Historical Civil Rights Advancements

Historical Civil rights advancements

Presentation by Grant Lerner

Greensboro Sit-ins

Civil RIghts Legislation

Brown v. Board of Education

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Brown v. Board of Education

In the Supreme Court decision for the trial of Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court ruled separate facilities between whites and African Americans was legal as long as those facilities were relatively equal. This societal norm lasted uncontested until 1954 when the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) sued public schools of the South while claiming the "separate but equal" clause had been violated. Thurgood Marshall was their lead attorney of the case when it was taken by the Supreme Court in 1954. The NAACP argued that the idea of segregated schools in general was inherently unequal, while John W. Davis (the attorney for the Board of Education) claimed that Education was a local issue that should be decided amongst the schools themselves. He added that nothing in the Constitution stated segregation was illegal as long as the facilities were equal. With a unanimous 9-0 decision, the NAACP won the case with the Supreme Court. You may believe this decision would immediately make the South scramble to integrate schools right? Why wouldn't they if they had direct orders under the Supreme Court? There was one major flaw with this decision, however. It gave no due date for the South to comply and simply told them to do it as fast as they could, which as you might expect, they did not do. '

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"The Main Fighters against the Board of Education"

The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) was the main group advocating against segregation in schools, and was the group to begin Brown vs. Board of Education. In the trial, their lawyer was Thurgood Marshall, a renown lawyer who later went on to become the first African American judge in the Supreme Court.

The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) was the main group advocating against segregation in schools, and was the group to begin Brown vs. Board of Education. In the trial, their lawyer was Thurgood Marshall, a renown lawyer who later went on to become the first African American judge in the Supreme Court.

Thurgood Marshall was the attorney that the NAACP chose to fight for the case against segregation in schools. Nearly all cases he brought to the Supreme Court for the NAACP had been won in his favor so far, and this case was no excpetion. He argued that the entire concept of segregated schools itself was inherently unequal as it suggested one group was superior to the other. He managed to make every judge side in his favor, causing the NAACP to win 9-0.

"The place segregation began, and the place it ended."

"The man who convinced all of the Supreme Court."

Four African American students in Greensboro, North Carolina decided to begin a peaceful protest in which they called a "Sit-in". They were going to sit at the "whites only" counter everyday until the place closed for the day and not leave un; less they were granted service. The first day they were refused service by an African American waitress of all people, yet they still sat there all afternoon until closing and promised they'd be back. Over the next few days, word of their peaceful protest started to spread around and other students joined until the sit-in was 100 people in size. Eventually, due to the growing number of participants, rules were set. Do not interact, argue back, or fight back against anyone who opposes you, just sit until you are granted service or dragged out. This was bad for businesses who continued to refuse service because due to all the seats being taken up they were losing mass quantities of money from the lack of service. This peaceful method of protest spread throughout the South and even began being used for places beyond restaurants. Restaurants that refused to comply and give service were met with mountains of profit loss, which led to many resteraunts begrudgedly integrating, choosing profit over their segregated views.

Greensboro Sit-ins

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This image shows an active sit-in in a bar where the protests occurred. Clearly, the African Americans depicted in the image were following the sit-in rules. They aren't even acknowledging the white men behind them, who are obviously annoyed with their presence and refusal to leave.

Very often during these sit-ins in Greensboro, and for sit-ins in general, the African Americans protesting had food thrown at them, were pushed and shoved, and sometimes even attacked. This image shows the more minor attacks against them, but they are still having food thrown at them, and poured on them by the white men in the bar.

"The Greensboro Four" is usually what these four teenagers are called. The reasoning for this was because these four were the first four teenagers to begin sit-ins. Although the sit-ins had thousands of people across the South participating it all started in these four teens who simply wanted to use their creative protesting methods to protest what they believed in.

"Aggressive defenders of Segregation."

"The founding four of the sit-ins."

"The first major peaceful protest begins."

One hundred years prior to the Civil Rights Movement three Amendments were passed to the US Constitution. The 13th Amendment; made slaves roam free. The 14th Amendment; gave said former slaves citizenship. The 15th Amendment; "ensured" the aforementioned freedmen the right to vote. However, these Amendments weren't enough, they did not ensure equality for African Americans, they simply gave them the basics of equality. The string of Civil Rights Legislation through the 1960s began with the 24th Amendment in January of 1964. This new Amendment banned the poll tax which was used against African Americans in an attempt to get significantly less to vote. Stated fully that it is unconstitutional to charge someone a fee to vote. Soon after, the Civil Rights Act was signed in July 1964, one of the most significant, influential, and important advancements to African American rights since the string of 3 Amendments signed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This act stated that the segregation between races present in the South was unconstitutional and “outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin”. The Voting Rights Act, which was signed soon after the Selma marches protesting for the voting rights of African Americans, bans the literacy tests formerly used to keep African Americans from voting in the South and ensures African Americans voting rights without complications.

Civil RightsLegislation

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The Selma Marches were 3 marches held in 1965 with the mission to march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama to protest African American voting rights. Unfortunately, the first two of the three were largely unsuccessful, with the first causing many protestors to be beaten by the state police, and the second one ended before it even started by the state police barricading the path. The third one however was fully successful after getting protection by President Eisenhower and later that year the Voting Rights Act was passed, largely due to the awareness these marches brought.

The poll tax was apart of the effort back in the 19th century to attempt to keep African Americans from voting in the South. This tax, while may at first seem untargeted, was directly targeted towards African Americans and attacking their right to vote. Most African Americans in the time period did not have the extra money to spend on voting, therefore a vast majority of them simply did not vote. This tax was thankfully abolished by the 24th Amendment, although it should have been stopped in the first place by the 15th Amendment.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 came after many notable events and proitests for the rights of African Americans, most notably MLK's iconic, revered, and famous "I have a dream" speech. MLK was one of, if not the most influential advocate for African American rights, which is why it is so important to see him standing behind as this incredibly influential law is signed.

"The voting rights marches."

"Eradication of starting force keeping African Americans from voting."

"The most influential advancement in Civil Rights being signed."