African-American Civil Rights
Maddison Brett
History & Creation
Africans were sent to America as slaves and were treated appallingly. The segregation of the black race from the white race was referred to as apartheid, where by Africans were not allowed to mix or enter white american shops, homes, hotels, toilets etc. Martin Luther King started the Civil rights Movement in 1955 and fought for the African-American People to have the same rights as white Americans. He organised protest marches and lead the people into a movement that lasted until 1968 and changed the history of man. African Americans were given the right to vote and the segregation slowly stopped.
Ideology, Values & Beliefs
The African American people had a very strong community, they believed that by standing united they would be recognised as equal human beings. there beliefs were that every one was created equal and therefore should be treated as equals. There values were born in the gospel church, they praised the lord and believed that he would show them the way to become equal without violence. Many African American joined protect events to make more people aware of the inequality they were suffering.
Key People Involved
Martin Luther King was perhaps the most well known, he inspired many Americans to change the way they viewed and thought of African Americans. He was assassinated. in 1963. Malcome X was also considered one of the cvil rights movements most influential people, he used many forms of media to try to get his people the rights and respect they deserved. He was assassinated in 1965.
Rosa Parks was a black women who stood up for her rights by not leaving her bus seat because of the color of her skin. She had the courage to ask why the color of her skin made her any different or made her a lesser human being.
Major/Key events
1955- Emmett Till, a young black boy allegedly whistled at a white woman in Mississippi, he was brutally murdered by 2 white men. Whilst the men boasted about the murder they were acquitted by an all white jury.
1956- Rosa Parks refused to move to the colored section of the bus. She was arrested and this sparked a successful bus boycott by the black community that lasted one year.
1957- Martin Luther King, Charles Steele and Fred Shuttlesworth established a civil rights group, The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLS). Nine black students are blocked from entering a school by order of the Governor Orval Faubus. the group became known as the "little rock nine" and despite a year of violence involving the national guard and federal troops several of the 'Little Rock Nine' graduated from Central High School.
1962- James Meredith becomes the first black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi, prompting President Kennedy to send 5,000 federal troops after rioting breaks out.
1963- Martin Luther King is arrested and jailed during anti-segregation protests in Birmingham, Ala. He writes "Letter from Birmingham jail" which encouraged his people to engage in nonviolent civil disobedience.
Martin Luther King delivers his famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the "March on Washington" for jobs and freedom which was attended by over 250,000. The march was the largest march ever and built momentum for civil rights legislation.
1965- Malcome X black nationalist and founder of the Organization of Afro-American Unity, is assassinated.
Congress passes the Voting Rights Act giving the Southern blacks the right to register to vote.
During the six days of rioting in Watts, a black comummity of Los Angeles, 35 people are killed and 883 injured .
1966- The Black Panthers are founded by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale
1967- Thurgoood Marshall is appointed to the Supreme Court as the first black Supreme Court Judge, by President Johnson
The Supreme Court rules in that prohibiting interracial marriage is unconstitutional.
1968- Martin Luther King, Jr., is assassinated in Memphis, Tenn.
Legacy
In 2008, Barrack Obama became the first black president of the U.S.A
This would not have been possible if it wasn't for the Civil rights movement and the people that fought so hard for the equality of rights.
It has changed the world and the way we are today.