People
What did Ruby Bridges do?
She was the first to integrate an elementary school in the South.
17. What was the result of the Greensboro sit-in?
A) The Supreme Court made sit-ins illegal
B) The lunch counter refused to serve Black customers forever
C) After six months, the Woolworth's lunch counter agreed to serve Black customers
D) The protest spread to only one other city
C) After six months, the Woolworth's lunch counter agreed to serve Black customers
After the Voting Rights Act of 1965, in Mississippi, the percentage of Black registered voters increased from 7% to 60% in just two years.
True or False?
True!
How did the federal government's role change during the Civil Rights Movement?
Which president signed both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965?
Who was the first Black Supreme Court Justice in the United States?
A) Thurgood Marshall
B) Martin Luther King Jr.
C) John Lewis
D) Malcolm X
A) Thurgood Marshall
What is a sit-in?
A form of protest where demonstrators refuse to leave a location until demands are met
What was the main problem that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 tried to fix?
Unfair voting practices that prevented Black Americans from voting
What were literacy tests, and why did Southern states use them?
Literacy tests required Black voters to read difficult texts or answer impossible questions to register to vote. States used them to prevent Black Americans from voting.
How did segregationists use the "states' rights" argument during the Civil Rights Movement?
Who was Martin Luther King Jr.? Tell me 4 facts about him.
For example:
- He believed in nonviolent protest
- He gave the "I Have a Dream" speech.
- He was very educated.
- He was a Baptist minister.
What is a boycott?
A peaceful protest where people refuse to use services or buy products to pressure change
What did the Supreme Court decide in Brown v. Board of Education (1954)?
School segregation was unconstitutional and illegal
Explain what happened during "Bloody Sunday" in Selma, Alabama. How did this event change the Civil Rights Movement?
On March 7, 1965, state troopers attacked approximately 600 peaceful marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge with clubs, whips, and tear gas. Television coverage shocked Americans nationwide and helped pressure President Johnson to sign the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
How did television coverage of violence against peaceful protesters help the Civil Rights Movement? Give one specific example.
Television showed peaceful protesters being attacked or treated badly, which shocked Americans and changed their opinions about segregation. For example, images of Freedom Riders being beaten and a bus burning in Anniston prompted the federal government to send federal marshals for protection.
What did Rosa Parks do on December 1, 1955?
She refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger
What were the Freedom Rides of 1961?
Organized protests where Black and white riders traveled together on buses to challenge segregation at bus stations
What was the main purpose of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
To make discrimination illegal in public places, employment, and schools
How were Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X similar? How were they different?
Similar: civil rights leaders, wanted equality "now"
Differences: MLK was more formally educated and came from more resources. MLK believed in nonviolent protest and Malcolm X did not.
What challenges did the Little Rock Nine face when they tried to integrate Central High School? How did the federal government help them?
The Little Rock Nine faced angry mobs, harassment, violence, and threats from white students and community members. President Eisenhower sent federal troops from the 101st Airborne Division to protect them and escort them to classes.
Who was the first to integrate a high school in the South?
Little Rock Nine
Why was it important that civil rights protesters remained nonviolent when they were attacked?
Because television coverage of peaceful people being attacked shocked Americans and helped gain public support for civil rights
What voting suppression tactics (ways to stop Black people from voting) did Southern states use before the Voting Rights Act of 1965?
Literacy tests
Poll taxes
Intimidation and threats
What were the main causes of the Civil Rights Movement? Name at least two causes.
The main causes included: segregation and discrimination against Black Americans in schools, public places, voting, and employment; unfair voting practices like literacy tests; and the denial of equal rights and opportunities.
Describe the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. What was the most important moment of this protest, and why?
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took place on August 28, 1963, and brought more than 250,000 Black and white Americans to the Lincoln Memorial to demand equal rights, voting rights, better jobs, and an end to segregation. The march featured famous singers like Mahalia Jackson and Bob Dylan and demonstrated widespread public support for civil rights. The most important moment was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, in which he expressed his vision of a future where Black and white children could grow up together in equality and peace. This speech was powerful because it inspired millions of Americans watching on television and helped persuade Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 the following year.