses. Snipers shot bullets on one occasion, and there were bombings on other occasions.
What did the court decide? How long did it take them to make a decision?
The court decided that Bryant and Milam were innocent because there was enough "reasonable doubt" that they did not kill Emmett Till. It took the jurors one hour to make a decision.
Who were the Greensboro Four? What were they challenging?
In 1960, the Greensboro four were four black students who sat at the Woolworth's lunch counter that was for whites only. They were challenging segregation within businesses.
What type of athlete was Jackie’s brother Mack? What happened after he was successful in his sport?
Mack won a silver medal in the 1936 Olympic games. When coming back home, he became a garbage man.
What did the Supreme Court determine in Brown vs. Board of Education 1954?
In Brown vs. Board of Education, the court unanimously voted in favor of Brown. This made segregated schools illegal and integrated school mandated.
Why was Claudette Covin not chosen to be the face of the bus boycott movement?
Claudette Colvin was just 15 years old, pregnant, dark-skinned, and had bad hair.
Why did Mamie have newspapers and magazines take photos of her and Emmett?
To use the media as a tool to display the horribleness of the Jim Crow south and lynchings.
Name one specific challenge the student sit-ins faced, and one specific challenge the freedom riders faced.
Answers will vary.
How did Michael Jordan respond to racial issues as a professional athlete?
In the 90's athletes like Michael Jordan were surprisingly quiet on these issues. People were told to be like Mike, but that meant drinking Gatorade and wearing Hanes and Nikes and not talking about the LA riots. He did not participate in any activism.
How did some communities in the South react to the enforcement of the Brown v. Board decision?
By either shutting down their schools or sending their white kids to private boarding schools.
Why was it more advantageous for the NAACP to use Rosa Parks as the face of the bus boycott movement?
Rosa Parks was a better face of the movement because it curtailed to the white moderate voters. This was to get broader support for the movement to desegregate busses.
Why did the NAACP and William Huff ask Mamie so many personal questions?
William Huff wanted to use Emmett Till as the face of the anti-lynching campaign. If there was anything about Mamie that was not in the general publics favor, then they would reconsider sing Emmett as the face of the movement.
What is the NAACP? What was the purpose of the organization?
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), interracial American organization created to work for the abolition of segregation and discrimination in housing, education, employment, voting, and transportation; to oppose racism; and to ensure African Americans their constitutional rights.
Why did Kobe Bryant and Lebron James wear “I Can’t Breathe” t-shirts in 2014?
A Black man named Eric Garner was killed in New York City. Kobe Bryant and Lebron James spoke out against the racial injustice and police brutality.
School segregation still goes on today, why is it beneficial for schools to be integrated?
Predominately white schools have higher funding than schools that are predominately students of color. By integrating schools, students of color get better access to education and technology. It is also beneficial for white students to have more exposure to diversity and breaking down racial prejudices.
What made the bus boycott movement in Montgomery effective?
Black riders made up 75% of the customers who rode the bus. By icing out the bussing companies, this hurt the businesses financially.
What did Milam and Bryant go on the record saying a year later? Why?
One year later, Milam and Bryant got paid 4000$ by a magazine company (Look magazine) to talk about how they killed Emmett Till. They had double jeopardy so they could not get tried again.
Why was non-violence such an important component of the student sit in’s? What would have happened if the students retaliated?
Non-violence was important to the student sit-in movement to actively challenge laws that were racist. If the students retaliated violently, then the students would have hurt the movement. The retaliation would be spun negatively by the media.