Our History of Change: An Interactive Civil Rights Museum

MLK

Birmingham

Brown vs Board

By Colin O'Brien

Our History of Change: An interactive civil Rights museum

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have A Dream Speech

On Augsust 28, 1963, 100 years after Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Adress, 250,00 people gathered at the Lincoln memorial during the march on Washington to hear a man speak. That man was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the leader of the peaceful part of the civil right's movement. He started his speech with "Five score years ago", a referance to Lincoln's Gettysburg adress which started out with "Four score and seven years ago." Througout his speech, Dr. King referenced Lincoln's speech in many ways, honoring the man who had ended slavery. Near the end of his speech he said maybe the five most famous words ever. "I have a dream." He went on to talk about a dream he had for his children and the world he wanted his children to live in. It became one of the most famous speeches ever and inspired many to carry on his dream and make change in the world.

MLK

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In 1962, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. went to Birmingham, Alabama, which he called the most segregated city in America. He protested peacefully, but was arrested by the brutal chief of police, Bull Connor. While in Jail, he wrote a secret letter with a pen smuggled in about what he wanted the civil right's movement to acomplish, and this letter became famous. When he got out and wanted to march again, nobody was willing to risk arrest to march except children. The children marched, but they were met with the police, who arrested thousands. Bull Connor also had police use fire hoses and attack dogs to attack children! Soon the jails were full and violence continued. The nation was horrified at the violence toward children and called for change. Desegregation was enforced in Birmingham, but unfortunately, this only made people more violent.

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Childrens March in Birmingham

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At the time of this decision, segregation was legal everywhere, as long as both seperate facilities were equal, and the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) sued the Board of Education in Topeka Kansas for having unequal segregated schools. Thurgood Marshall, a future Supreme Court justice, represented the NAACP in court. The school's attorney was John W. Davis, one of the most decorated lawyers. In 1954, the case was heard and ruled on by the Supreme Court. Thurgood Marshall argued that the act of separating people, it implied one group was better. John Davis argued that segregation is fine as long as both facilities are equal. After many months of the case, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously, or all of them agreed, that segregation in schools was unequal and illegal.

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Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas

Brown Vs Board

Lincoln Memorial

Place MLK's speech was delivered

The Lincoln Memorial is a famous monument that attracts many visitors and is the site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. During his speech, Dr. King made many allusions, or connections, to Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, another incredibly famous, incredibly impactful speech. The fact that it was spoken at the Lincoln Memorial made these allusions even more impactful.

This was the note written by Dr. King during his time in birmingham jail.

Dr. King's Note

Written while he was in jail.

This note, titled "Letter From a Brimingham Jail" was written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while he was in a jail in Birmingham. It was written on a pen smuggled in and on whatever paper he could aquire. This note was eventually published and became famous. It detailed Dr. King's ideas for the future of the civil rights movement and what he hoped it would acomplish in the end.

This was the note written by Dr. King during his time in birmingham jail.

Dr. King's Speech

Maybe the most famous speach ever

Dr. Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech is on of the most famous speeches of all time. In just a few minutes, he inspired millions with just his words. In his speech, he told of his dream, for his kids to live in a world where they would be treated equally to everyone else. This became one of the most famous speeches ever.

This was the written copy of Dr. King's speech.

John W. David

The lawer who argued against Thurgood Marshall in Brown vs. Board

At the time of Brown vs. Board of Education, John W. Davis had argued the most cases of any lawyer. He represented the states in Brown vs. Board, and argued that segregation was fine as long as both facilities were equal.

This is an image of John W. Davis, the man who argued against Thurgood Marshall in Brown vs. Board.

Supreme Court

Court that decided the Brown vs. Board of Education case

The supreme court many years before Brown vs. Board decided that segregation was legal in Plessy vs. Ferguson. During Brown vs. Board, the Supreme Court overruled the earlier decision and made segregation in schools illegal. Their decision was unanoumous, meaning all of them agreed, and a huge step forward in the civil rights movement was made.

These were the members of the Supreme Court during Brown vs. Board of Education.

Thurgood Marshall

Lawyer and Supreme Court Justice

Thurgood Marshall was the lawyer who represented the NAACP during Brown vs. Board of Education. He later became the first ever African American Supreme Court Justice and was groundbreaking in the civil rights movement. He argued many cases and won many of them, and he brought about much change, for the good.

Thi s is a picture of Thurgood Marshall during the Brown vs Board of Education case.

Dr. King's Note

Written while he was in jail.

This note, titled "Letter From a Brimingham Jail" was written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while he was in a jail in Birmingham. It was written on a pen smuggled in and on whatever paper he could aquire. This note was eventually published and became famous. It detailed Dr. King's ideas for the future of the civil rights movement and what he hoped it would acomplish in the end.

This was the note written by Dr. King during his time in birmingham jail.

The fire department hosed down peaceful children.

Hoses used to hose down protesting children

Hoses used in Birmingham

Suring the children's marches, the cruel and racist police chief Bull Connor called in the fire department to hose down children when the jails were full. This left the children hurt, it tore their clothes, and this brutality was broadcast on live TV. People were horrified about what was happening to children and their voices helped change happen in Birmingham.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Leading civil rights activist

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential people in history, a civil rights and civil disobedience leader. He was a young minister who made a name for himself as a civil rights leader during the Montgomery Bus boycott. He led 2 of the three Selma marches as well as the Children's Crusade in Birmingham. He led the march on Washington and made his famous speech there.

This is MLK during his "I have a dream" speech.

Birmingham Jailhouse

Where children were sent for marching

\During the Children's Crusade of 1963, the police rounded up and arrested thousands of children for no reason other than protesting. The children were packed into jailhouses, thousands packed into areas meant for far less for hours and even days. Despite this, the children stayed strong and kept protesting when they got out.

These children are staying positive while wrongfully stuck in jail.