The Civil Rights Movement

The American civil rights movement saw landmark events like Brown v. Board of Education, which ended 'separate but equal' and mandated school desegregation. The murder of Emmett Till and Rosa Parks' bus protest, led by Martin Luther King Jr., catalyzed the fight for racial equality and the adoption of nonviolent resistance.

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The Landmark Case of Brown v. Board of Education

The landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, in 1954, marked a pivotal moment in the American civil rights movement. Originating from several cases, including a 1951 protest by black students against the substandard conditions of their segregated school in Virginia, the NAACP's legal challenge to school segregation led to a unanimous Supreme Court decision. Chief Justice Earl Warren declared that state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students were unconstitutional. This ruling overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) and mandated the desegregation of schools across the nation.
Vintage yellow school bus parked on asphalt road with group of African American teenagers in 1950s clothing approaching determinedly.

The Aftermath of Brown v. Board and the Struggle for Desegregation

The Brown v. Board of Education decision was a significant victory for civil rights, but it did not immediately end school segregation. The Supreme Court's follow-up decision, Brown II, in 1955, called for desegregation to proceed "with all deliberate speed," a phrase that was interpreted variably across the United States. Resistance was particularly strong in the South, where some states employed tactics of "massive resistance" to avoid integration. For example, Prince Edward County, Virginia, closed its public schools for five years rather than integrate. It wasn't until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and subsequent federal enforcement that significant progress was made toward desegregation in public schools.

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1

The case ______ v. ______ of ______, in ______, was a turning point in the U.S. civil rights movement.

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Brown Board of Education Topeka, Kansas 1954

2

The ______'s legal efforts to end school segregation resulted in a ______ decision by the Supreme Court.

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NAACP unanimous

3

Chief Justice ______ ______ ruled that separate public schools for different races were against the Constitution.

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Earl Warren

4

The protest by black students in ______ in ______ against their inferior segregated school was one of the cases leading to the landmark decision.

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Virginia 1951

5

The ruling mandated the ______ of schools throughout the United States.

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desegregation

6

Brown II 'deliberate speed' interpretation

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Brown II's 'with all deliberate speed' led to varied desegregation timelines; some regions delayed action.

7

Massive resistance in the South

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Southern states resisted integration, using tactics like school closures to maintain segregation.

8

Civil Rights Act of 1964 impact on schools

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Civil Rights Act and federal enforcement were pivotal in advancing desegregation in public schools.

9

The ______ rights movement was significantly impacted by the lynching of ______ Till, a young African American from ______, in ______ for supposedly interacting with a white woman.

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civil Emmett Chicago Mississippi

10

Mamie Till-Mobley, Emmett Till's mother, bravely held an open-casket ______ to reveal the ______ of his murder, fueling activism and becoming a pivotal event for the civil rights ______.

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funeral cruelty movement

11

Montgomery Bus Boycott Duration

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Lasted 381 days, from December 5, 1955, to December 20, 1956.

12

Organization Leading Montgomery Bus Boycott

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Montgomery Improvement Association, with Martin Luther King Jr. as president.

13

Supreme Court Ruling on Segregated Buses

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Declared Alabama's bus segregation laws unconstitutional.

14

In ______, nine African American students, known as the Little Rock Nine, integrated Central High School in ______.

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1957 Little Rock, Arkansas

15

The Little Rock Nine encountered severe opposition, including from the state's ______, leading to President ______ sending federal troops to enforce integration.

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governor Dwight D. Eisenhower

16

Influence of Gandhi on Civil Rights Movement

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Civil rights leaders adopted Gandhi's nonviolent resistance philosophy to combat racial discrimination.

17

Role of Martin Luther King Jr. in Nonviolent Protests

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MLK Jr. championed peaceful protest to effect social and legislative change, emphasizing discipline and training.

18

Impact of Nonviolent Tactics on Movement's Success

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Nonviolent action was key to civil rights victories and has influenced future social activism methods.

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