School Desegregation

1
School Desegregation

• Viewed racial integration as mongrelization, or
  the mixing of breeds.
• NAACP Civil Rights Movement were part of a
  communist plot.
• By 1955, residents had formed over 58 local
  pro-segregation organizations claiming 208,000
  members.
• KKK White Citizens Council

2
Central High School

• Governor Orval Faubus resisted integrating the
  citys Central High School.
• Little Rock Nine
• Eisenhower called in 10,000 National Guardsmen
  and 1,000 paratroopers to escort the
  African-American students into the school.

3
The Struggle Elsewhere

• Little Rock Nine inspired other freedom fighters.
• James Meredith Ole Miss.

4
The Montgomery Bus Boycott

• Rosa Parks refused to move
• Took the opportunity to protest Parks arrest by
  launching a bus boycott.
• Blacks made up 3/4ths of all bus passengers
• Passed out fliers that said dont ride the bus
  on Monday
• Boycott lasted almost a year.
• Some residents walked 34 miles a day to avoid
  taking the bus.
• S.C. ordered an end to bus segregation in 1956

5
Martin Luther King Jr.

• A.A. identified with many aspects of
  Christianity
• Hope for eternal salvation away from earthly
  sufferings, Gods grief over human injustice and
  hypocrisy, Jesus emphasis on equality.
• Many church leaders became civil rights leaders.

6
King Rises to Prominence

• King defended the Montgomery bus boycott
• If we are wrong, the Constitution is wrong. If
  we are wrong, God Almighty is wrong. If we are
  wrong, Jesus of Nazareth was merely a utopian
  dreamer and never came down to earth. If we are
  wrong, justice is a lie.

7
Kings Philosophy

• Sought to follow in the footsteps of Mohandas
  Gandhi who led millions in 30s and 40s in civil
  disobedience to gain independence.
• Kings strong belief in Christianity inspired him
  to denounce injustice while approaching his
  enemies with love.

8
The Sit-in Movement

• Blacks decided to take action. Four blacks from
  NC Ag. And Tech College went down to Woolworths
  whites only lunch counter. They sat there the
  entire afternoon.

9
SNCC

• Ella Baker that that NAACP and SCLC were not
  keeping up with the demand of young A.A. She
  wanted to give them a way to play an even greater
  role.
• Justice permeated by Love to appeal to city
  officials.
• Carried reminders to remember Jesus, Gandhi,
  Thoreau, and MLK jr.
• By 1961, over 70,000demonstrators had conducted
  sit-ins at segregated lunch counters.
• I myself desegregated a lunch counter, not
  somebody else, not some big man, some powerful
  man, but me, little me.

10
Freedom Rides

• Interstate buses were legally ordered to
  desegregate in 1947.
• 1961 Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) led by
  James Farmer sent freedom riders as a protest
  against segregated busses.
• Freedom rides drew both black and white
  participants, some made out wills and left sealed
  letters to be mailed if they were killed on the
  journey.

11
Birmingham Demonstrations

• MLK Fred Shuttlesworth targeted Birmingham b/c
  of Eugene Bull Connor.
• Expected viscous attacks which would make JFK
  take notice.
• 1st eight days 150 arrested
• MLK was roughly arrested which caused JFK to
  called Kings wife Coretta to offer condolences.

12
Letter from a Birmingham Jail

• MLK wrote a letter to those people, both black
  and white who had lost faith in the fight for
  justice.
• Defended protesters nonviolent protests
• Rejected white liberals and white Christians who
  causation blacks to wait for justice.

13
Childrens Marches

• May 2, 1963 children aged 6-16 marched in
  protest.
• Bull Connor jailed 600 in the first day.
• 2nd day opened up high pressure fire hoses.
• Police dogs
• President Kennedy finally ordered federal
  mediators to Birmingham to open a dialogue
  between protesters and local officials.
• Integrated of businesses biracial committee
  A.A. employees given higher status

14
16th St. Baptist Church Bombing

• KKK member Robert Chambliss planted a bomb in the
  basement of the 16th St. Baptist Church.
• Bomb exploded near the end of Sunday school and
  killed 4 children.
• Sparked violence in other parts of the city
• One A.A. shot by an eagle scout.
• One A.A. shot by a police officer.