16th Street Church Bombing (L.C. & S.C.)
"And yet they died nobly. They are the martyred heroines of a holy crusade for freedom and human dignity. And so this afternoon in a real sense they have something to say to each of us in their death" (King). One of the greatest turning points in the civil rights movement was not a bloody war. In fact, the turning point was not even won by the black population. It was their feelings of loss and anger over the deaths of four innocent girls that united many African Americans in the fight to end segregation.
Bombs Away
On September 15, 1963 four young girls, excited to attend Sunday school, were killed in the 16th Street Church Bombing. They were going to lead an adult church service at 11:00 that morning. The girls went to the bathroom, which was located next to the stairs in the basement. At exactly 10:22, the church clock froze. An explosion shook the church, killing these four girls, and injuring 22 other people. Debris was scattered around the area. A driver was blown from his car, and a man calling his wife from a payphone was blown off his feet. " A gaping hole had appeared in the church foundation. Four bodies were found stacked horizontally on top of one another" (Birmingham Sunday). When the bodies were initially found, people thought that they were 30-40 years old, not young girls. A man in search of his son found the body of Sarah Collins, the only girl in the bathroom who survived the bombing. After an intense investigation, the explosion was determined to have been caused by 10 to 19 sticks of dynamite placed strategically under the church steps.
On September 15, 1963 four young girls, excited to attend Sunday school, were killed in the 16th Street Church Bombing. They were going to lead an adult church service at 11:00 that morning. The girls went to the bathroom, which was located next to the stairs in the basement. At exactly 10:22, the church clock froze. An explosion shook the church, killing these four girls, and injuring 22 other people. Debris was scattered around the area. A driver was blown from his car, and a man calling his wife from a payphone was blown off his feet. " A gaping hole had appeared in the church foundation. Four bodies were found stacked horizontally on top of one another" (Birmingham Sunday). When the bodies were initially found, people thought that they were 30-40 years old, not young girls. A man in search of his son found the body of Sarah Collins, the only girl in the bathroom who survived the bombing. After an intense investigation, the explosion was determined to have been caused by 10 to 19 sticks of dynamite placed strategically under the church steps.
Innocent Deaths
Addie Mae Collins (14), Denise McNair (11), Carole Robertson (14), and Cynthia Wesley(14) were the four girls killed on September 15, at the 16th Street Baptist Church. Addie Mae Collins was born on April 18, 1949 and had seven siblings. If Addie Mae hadn't been killed, her family predicted that she would have gone on to become a social worker or a teacher. Denise McNair was born on November 17, 1951 and was in seventh grade. Denise was always trying to help those less fortunate. If someone didn't have enough money, Denise would willing pitch in the rest. Carole Robertson was born on April 24, 1949 and the youngest of three children. Carole's father was the bandmaster at a local elementary school and her mother was a librarian. Carole played the clarinet along with being in the marching band, Girl Scouts, choir, science club, and many other extracurricular activities. Cynthia Wesley was born on April 30, 1949. Just like Addie Mae, Cynthia had seven siblings. Cynthia also played the saxophone in band and saved old music books for people in her community. Each young girl killed in this event possessed qualities in which every person hopes to gain one day; they were kind, caring, and thought of others before themselves. 8,000 mourners and 800 clergymen of both races attended the public funeral for three of the girls killed by the bomb (one had a private funeral). No city officials attended the funeral. Martin Luther King Jr. attended and gave the eulogy. “God still has a way of wringing good out of evil. And, history has proven over and over again that unmerited suffering is redemptive. The innocent blood of these little girls may serve as a redemptive force that will bring new light to this dark city” (King). Dr. King reminded the people to oppose the segregation laws, and find ways to peacefully protest to let Birmingham, Alabama become free.
Addie Mae Collins (14), Denise McNair (11), Carole Robertson (14), and Cynthia Wesley(14) were the four girls killed on September 15, at the 16th Street Baptist Church. Addie Mae Collins was born on April 18, 1949 and had seven siblings. If Addie Mae hadn't been killed, her family predicted that she would have gone on to become a social worker or a teacher. Denise McNair was born on November 17, 1951 and was in seventh grade. Denise was always trying to help those less fortunate. If someone didn't have enough money, Denise would willing pitch in the rest. Carole Robertson was born on April 24, 1949 and the youngest of three children. Carole's father was the bandmaster at a local elementary school and her mother was a librarian. Carole played the clarinet along with being in the marching band, Girl Scouts, choir, science club, and many other extracurricular activities. Cynthia Wesley was born on April 30, 1949. Just like Addie Mae, Cynthia had seven siblings. Cynthia also played the saxophone in band and saved old music books for people in her community. Each young girl killed in this event possessed qualities in which every person hopes to gain one day; they were kind, caring, and thought of others before themselves. 8,000 mourners and 800 clergymen of both races attended the public funeral for three of the girls killed by the bomb (one had a private funeral). No city officials attended the funeral. Martin Luther King Jr. attended and gave the eulogy. “God still has a way of wringing good out of evil. And, history has proven over and over again that unmerited suffering is redemptive. The innocent blood of these little girls may serve as a redemptive force that will bring new light to this dark city” (King). Dr. King reminded the people to oppose the segregation laws, and find ways to peacefully protest to let Birmingham, Alabama become free.
Killers on the Loose
The men responsible for the bombing were Robert Chambliss, Herman Cash, Thomas Blanton and Bobby Cherry. All of these men were members of a splinter group of the Ku Klux Klan, the Cahaba Boys. This white supremacy group was known for killing innocent black people. On the day before the bombing, people claimed to have seen a white man getting out of a car and placing a box under the steps of the church. "Civil rights activists blamed George Wallace, the Governor of Alabama, for the killings. Only a week before the bombing he had told the New York Times that to stop integration Alabama needed a 'few first-class funerals'"(States). Despite these accusations, George Wallace didn't face any charges. Robert Chambliss was identified by eyewitnesses as the man who left the box. He was charged with possession of 122 sticks of dynamite and murder on October 8, 1963. Chambliss was found not guilty for murder but was charged a hundred dollar fine for possessing dynamite without a permit. Bobby Frank Cherry was another man involved with the bombing. Bobby Frank Cherry prided himself in killing the innocent girls, even 38 years after the bombing. In 1965, Herman Cash became one of the FBI's prime suspects. Sadly, Cash died in a car crash in 1994 before charges were pressed. Before he died, Herman Cash told FBI investigators he was innocent of the blast and even passed an FBI lie detector test. Thomas Blanton was involved in planning the Church bombing and didn't face charges until many years later.
The men responsible for the bombing were Robert Chambliss, Herman Cash, Thomas Blanton and Bobby Cherry. All of these men were members of a splinter group of the Ku Klux Klan, the Cahaba Boys. This white supremacy group was known for killing innocent black people. On the day before the bombing, people claimed to have seen a white man getting out of a car and placing a box under the steps of the church. "Civil rights activists blamed George Wallace, the Governor of Alabama, for the killings. Only a week before the bombing he had told the New York Times that to stop integration Alabama needed a 'few first-class funerals'"(States). Despite these accusations, George Wallace didn't face any charges. Robert Chambliss was identified by eyewitnesses as the man who left the box. He was charged with possession of 122 sticks of dynamite and murder on October 8, 1963. Chambliss was found not guilty for murder but was charged a hundred dollar fine for possessing dynamite without a permit. Bobby Frank Cherry was another man involved with the bombing. Bobby Frank Cherry prided himself in killing the innocent girls, even 38 years after the bombing. In 1965, Herman Cash became one of the FBI's prime suspects. Sadly, Cash died in a car crash in 1994 before charges were pressed. Before he died, Herman Cash told FBI investigators he was innocent of the blast and even passed an FBI lie detector test. Thomas Blanton was involved in planning the Church bombing and didn't face charges until many years later.
Justice at Last
"The case was unsolved until Bill Baxley was elected attorney general of Alabama. He requested the original Federal Bureau of Investigation files on the case and discovered that the organization had accumulated a great deal of evidence against Chambliss that had not been used in the original trial"(States). 14 years after the bombing and his first trial, 73 year old Robert Chambliss was charged with murder for a second time in 1977. He was found guilty for the bombing and was sentenced to life in prison. Chambliss died on October 29, 1985 in prison. In 2001, Thomas Blanton, age 63, was arrested, tried, and sentenced to life in prison for his role in the bombing. Herman Frank Cash was another suspect, but he was killed in a car crash in 1994 without ever facing charges. Bobby Frank Cherry was the last of the four Klansmen to be put on trial. He was faced with four counts of murder. In an attempt to prolong the time before his trial, Cherry claimed to be mentally incompetent, but he was found to be faking. Witnesses testified that they had seen Cherry talking with the three other men. They claimed to have heard the words “bomb” and “16th street” be exchanged between the four. Cherry was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison in 2002.
"The case was unsolved until Bill Baxley was elected attorney general of Alabama. He requested the original Federal Bureau of Investigation files on the case and discovered that the organization had accumulated a great deal of evidence against Chambliss that had not been used in the original trial"(States). 14 years after the bombing and his first trial, 73 year old Robert Chambliss was charged with murder for a second time in 1977. He was found guilty for the bombing and was sentenced to life in prison. Chambliss died on October 29, 1985 in prison. In 2001, Thomas Blanton, age 63, was arrested, tried, and sentenced to life in prison for his role in the bombing. Herman Frank Cash was another suspect, but he was killed in a car crash in 1994 without ever facing charges. Bobby Frank Cherry was the last of the four Klansmen to be put on trial. He was faced with four counts of murder. In an attempt to prolong the time before his trial, Cherry claimed to be mentally incompetent, but he was found to be faking. Witnesses testified that they had seen Cherry talking with the three other men. They claimed to have heard the words “bomb” and “16th street” be exchanged between the four. Cherry was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison in 2002.
Two more Senseless Deaths
Following the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, a riot of African Americans formed. “The bombing was supposed to stop the progression of the civil rights movement, but it had the opposite effect”(Finch). The bombing gave African Americans yet another reason to protest for their rights. Two African American boys were killed during the riot. The first boy, Johnny Brown Robinson, had joined the riot. He participated in throwing rocks and bricks at white people, and white buildings. A police officer, attempting to stop the riot, shot Johnny in the back. The other boy, Vigil Wade, was shot and killed while riding his bike. These two deaths, combined with the four earlier, enraged the African American population, making them protest more for their rights.
Following the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, a riot of African Americans formed. “The bombing was supposed to stop the progression of the civil rights movement, but it had the opposite effect”(Finch). The bombing gave African Americans yet another reason to protest for their rights. Two African American boys were killed during the riot. The first boy, Johnny Brown Robinson, had joined the riot. He participated in throwing rocks and bricks at white people, and white buildings. A police officer, attempting to stop the riot, shot Johnny in the back. The other boy, Vigil Wade, was shot and killed while riding his bike. These two deaths, combined with the four earlier, enraged the African American population, making them protest more for their rights.
On September 10, 2013, the leaders of the House of Representatives and Senate awarded the families of the four girls, who were killed in the church bombing, a Congressional Gold Medal 50 years after their death. Just as the federal recognition was long in coming, so was justice. The innocent girls changed America without ever knowing it.
Sourceshttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ9xhKF8IiSDlBSBURltKstgXgjAq8chNWXAmiYqWJ4/edit?usp=sharing
Sourceshttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ9xhKF8IiSDlBSBURltKstgXgjAq8chNWXAmiYqWJ4/edit?usp=sharing
16th Street Church Bombing (M.H. & S.M.)
The 16th Street Bombing was a tragedy that changed American history. Four members of the Ku Klux Klan bombed a Baptist church one Sunday, and four young, innocent African American girls were killed, and many more people were injured. This event changed the course of the civil rights movement, because people began to see how wrong innocent African Americans were being treated.
The innocent children, with not so innocent deaths:
In the basement of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, four girls, Addie Mae Collins, 14, Denise McNair, 11, Cynthia Wesley and Carole Robertson, both 14, were getting ready to sing in the church’s choir for Youth Sunday. Hidden beneath a stone staircase on the outside wall of the church was a dynamite bomb. At 10:22 a.m., it exploded. The four girls were killed instantly, because the bomb was only a few feet away. Rubble and debris fell on people who were attending Sunday School upstairs. More than twenty people were hospitalized with serious injuries. The sister of Addie Mae, Sarah, was blinded in one eye. When other African Americans heard about the bombing, they flooded the streets in an angry mob. Johnny Robinson, 16, threw stones at a police man, and the officer shot him in the back and killed him. Virgil Wade, a thirteen year old was killed by an officer just outside Birmingham while riding his bike, even though he did nothing. He was just caught in an area of violence.
In the basement of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, four girls, Addie Mae Collins, 14, Denise McNair, 11, Cynthia Wesley and Carole Robertson, both 14, were getting ready to sing in the church’s choir for Youth Sunday. Hidden beneath a stone staircase on the outside wall of the church was a dynamite bomb. At 10:22 a.m., it exploded. The four girls were killed instantly, because the bomb was only a few feet away. Rubble and debris fell on people who were attending Sunday School upstairs. More than twenty people were hospitalized with serious injuries. The sister of Addie Mae, Sarah, was blinded in one eye. When other African Americans heard about the bombing, they flooded the streets in an angry mob. Johnny Robinson, 16, threw stones at a police man, and the officer shot him in the back and killed him. Virgil Wade, a thirteen year old was killed by an officer just outside Birmingham while riding his bike, even though he did nothing. He was just caught in an area of violence.
The Aftermath:
The 16th street church bombing was a turning point in American history. People all over the nation were furious about how four innocent children were killed for no good reason. Because people saw how wrong this act was, it paved the way for Lyndon Johnson to push for civil rights. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at three of the four girls memorial service. “God still has a way of wringing good out of evil. And history has proven over and over again that unmerited suffering is redemptive. The innocent blood of these little girls may well serve as a redemptive force that will bring new light to this dark city" (Martin Luther King Jr.). In other words, the aftermath of this crime will bring a new light to the civil rights movement, because people are seeing how wrong African Americans were treated. According to The Washington Post, “The only stained glass window in the church that remained in its frame showed Christ leading a group of little children. The face of Christ was blown out.” (Washington Post) Today, there’s a memorial stain glass window with a quotation from the Bible. This tragic event brought a new point of view to everyone about how important civil rights are. The bombing will always show people the importance of equality. This past September was the 50th anniversary of the bombing, and this horrible crime will never leave our hearts or minds.
The 16th street church bombing was a turning point in American history. People all over the nation were furious about how four innocent children were killed for no good reason. Because people saw how wrong this act was, it paved the way for Lyndon Johnson to push for civil rights. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at three of the four girls memorial service. “God still has a way of wringing good out of evil. And history has proven over and over again that unmerited suffering is redemptive. The innocent blood of these little girls may well serve as a redemptive force that will bring new light to this dark city" (Martin Luther King Jr.). In other words, the aftermath of this crime will bring a new light to the civil rights movement, because people are seeing how wrong African Americans were treated. According to The Washington Post, “The only stained glass window in the church that remained in its frame showed Christ leading a group of little children. The face of Christ was blown out.” (Washington Post) Today, there’s a memorial stain glass window with a quotation from the Bible. This tragic event brought a new point of view to everyone about how important civil rights are. The bombing will always show people the importance of equality. This past September was the 50th anniversary of the bombing, and this horrible crime will never leave our hearts or minds.
Conviction:
There were four men involved in the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. Their names were Bobby Frank Cherry, Thomas Blanton, Herman Frank Cash, and Robert Chambliss. All of the men were a part of the Klu Klux Klan. Activists of the Civil Rights movement blamed the Governor of Alabama, George Wallace, for the bombing because so much violence had already taken place in Birmingham. For the first 14 years after the bombing, nobody was convicted of any crimes. Later, Chambliss and the other men were convicted, but only for the illegal possession of dynamite. They were all charged a hundred dollars and were given a six month prison sentence, which was later suspended. The case was then closed until 1977, when Chambliss was finally charged, and faced life in prison. In 1994, Herman Cash died without being convicted. Bobby Cherry and Thomas Blanton were both charged for their crimes more recently.
There were four men involved in the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. Their names were Bobby Frank Cherry, Thomas Blanton, Herman Frank Cash, and Robert Chambliss. All of the men were a part of the Klu Klux Klan. Activists of the Civil Rights movement blamed the Governor of Alabama, George Wallace, for the bombing because so much violence had already taken place in Birmingham. For the first 14 years after the bombing, nobody was convicted of any crimes. Later, Chambliss and the other men were convicted, but only for the illegal possession of dynamite. They were all charged a hundred dollars and were given a six month prison sentence, which was later suspended. The case was then closed until 1977, when Chambliss was finally charged, and faced life in prison. In 1994, Herman Cash died without being convicted. Bobby Cherry and Thomas Blanton were both charged for their crimes more recently.
Remembrance:
Every year, tens of thousands of visitors come to the 16th Street Baptist Church In September 2011, there was a stone marker placed in the church where the bomb had been set. The crowd gathered around and sang “We Shall Overcome” at the dedication. The girls names were read aloud, and their names were also etched into stone tablets along with a Bible verse. After the bombing there was a service held for all of the girls were about 100 people showed up. A old friend of the girls says that people ask every day about the girls. Carol McKinstry was the 15 year old secretary of the church. She was working on the day of the bombing and she remember exactly how everything was when the bomb went off. When she was asked how the bombing impacted the civil rights movement, she said “It softened the heart of the oppressors. What Dr. King said to us was that unmerited suffering was always redemptive. He also said that the blood of these girls might well serve as a redemptive force not only for Birmingham, Alabama, but for the rest of the world. We may yet see something very horrible become a force for good”(Carol McKinstry). White people remembered how horrible the bombing was, and decreased their amount of violence and anger. For the 50th anniversary of the bombing, there was a walking tour of Birmingham, where signs were installed with pictures taken during the civil rights movement. The bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church will always be remembered by memorials, services, and memories of those affected in this tragedy.
Every year, tens of thousands of visitors come to the 16th Street Baptist Church In September 2011, there was a stone marker placed in the church where the bomb had been set. The crowd gathered around and sang “We Shall Overcome” at the dedication. The girls names were read aloud, and their names were also etched into stone tablets along with a Bible verse. After the bombing there was a service held for all of the girls were about 100 people showed up. A old friend of the girls says that people ask every day about the girls. Carol McKinstry was the 15 year old secretary of the church. She was working on the day of the bombing and she remember exactly how everything was when the bomb went off. When she was asked how the bombing impacted the civil rights movement, she said “It softened the heart of the oppressors. What Dr. King said to us was that unmerited suffering was always redemptive. He also said that the blood of these girls might well serve as a redemptive force not only for Birmingham, Alabama, but for the rest of the world. We may yet see something very horrible become a force for good”(Carol McKinstry). White people remembered how horrible the bombing was, and decreased their amount of violence and anger. For the 50th anniversary of the bombing, there was a walking tour of Birmingham, where signs were installed with pictures taken during the civil rights movement. The bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church will always be remembered by memorials, services, and memories of those affected in this tragedy.
The Church:
The 16th Street Baptist Church was the first and largest black church in Birmingham. Many of the civil rights protest marches took place on the steps of the 16th Street Baptist Church. The church was also a routine meeting place for the civil rights movement, and a significant place for worship for African Americans. This church frequently received many false bomb threats from the KKK, trying to disrupt their civil rights meetings and services. The bombing was the third bombing to happen in eleven days. Thousands of angry people gathered around the church to protest, and violence broke out in the streets. The National Guard was called to restore order. People were injured in the chaos as well as in the bombing. Across the nation, people were furious about the death of these four innocent choir girls. The members of the church tried to stay positive for the future by having prayers, and mass services.
The 16th Street Baptist Church was the first and largest black church in Birmingham. Many of the civil rights protest marches took place on the steps of the 16th Street Baptist Church. The church was also a routine meeting place for the civil rights movement, and a significant place for worship for African Americans. This church frequently received many false bomb threats from the KKK, trying to disrupt their civil rights meetings and services. The bombing was the third bombing to happen in eleven days. Thousands of angry people gathered around the church to protest, and violence broke out in the streets. The National Guard was called to restore order. People were injured in the chaos as well as in the bombing. Across the nation, people were furious about the death of these four innocent choir girls. The members of the church tried to stay positive for the future by having prayers, and mass services.
On Tuesday, May 1, 2001, Ku Klux Klansman Thomas Blanton, 62, was convicted of four counts of first-degree murder. The jury was made of eight whites and four blacks. It took the jury only a short two and a half hours to determine that Blanton was guilty. The trial happened nearly thirty eight years after the bombing. Chris and Maxine McNair, parents of the victim Denise McNair were present in court on the day of the final verdict. The mother of Carole Robertson was also present and says she was “Very happy justice came down.” (Carole Robertson 2001) In May 2002, Bobby Cherry was also convicted of four counts of murder, and life imprisonment. The 16th Street Church Bombing was a horrifying and sad event, but it also changed many things about the civil rights movement, and made positive things happen.
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17sDKP9MKV6SxszGrAsaI14GJ0ETtapAl2cFv9Foak0Q/edit
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17sDKP9MKV6SxszGrAsaI14GJ0ETtapAl2cFv9Foak0Q/edit
16th Street Church Bombing (G.V. & M.M.)
On September 15, 1963 a group from the Ku Klux Klan bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. The bomb killed four young girls and injured 20 others. People were outraged and started a racial riot which ended up with two other people died by being shot. Nobody was convicted of the crime until 2001, almost 38 years later.
Just Another Sunday...
At 10:22 a.m. on the morning of September 15, 1963, some 200 church members were in the building–many attending Sunday school classes before the start of the 11 am service–when a bomb detonated on the church’s east side, spraying mortar and bricks from the front of the church and caving in its interior walls. Most people were able to evacuate the building as it filled with smoke, however, the bodies of four young girls (14-year-old Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley and Carole Robertson and 11-year-old Denise McNair) were found beneath the rubble in a basement restroom. Ten-year-old Sarah Collins, who was also in the restroom at the time of the explosion, lost her right eye, and more than 20 other people were injured in the blast. The bombing started a racial riot, and many African Americans began attacking police officers with stones and bricks they pulled from the rubble left by the homemade bomb. In all the chaos, two African American boys, a 16 and 13 year old, were shot trying to escape the mobs.
At 10:22 a.m. on the morning of September 15, 1963, some 200 church members were in the building–many attending Sunday school classes before the start of the 11 am service–when a bomb detonated on the church’s east side, spraying mortar and bricks from the front of the church and caving in its interior walls. Most people were able to evacuate the building as it filled with smoke, however, the bodies of four young girls (14-year-old Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley and Carole Robertson and 11-year-old Denise McNair) were found beneath the rubble in a basement restroom. Ten-year-old Sarah Collins, who was also in the restroom at the time of the explosion, lost her right eye, and more than 20 other people were injured in the blast. The bombing started a racial riot, and many African Americans began attacking police officers with stones and bricks they pulled from the rubble left by the homemade bomb. In all the chaos, two African American boys, a 16 and 13 year old, were shot trying to escape the mobs.
Crime and Punishment
In 1965 the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) bombed the 16th street Baptist Church killing four innocent girls. Finally in 1964, the FBI office in Birmingham lead an investigation on the church bombing. They named four men responsible: Thomas Blanton, Robert Chambliss, Bobby Frank Cherry, and Herman Cash. The four men were part of the eastview Klavern #13 was considered one of the most violent groups in the South and was responsible for the 1961 attacks on the Freedom Riders at the Trailways bus station in Birmingham. On May 1, 2001, Thomas Blanton was convicted of the church bombing and sentenced to life in prison and in 2002, Bobby Frank Cherry was convicted as well. Herman Cash died in 1994 before be was ever convicted of the crime.
In 1965 the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) bombed the 16th street Baptist Church killing four innocent girls. Finally in 1964, the FBI office in Birmingham lead an investigation on the church bombing. They named four men responsible: Thomas Blanton, Robert Chambliss, Bobby Frank Cherry, and Herman Cash. The four men were part of the eastview Klavern #13 was considered one of the most violent groups in the South and was responsible for the 1961 attacks on the Freedom Riders at the Trailways bus station in Birmingham. On May 1, 2001, Thomas Blanton was convicted of the church bombing and sentenced to life in prison and in 2002, Bobby Frank Cherry was convicted as well. Herman Cash died in 1994 before be was ever convicted of the crime.
Why the 16th Street Church?
So, why did the KKK choose to bomb that specific church? The 16th Street Baptist was a large and prominent church located downtown, just blocks from Birmingham's commercial district and City Hall. Since its construction in 1911, the church had served as the centerpiece of the city's African American community, functioning as a meeting place, social center, and lecture hall. Because of its size, location, and importance to the community, the church served as headquarters for civil rights mass meetings and rallies in the early 1960s. Thus making it an easy target for the bombing, as well as ensuring that it will get tons of publicity from newspapers across the country.
So, why did the KKK choose to bomb that specific church? The 16th Street Baptist was a large and prominent church located downtown, just blocks from Birmingham's commercial district and City Hall. Since its construction in 1911, the church had served as the centerpiece of the city's African American community, functioning as a meeting place, social center, and lecture hall. Because of its size, location, and importance to the community, the church served as headquarters for civil rights mass meetings and rallies in the early 1960s. Thus making it an easy target for the bombing, as well as ensuring that it will get tons of publicity from newspapers across the country.
Bombingham, Alabama
The bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church on September 15 was the third bombing in 11 days, after a federal court order had come down mandating the integration of Alabama’s school system. Dozens of homemade bomb were being detonated in black’s homes and churches. Because bombings were such common occurrences, the city was nicknamed “Bombingham”. Just like Birmingham, the church came to be viewed by many as a symbol and a rallying place for civil rights activist. The 16th Street Church became the focal point for racial tensions and white hostility towards the civil rights movement in Birmingham. Both Bombingham and the church were common topics of discussion and, many times, arguments around the United States.
The bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church on September 15 was the third bombing in 11 days, after a federal court order had come down mandating the integration of Alabama’s school system. Dozens of homemade bomb were being detonated in black’s homes and churches. Because bombings were such common occurrences, the city was nicknamed “Bombingham”. Just like Birmingham, the church came to be viewed by many as a symbol and a rallying place for civil rights activist. The 16th Street Church became the focal point for racial tensions and white hostility towards the civil rights movement in Birmingham. Both Bombingham and the church were common topics of discussion and, many times, arguments around the United States.
The Aftermath
The brutal attack and the deaths of the four little girls shocked the nation and drew international attention to the violent struggle for civil rights in Birmingham. Many whites were as outraged by the incident as blacks and offered services and condolences to the families. Over, 8,000 people attended the girls' funeral service at Reverend John Porter's Sixth Avenue Baptist Church. The deaths of the four girls was followed two months later by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The suddenness of it all caused an outpouring of national grief, galvanizing the civil rights movement, therefore ensuring the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. African Americans were free at last.
The brutal attack and the deaths of the four little girls shocked the nation and drew international attention to the violent struggle for civil rights in Birmingham. Many whites were as outraged by the incident as blacks and offered services and condolences to the families. Over, 8,000 people attended the girls' funeral service at Reverend John Porter's Sixth Avenue Baptist Church. The deaths of the four girls was followed two months later by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The suddenness of it all caused an outpouring of national grief, galvanizing the civil rights movement, therefore ensuring the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. African Americans were free at last.
The 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing relates to 911 because it changed the nation forever. On September 9, 2001 a group of terrorist flew a plane into the twin towers killing thousands of people in the building and everybody on the plane. This terrorist attack made us rethink our airport security. On September 15, 1963 a group from the KKK (Ku Klux Klan) bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church killing four innocent young girls and injuring about two dozen other people in the building at the time. The bombing made us Americans rethink our national security. Meaning, we started to wonder if the battle for equality was really worth the lives of innocent children. We finally woke up and realized that America cannot continue on this path of "separate but equal" that many of us have come to believe was ok, for it's not. Thats the same with September 11, we woke up and wondered if we could continue on our path of destruction.
Sources
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mHQQRiEbyYakCm1KhYlQvoFg7ZKNbU_tToFMZjAa3PI/edit?usp=sharing
Sources
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mHQQRiEbyYakCm1KhYlQvoFg7ZKNbU_tToFMZjAa3PI/edit?usp=sharing
Montgomery Bus Boycott (H.C. & A.P.)
How would you feel if you weren't treated equally as others? Well, thats how the blacks felt; From schools, to water fountains everything was different for the blacks. Its about time blacks make a stand.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott, in which blacks refused to ride city buses in Montgomery. The reason the bus boycott commenced was because of Rosa Parks arrest. This undertaking took 13 months to allow no segregation on busses. There was a law that no blacks could sit with the whites on the bus. The blacks had to sit in the back and the whites would sit in the front. Even when there is blacks near the front, if a white is standing or trying to find a seat, the blacks would have to stand and give up his/her seat to the white. The bus system was so against blacks that, sometimes the bus drivers let them pay and then drive off without them. Why make it so difficult for black people? Shouldn’t they be treated the same as white passengers? Well, in the early 1900’s whites have always been superior.
The Bus Boycott was the first strike on rebelling segregation. The blacks started to walk instead of taking the bus. This lasted for a year until the busses almost went out of business until the Supreme Court finally said that there could be no law of blacks could not sit with whites.The boycott of public buses by blacks in Montgomery began on the day of Parks’ court hearing and lasted 381 days. The blacks finally have made a comeback. With all that is going on with equality and the superiority fight between the blacks and the whites, blacks realized that the bus routs where dependent on the blacks money along with the white. When the blacks stopped riding the bus, the busses where in risk of going out of business.
This was the first time the blacks started to fight back against segregation and it all started with Rosa Parks. Rosa Parks entered a bus one day and was almost beaten because she did not follow the bus drivers orders. She did not ever want to see that man again. A few months later she got on the bus again and the same driver was driving the bus and again she did not give up her seat for the white man. She scooted over to let the white man sit next to her but the driver got up and told her to move so the white man could sit but she told the bus driver no. The bus driver threatened to call the police but Rosa Parks continued to stay seated until the police had to come and arrest her. This infuriated the blacks and thats what started the bus boycott. December 1, 1955 was the day Rosa Parks decided to fight back.
As news of the boycott spread, blacks across Montgomery, worked together to make a stand. Black ministers announced the boycott in church on Sunday, December 4, and the Montgomery Advertiser, a general-interest newspaper, published a front-page article on the planned action. Approximately 40,000 African-American bus riders the majority of the city’s black bus riders–boycotted the system the next day. On the afternoon of December 5, black leaders met to form the Montgomery Improvement Association M.I.A. The group elected Martin Luther King Jr 1929-1968, the twenty six year old pastor of Montgomery’s Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, as its president, and decided to continue the boycott until the city met its demands.
The blacks marched all of the way to the supreme court so they can demolish segregation but they were stopped at the end of a bridge, and at the end of the bridge there were cops with hoses, riot shields, and batons. The cops sprayed the blacks to get back to the bridge and there was only one way to go and that was down the bridge. Blacks were forced off the bridge, forced to try something else. This time the blacks did not win against the slavery. The blacks were furious about this which helped motivate them even more. This day helped the blacks even more, it didn’t hurt them in the end.
In conciliation, blacks throughout the 1900's have fought hard to get to where they are today. With the long, hard process of the Montgomery bus boycott, blacks came out successful. Even today, blacks are more equal to the white than ever. Without Rosa Parks making that stand on December 1st, we would be no where close to where we are today. Finally the blacks first strike against segregation with success.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EPF5EDgmugg-DOa04Bz0LD9koM2RczDQmu2C6aPtelE/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EPF5EDgmugg-DOa04Bz0LD9koM2RczDQmu2C6aPtelE/edit?usp=sharing
Montgomery Bus Boycott (J.W. & H.Z.)
Boycott, a refusal to deal with an individual, organization, or country. Blacks in Montgomery, Alabama did just that. They were fighting to end segregation on city buses. Rain or shine, blacks walked for their freedom instead of riding the bus.
“The event that triggered the boycott took place in Montgomery on December 1, 1955, after seamstress Rosa Parks refused to give her seat to a white passenger on a city bus”(encyclopedia). In the following days Montgomery’s black ministers had drafted a leaflet: “Don’t ride the bus to work, to town, to school, or anywhere on Monday Dec. 5. If you work, take a cab, or share a ride, or walk.” Blacks that needed to ride the bus, had to duck in the hall at each stop to avoid being seen. The boycott was only expected to last until the first rainy day but blacks were happy to prove the whites wrong. Some people were willing to help during storms. Sympathetic whites, both men and women stopped and picked up pedestrians. Young white drivers would stop and allow walkers to “pile-in”. The boycott was going on strong thanks to Rosa Parks.
On December 2, 1955, Dr. Martin Luther King and other civil rights activists gathered together. They formed the Montgomery Improvement Association and nominated Martin Luther King as their leader. The Montgomery Improvement Association decided they needed to start a bus boycott to end segregation of buses. King was only 27 years old and working as a pastor at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. He was a big part of keeping the civil rights movement going. He inspired many blacks to fight for their freedom and join the bus boycott. Many people admired him. John Robert Lewis admired King for “using the emotional power of the Negro church to inspire blacks to seek freedom in a spirit of love and nonviolence” (Weisbrot). King encouraged them to not give up when it got harder to continue, when many whites harassed them and the government was against them. It was the first act against segregation by Martin Luther King Jr. and would start his career as a prominent civil rights activist.
Blacks found other ways to get to work other than riding the bus. Thousands of blacks walked up to 60 miles every morning, then, after a long day at work, walked home. The black community organized a massive carpool to take people to work. Many car owners volunteered to drive. By the end of the boycott, about 275-300 cars participated in the carpool. Blacks also took cabs. Black cab drivers lowered their fare so more people could afford it.
There were many different opinions on the bus boycott. Some people were totally against it, while others totally supported what the blacks were doing. Some white supporters picked up walkers from the street. The black community organized a carpool. Car owners signed up to volunteer to drive many black to work. As people from the surrounding areas heard about the boycott, money started to come in to support alternative ways for transportation. Taxi drivers also helped out by lowering their car fare. But, others didn’t like those ideas. Police commissioner sellers threatened to arrest any taxi driver who charged less than the forty-five cent minimum fare. Bus drivers especially hated the boycott. They were losing most of their money, nearly 75%. As the boycott continued, Mayor Gayle made cab fares higher and outlawed carpooling, thinking it would force the blacks back to the bus. Whites also beat walking blacks on their way to work, a participating black woman said, “From then on I walked from Frank Street … in the rain and sleet. They would pass by, spit on us.” (Annie B. Giles). They arrested black leaders, and firebombed their houses.
The boycott ended in December 20, 1956. The court ruled that there will be no more segregation on buses. For the first time blacks were able to sit at the front of the bus without being arrested. Not everyone liked this new change. On January 30, 1956 Martin Luther King’s house was bombed. Many black only churches were bombed, blacks were tortured and killed after sitting in the front of the bus. “Remember this is not a victory for the negroes alone, but for all montgomery and the south. Do not boast! Do not brag!” (Archive).
Rosa Parks died on October 24, 2014. She was the spark of the bus boycott and played a big part in the civil rights movement. “I would like to be known as a person who is concerned about freedom and equality and justice and prosperity for all people.” (Rosa Parks). The bus boycott lasted for 381 days and paved the way for future freedoms.
Sources:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pjlk56_fCDiih0-Wo13vkVL6wiRmghoJXoEfYJm1N70/edit?usp=sharing
Sources:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pjlk56_fCDiih0-Wo13vkVL6wiRmghoJXoEfYJm1N70/edit?usp=sharing
Montgomery Bus Boycott (G.P. and E.P.)
The Montgomery bus boycott was a 13-month mass protest that ended with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public buses is unconstitutional”(Martin Luther Kng, Jr. And The Global). The Montgomery bus boycott was a tragic event for the blacks. The black people had to walk everywhere they went because they were rebelling against using the buses. Blacks were mistreated on the buses and they were sick of it. Thirteen months is a long time to walk.
On the night of December 5, a crowd of 15,000 gathered a whole street church to hear the young preacher speak. There comes a time that people get tired, King told the crowd we are here this evening to say to those who have mistreated us so long that we are tired – tired of being segregated and humiliated (Wright 15). This showed that the people cared about the segregation even when they were tired, and wanted to go home. They were fighting for what they believed in. 15,000 people is a lot of people. King was a inspirational speaker, who people loved to hear speak. To motivate 15,000 people is hard but King could do it.
On 5 December, 90 percent of Montgomery’s black citizens stayed off the buses (Martin Luther Kng, Jr. And The Global). 90 percent of black citizens is a lot of the population. With a lot of the population off the buses, bus transportation business lost tons of money from what they could have earned from blacks being or the bus. Black citizens were boycotting against the system. To boycott means to rebel against something. Black citizens sure got their exercise.
The MIA developed an intricate carpool system of about 300 cars (Martin Luther Kng, Jr. And The Global). MIA means missing in action. This carpool system is important because it helped them stay off the buses. 300 cars may not seem like a lot for almost all of the blacks but they sometimes walked too. The carpool system helped them from caving in to the white people who wanted them back on the buses for the money. The blacks did a good job staying off buses.
Rosa Parks was taken to City Hall where she was fingerprinted and photographed and then placed in a cell with two other women. She was released later that night on bail and was back at home by around 9:30 or 10 p.m (Rosenberg). She was in prison because she would not give up her seat to a white man named James Blake. She was sticking up for all the blacks that have to had to give up their seats for white people. The blacks congratulated her for this because all the times they wanted to stay in their seat, but they couldn’t. But she was brave and did.
At the time, bus drivers were allowed to carry guns in order to enforce the segregation laws (Rosenberg). This is important because it made black people afraid to stick up from themselves because they could potentially get hurt.The bus drivers were very harsh and rude to the black people. The bus driver who kicked Rosa Parks off the bus was rude to her, and after the law passed that blacks cannot be segregated on buses she saw the same bus driver on the bus and he was kind to her. It’s crazy how much a person can change.
Three days after Rosa's death, all of the city buses in Montgomery and Detroit reserved their front seats with black ribbons in her honor, and remained this way until Rosa was put into her final resting place ("Rosa Parks Death"). Rosa Parks died in 2005. When all the buses did that to honor Rosa they were all practically saying sorry for what they have done. Rosa was a great lady and she deserved to be honored and apologized to. She is a brave lady that people still look up to because of her courage and braveness that she had when she didn’t get out of her seat. Rest In Peace Rosa.
Sources https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uKCIecuG-ZFS8XQjPeL_B6zC73cBq47VYgBJaYUnpQY/edit?usp=sharing
Sources https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uKCIecuG-ZFS8XQjPeL_B6zC73cBq47VYgBJaYUnpQY/edit?usp=sharing
Rosa Parks (A.L. & O.D.)
Rosa Parks was a phenomenal Civil Rights activist in the 1950’s. Parks was a true hero in her time when blacks were seriously discriminated. Parks did many things during her lifetime and will always be remembered in America’s history.
- Rosa Parks bravest moment that changed history
On December 1, 1955, 42-year old Rosa Parks was returning home from her job in Alabama on bus 2857. She was sitting in the black section of the bus, and was told to give up her seat for a white man. She refused to give up her seat, and was immediately arrested for opposing the city’s segregation laws. Rosa Parks did not refuse to leave her seat because her feet were tired, she refused to leave her seat because she was tired of being treated unfairly. In her journal she wrote, “ When the driver saw me still sitting, he asked me if I was going to stand up and I said, “‘ No I’m not.’ And he said, “‘Well if you don’t stand up I’m going to call the police and have you arrested.’ I said, “‘You many do that.’ He did get off the bus, and I still stayed where I was. Two policemen came on the bus. One of the policemen asked me if the bus driver had asked me to stand up and I said yes. He said, “‘ Why don’t you stand up?’ And I asked him, “‘ Why do you push us around?’ He said, “‘ I do not know, but the law is the law and you’re under arrest’ (Klein).
- Rosa Parks contributions to Civil Right
In the early 1940’s, Rosa Parks joined the NAACP, which was an organization led by E.D. Nixon. NAACP helped end the poor treatment of African Americans. Parks soon became the secretary of NAACP. Later in 1964, Rosa Parks and her husband Raymond Parks founded the Institute for Self-Development. The Institute for Self-Development was a non-profit organization that helped young blacks with education and career guidance, teaching them more about civil rights, and more basic knowledge of the Civil Rights Movement.
- Rosa Parks arrest
In late 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested on bus 2857 because she refused to listen to driver, James Blakes orders of getting out of her seat. When Parks arrived at the police station, she asked if she could have a drink of water and was told no because the drinking fountain was reserved for whites only. Parks was charged in court soon after her arrest on the bus. Parks then was bailed by her husband, Raymond Parks, who had to deposit $100.
- Rosa Parks and the Bus Boycott
Four days after Parks arrest, the Montgomery bus boycott began. The bus boycott started because of Parks previous bus incident. The boycott was when African Americans refused to ride the city buses to protest against segregated seating. The boycott lasted 381 days, starting from December 5, 1955 until December 20, 1956. Every morning, Parks walked to wherever she needed to go instead of riding a city bus. During the bus boycott, Parks became involved with a second court case for being part of an illegal boycott.
- Rosa Parks struggles during Bus Boycott
After Rosa Parks arrest, she became a very well known Civil Rights leader. However, she faced many trials and issues throughout the bus boycott. Shortly after her arrest, Parks was fired from her job at the Montgomery Fair Department Store. Later, because of her commitments the speaking about Civil Rights, Parks had trouble finding a new job. Parks also received many death threats. Parks was also attacked in her own home, and was struck in the face, as well as being robbed.
- Present Day Implications of Rosa Parks
On December 1, 2005, bus seats were left empty to honor Rosa Parks on the 50th anniversary of her arrest. New York City, Washington DC, and other American cities did this because they wanted to commemorate Rosa Parks act of bravery. This act was called, “National Transit Tribute to Rosa Parks Day.” Transit authorities from these cities declared that this day be made to honor Rosa Parks in a special way.
Sources:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NSKP-p9Pm0bm7PYxzgzaRNagXgR4H0JPcNXfwNjz0ss/edit?usp=sharing
1963 Children's March (O.K. and J.M.)
The Civil Rights Movement was a rough time in history for African Americans because they were turned down for their skin color. The children wanted to get involved in the protests because they had seen their parents and Civil Rights Leaders fighting for equality. People don't realize how major the events were. Here are 5 ways the 1963 Children’s March was a big turning point for the Civil Rights Movement in the south.
- On May 2nd, 1963 black children went to the 16th street Baptist Church in large groups to protest peacefully for their rights.
This is what is now called the 1963 Children's March. There were over 1,000 kids on the first day of the protest. That was way more than James Bevel, a leader in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, had ever expected. The children met together and marched across Birmingham to protest peacefully. However the police did not take a peaceful approach. After the first day of the march 959 kids were arrested, but this did not keep the others from coming back and marching for their equality. The next day thousands of kids came back and marched through the streets of Birmingham.
- James Bevel had the idea to hold these marches so children could get involved in the peaceful protests to help end Segregation.
Bevel got the idea when high schoolers joined the sit-ins. The children would walk to downtown Alabama and talk to the mayor about the racism in their city. Many children wanted to get arrested, get out of jail, protest again and get arrested a second time the next day to show the south that they would not give up. Many children went through countless days of training at their schools to be apart of the marches. These marches were set up very strategically.
- Children signed up for nonviolent protests but were shocked by the violence they received.
Police officers brought dogs to the marches that attacked the young kids. The police also took firehoses with high water pressure and splashed it at the kids, pushing the kids down the street, ripping their clothes, and breaking their bones. Kids even got welts on their back from the high water pressure. Some kids as little as 9 years old were sent to jail for 4 days at a time. Many children were even clubbed in the head. Many parents were not worried about their kids because they knew that they were doing a good deed. When people took pictures of the children getting abused, John F. Kennedy, the president at the time, was so sickened by the pictures and sent people down to help the kids. John F. Kennedy’s actions caused a big outcry throughout the United States.
- There were many reasons why the children marched through the streets and not the adults.
First of all, if kids got arrested it would not be a huge deal because they would not lose pay like adults would from losing their jobs. Children were more capable of protesting without getting punished. Civil Rights Leaders thought that it would be a better idea for children to march to City Hall and demand interrogation. Also, the kids wanted to send a message to the governor of Alabama about segregation in their city. Segregation affected adults, but it affected children as well. The children wanted to get the segregation law passed because they did not want to be living in a city where people were not treated equal because of the color of their skin. They could not play at the same playground or even drink from the same water fountain as a white person. Yet with all of their efforts, the governor of Alabama did not care that kids were protesting and still didn't care about the topic.
- These marches ended on May 10th, 1963. They only lasted eight days, but the children accomplished a lot in such a short amount of time.
The childrens marches ended when the SCLC and the Birmingham Officials came to an agreement on segregation. If the SCLC ended the boycotts and protests, then the Birmingham Officials would end the segregation in little markets, restaurants, and stores. They also said that they would let the children and protesters out of jail. Later that month in May, the schools told the children who were part of the marches that they would be suspended because they were involved in violence. The SCLC didn't think it was fair and took the topic to court. The SCLC won and the children were not suspended. This was a leap for all people fighting against segregation. The 1963 Children's Marches were a major turning point for the nation and the Civil Rights Laws.
Present day implication of the 1963 Children’s March.
1963 was a rough but successful year for children and segregation. On May 2nd 2014, Birmingham celebrated their 51st anniversary of the protests. For two women, who were both sixteen at the time of the marches, this was an even more memorable time. The ladies marched when they were in high school. They got arrested and brutally hurt, but on May 2nd, 2014 the two ladies stood up and gained justice. Even with all the violence they received the two ladies forgave each and every one of the officers who hurt them in 1963. Many other African Americans forgave the officers that injured them. One fireman from 1963 added to the conversation, “This was a long time ago, and attitudes were, let’s say they weren’t as enlightened as they are now, They were progressive and ahead of their time” (Al Hagan). Times have changed and everyone needs to forgive and remember the turning point for many African Americans.
sourceshttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1haJvyO7d_56wFIGcvJOw5b91BOVyOweO-cOGz22qwwY/edit?usp=sharing
1963 was a rough but successful year for children and segregation. On May 2nd 2014, Birmingham celebrated their 51st anniversary of the protests. For two women, who were both sixteen at the time of the marches, this was an even more memorable time. The ladies marched when they were in high school. They got arrested and brutally hurt, but on May 2nd, 2014 the two ladies stood up and gained justice. Even with all the violence they received the two ladies forgave each and every one of the officers who hurt them in 1963. Many other African Americans forgave the officers that injured them. One fireman from 1963 added to the conversation, “This was a long time ago, and attitudes were, let’s say they weren’t as enlightened as they are now, They were progressive and ahead of their time” (Al Hagan). Times have changed and everyone needs to forgive and remember the turning point for many African Americans.
sourceshttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1haJvyO7d_56wFIGcvJOw5b91BOVyOweO-cOGz22qwwY/edit?usp=sharing
1963 Birmingham Children's March (M.H. and T.K.)
Introduction
The Birmingham Children’s March had a huge impact on Civil Rights especially when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was starting to get involved in the movement. He started giving speeches to motivate African Americans. The March was when the children took a stand.
The Birmingham Children’s March had a huge impact on Civil Rights especially when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was starting to get involved in the movement. He started giving speeches to motivate African Americans. The March was when the children took a stand.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
-Martin Luther King had a very significant part of the Children’s March. The Civil Rights Movement was in an early stage when MLK decided to step in and help lead the movement. The speech that MLK delivered when the students are about to march to Birmingham was a powerful speech toward the parents of the children. In the book I Have A Dream by Coretta Scott King wrote, “‘Don’t hold them back if they want to go to jail, for they are not only going to get a job for themselves, but for all of America, and for all of mankind.” MLK at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church before the march. “King was arrested thirty times for protests against civil rights demonstrations and for giving speeches motivating African Americans to protest.’” (King pg 34).
-Martin Luther King had a very significant part of the Children’s March. The Civil Rights Movement was in an early stage when MLK decided to step in and help lead the movement. The speech that MLK delivered when the students are about to march to Birmingham was a powerful speech toward the parents of the children. In the book I Have A Dream by Coretta Scott King wrote, “‘Don’t hold them back if they want to go to jail, for they are not only going to get a job for themselves, but for all of America, and for all of mankind.” MLK at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church before the march. “King was arrested thirty times for protests against civil rights demonstrations and for giving speeches motivating African Americans to protest.’” (King pg 34).
Police Officers, fire hoses, and hostile dogs.
-When people just started walking the police just started arresting people, but soon realized there were too many people they brought out the hoses, the dogs and the weapons. They hurts and drenched anyone and everyone. they let the dogs loose on the poor innocent people. Hurting all of them and arresting many. The first group of fifty almost all students were arrested.
Gwen Gamble
-Gwen Gamble had just been released from jail and didn’t want to go back. “We left the church with our picket signs and our walking shoes” she says “Some of us even had on our rain coats because we knew that we were going to get hosed down with the water hoses.” But shortly after the crusade the teenager (age 15) had been arrested for participating in a lunch-counter sit-in and jailed for 5 more days. “We were in there with people who actually broke the law.It was scary and they weren't nice.” says Gamble.
-Gwen Gamble had just been released from jail and didn’t want to go back. “We left the church with our picket signs and our walking shoes” she says “Some of us even had on our rain coats because we knew that we were going to get hosed down with the water hoses.” But shortly after the crusade the teenager (age 15) had been arrested for participating in a lunch-counter sit-in and jailed for 5 more days. “We were in there with people who actually broke the law.It was scary and they weren't nice.” says Gamble.
Present Day
In a USA Today article written by Natalie DiBlasio today states that there is an actual childrens protest going on today. Seven minors ages 11-17 were found sitting outside the Nations Capitol building this morning. The children were protesting the U.S government for deporting their relatives and separating their families. “‘In a pouring rain on a flooded street, the preteens and teens shouted, "Boehner, Boehner, don't lock us in a chamber" — referring to Republican House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio — and "The youth united will never be divided." The adult protesters echoed their calls.’” Natalie wrote. Adults began to step in and follow the Children’s lead. It showed that Civil Rights arguments still come up today and even the smallest and youngest of people can make a difference. The decision on what will happen to these seven children has not yet been decided. But at least they took a stand. We have freedom of speech in this country why not use it? The kids proved this right. They used their voice and took a stand.
In a USA Today article written by Natalie DiBlasio today states that there is an actual childrens protest going on today. Seven minors ages 11-17 were found sitting outside the Nations Capitol building this morning. The children were protesting the U.S government for deporting their relatives and separating their families. “‘In a pouring rain on a flooded street, the preteens and teens shouted, "Boehner, Boehner, don't lock us in a chamber" — referring to Republican House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio — and "The youth united will never be divided." The adult protesters echoed their calls.’” Natalie wrote. Adults began to step in and follow the Children’s lead. It showed that Civil Rights arguments still come up today and even the smallest and youngest of people can make a difference. The decision on what will happen to these seven children has not yet been decided. But at least they took a stand. We have freedom of speech in this country why not use it? The kids proved this right. They used their voice and took a stand.
Sixth Street Baptist Church:
-Sixth Street Baptist Church is the place where everything came together for the marchers. The Church was represented as an all black congregation which was very hard to find in Birmingham. “‘Sixteenth Street church was originally established in 1873 as the first Colored Baptist Church. The first worship services were held in a modest building at Twelfth Street and Fourth Avenue. In 1880, the church moved to its present location at Sixteenth and Sixth Avenue. From 1884 until 1908, the church operated from a brick building; however, the city condemned the building and ordered it torn down. In 1911, the church's present building was constructed at a cost of $26,000; the new structure housed the sanctuary, a basement auditorium, and several rooms for church activities such as Sunday school classes.’”(Alabama Encyclopedia). The Church was where the children gathered to hear Martin Luther King Jr speak.
-Sixth Street Baptist Church is the place where everything came together for the marchers. The Church was represented as an all black congregation which was very hard to find in Birmingham. “‘Sixteenth Street church was originally established in 1873 as the first Colored Baptist Church. The first worship services were held in a modest building at Twelfth Street and Fourth Avenue. In 1880, the church moved to its present location at Sixteenth and Sixth Avenue. From 1884 until 1908, the church operated from a brick building; however, the city condemned the building and ordered it torn down. In 1911, the church's present building was constructed at a cost of $26,000; the new structure housed the sanctuary, a basement auditorium, and several rooms for church activities such as Sunday school classes.’”(Alabama Encyclopedia). The Church was where the children gathered to hear Martin Luther King Jr speak.
Conclusion
The march may not have been as long as many other marches but it had a very strong impact. Children and students were finally beginning to take a stand in the movement with the adults it was a really strong stand and it improved the further impact of Civil Rights in the United States
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pj9KDA17PByQC50qyQxhut5WIylSyzNnvrQwwhs_tLc/edit?usp=sharing
The march may not have been as long as many other marches but it had a very strong impact. Children and students were finally beginning to take a stand in the movement with the adults it was a really strong stand and it improved the further impact of Civil Rights in the United States
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pj9KDA17PByQC50qyQxhut5WIylSyzNnvrQwwhs_tLc/edit?usp=sharing
Rosa Parks (A.S. & S.N.)
Rosa Parks was an African American woman who stood up for herself and changed the life of so many colored men and women because of a simple act of bravery. She refused to give up her seat on the Montgomery Public Bus to a white man who had to stand. As a result, she was found guilty for violating the segregation laws and was fined $14, along with going to jail for one day. This caused the Montgomery Bus Boycott which lasted more than a year and made the bus company lose over $750,000. In the boycott, black people refused to ride the buses. They walked to work everyday for 381 days straight, rain or shine. At last, the Supreme Court declared segregation on buses and other transportation to be illegal after a year of boycotting. Rosa Parks was the courageous woman who caused this and is still today referred to as the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.”
Rosa Parks was a devoted woman. Her contributions to organizations like the NAACP showed how serious she was with her beliefs.
Rosa Parks had an important role in the Civil Rights Movement. She was part of the NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Rosa’s husband discouraged her from getting involved in fear of her safety, but she could not give up her dream. E.D. Nixon, president of the NAACP, wanted someone on his team that was courageous, brave, and would help test the segregation laws. He knew that Rosa Parks was the person to go to. She was one of the first women to join NAACP and soon became its Secretary. A project that was most important to her was the Montgomery Voters League which helped register black people to vote. “In addition, Rosa taught young people about their rights and responsibilities as U.S. citizens” (Gillard). Her commitment to the NAACP was the first step in fighting segregation during the Civil Rights Movement.
Rosa Parks had an important role in the Civil Rights Movement. She was part of the NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Rosa’s husband discouraged her from getting involved in fear of her safety, but she could not give up her dream. E.D. Nixon, president of the NAACP, wanted someone on his team that was courageous, brave, and would help test the segregation laws. He knew that Rosa Parks was the person to go to. She was one of the first women to join NAACP and soon became its Secretary. A project that was most important to her was the Montgomery Voters League which helped register black people to vote. “In addition, Rosa taught young people about their rights and responsibilities as U.S. citizens” (Gillard). Her commitment to the NAACP was the first step in fighting segregation during the Civil Rights Movement.
Imagine living a life where even buses are segregated. Imagine having to sit at the back of the bus just because of skin color. Well, this was what Rosa Parks had to live through.
In 1955, Rosa Parks got on the Montgomery City Bus and walked to the back to her seat in the “colored-only” section. Because all the white seats were filled, one white man had nowhere to sit, so he stood instead. Seeing this, the bus driver demanded for Rosa Parks to stand so the white man could sit. She refused. “People always said that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true. I was not tired physically… No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in” (Rosa Parks). As a result, Rosa Parks was forced off the bus to be arrested. This was the start of a life changing movement; the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
In 1955, Rosa Parks got on the Montgomery City Bus and walked to the back to her seat in the “colored-only” section. Because all the white seats were filled, one white man had nowhere to sit, so he stood instead. Seeing this, the bus driver demanded for Rosa Parks to stand so the white man could sit. She refused. “People always said that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true. I was not tired physically… No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in” (Rosa Parks). As a result, Rosa Parks was forced off the bus to be arrested. This was the start of a life changing movement; the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
What on Earth happened to Rosa Parks when she said “no” to the bus driver?
Of course, Rosa was taken to court to find out the ruling of her case, and she spent one night in jail. Rosa was found guilty of violating segregation laws and was fined $10 for breaking the law plus $4 in court costs. This angered the NAACP and Martin Luther King Jr. They decided to file a suit against the Supreme Court stating that Montgomery had to redesign the bus system. This meant that black people could sit anywhere on the bus. Rosa had a whole community of black supporters behind her. Because of this, a city-wide boycott was about to begin. Rosa Parks' simple word, "no", contributed so much more than she expected.
Of course, Rosa was taken to court to find out the ruling of her case, and she spent one night in jail. Rosa was found guilty of violating segregation laws and was fined $10 for breaking the law plus $4 in court costs. This angered the NAACP and Martin Luther King Jr. They decided to file a suit against the Supreme Court stating that Montgomery had to redesign the bus system. This meant that black people could sit anywhere on the bus. Rosa had a whole community of black supporters behind her. Because of this, a city-wide boycott was about to begin. Rosa Parks' simple word, "no", contributed so much more than she expected.
A community is brought into action.
Rosa Parks' arrest angered most of the black community. Although her simple "no" got her arrested, it was what made the community follow through with their plans. A bus boycott was about to begin. All black people in Montgomery refused to ride the bus. The boycott was only supposed to last a day, but it ended up lasting more than a year. Since the customers of the buses were mostly African Americans, the bus system lost $750,000. The boycott caused lots of danger, too. "As appeals and related lawsuits wended their way through the courts, all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, the boycott engendered anger in much of Montgomery's white population as well as some violence, and E.D. Nixon's and Dr. King's homes were bombed. The violence didn't deter the boycotters or their leaders" (History.com). This didn’t scare the black people working towards integration. Rosa’s actions were the real beginning of a community filled with dedication and hard-work. About a year after Rosa’s incident on the bus, segregation on public transportation was declared illegal and unconstitutional on November 13, 1956.
Rosa Parks' arrest angered most of the black community. Although her simple "no" got her arrested, it was what made the community follow through with their plans. A bus boycott was about to begin. All black people in Montgomery refused to ride the bus. The boycott was only supposed to last a day, but it ended up lasting more than a year. Since the customers of the buses were mostly African Americans, the bus system lost $750,000. The boycott caused lots of danger, too. "As appeals and related lawsuits wended their way through the courts, all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, the boycott engendered anger in much of Montgomery's white population as well as some violence, and E.D. Nixon's and Dr. King's homes were bombed. The violence didn't deter the boycotters or their leaders" (History.com). This didn’t scare the black people working towards integration. Rosa’s actions were the real beginning of a community filled with dedication and hard-work. About a year after Rosa’s incident on the bus, segregation on public transportation was declared illegal and unconstitutional on November 13, 1956.
What happened to the “Mother of the Civil Rights” after the boycott and jail?
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling against segregation in Browder v. Gayle, Rosa Parks served as an inspiration to black communities throughout the nation. One year after Rosa Parks’ bus conundrum, the Supreme Court declared segregation on buses and other transportation to be illegal. In 1996, she won the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In addition, at the 1988 Democratic National Convention, Jesse Jackson introduced the crowd to Rosa Parks by saying, “Rosa Parks. All of us are on her shoulders.” The crowd immediately understood Jackson’s words. “This is the woman who had swept the headlines of newspapers by a simple act of courage more than 30 years ago. With one act of defiance, she had begun a protest movement that changed the lives of millions of Americans” (Friese 7). Although many blacks supported Rosa Parks, some were strongly against her. Soon after being released from jail, Rosa lost her job and received harassment all year long. She faced so many death threats and other pressures that the Parks family moved to Detroit in 1957. Through all the hardships, though, she changed many lives.
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling against segregation in Browder v. Gayle, Rosa Parks served as an inspiration to black communities throughout the nation. One year after Rosa Parks’ bus conundrum, the Supreme Court declared segregation on buses and other transportation to be illegal. In 1996, she won the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In addition, at the 1988 Democratic National Convention, Jesse Jackson introduced the crowd to Rosa Parks by saying, “Rosa Parks. All of us are on her shoulders.” The crowd immediately understood Jackson’s words. “This is the woman who had swept the headlines of newspapers by a simple act of courage more than 30 years ago. With one act of defiance, she had begun a protest movement that changed the lives of millions of Americans” (Friese 7). Although many blacks supported Rosa Parks, some were strongly against her. Soon after being released from jail, Rosa lost her job and received harassment all year long. She faced so many death threats and other pressures that the Parks family moved to Detroit in 1957. Through all the hardships, though, she changed many lives.
Rosa Parks lived a strong and tough life. She went from being a person treated no better than dirt to a person well-known throughout the nation for standing up for integration. Rosa died in 2005 at the age of 92. As a token of thanks in her honor, her body was placed in the United States Capitol Rotunda. This building holds the bodies of former US Presidents and other people of high importance. “Parks became the first woman and second African American to have her body lie in state in the US Capitol Rotunda; 40,000 - including President and Mrs. George W. Bush - bore witness, with additional mourners paying tribute at overflowing memorials held in Montgomery, and Detroit, where Parks spent more than half of her life” (Hong). Rosa would have turned 100 last year is still recognized throughout the nation for her great contributions to the United States Civil Rights Movement.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tzB-DI1KcxTXco_sLt8NrhPvvaqXRwh4RFa1Qkw-Aak/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tzB-DI1KcxTXco_sLt8NrhPvvaqXRwh4RFa1Qkw-Aak/edit
Selma to Montgomery March (C.S. & C.S)
In 1965, marchers in Selma Alabama may have been responsible for the last demonstration that pushed the Civil Rights movement across the finish line. These black protesters marched 54 miles from Selma, where the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) and SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) had been campaigning for black voting rights, to Montgomery. Montgomery was the capital of Alabama and the protesters planned to reach the steps of the capitol building and appeal to the governor. The Selma to Montgomery March was protesting unequal protection under the law for blacks and the denied right to vote.
-The Beginning: Its 1963 in Selma Alabama. Of the city’s 29,000 people, blacks make up the majority of the population. However, only 3% of the voters from Selma were colored. Due to severe prejudice, blacks were segregated in Selma and discriminated against for no other reason than the color of their skin. In the struggle to end prejudice in America, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) sent in Bernard Lafayette to campaign black equality and voting rights. Lafayette explained to the black community how during registration, a test would be administered and in order to vote must be passed. Most black people would simply receive a letter saying they had failed with no explanation. The blacks of Selma welcome the SNCC to start a campaign for voting rights.
-Bloody Sunday: It wasn't until March 7, 1965 blacks first attempted to march from Selma to Montgomery. The reason for the first attempt was to protest the death of Jimmy Lee Jackson and appeal to the Governor of Alabama for equal protection under the law and voting rights. (Jimmy Lee Jackson had been shot and died after trying to protect his elderly mother from being beaten.) This march was following the story of Queen Esther in the Bible, who journed to appeal to the king of Persia to protect her people. The 600 black protestors were to leave Selma and march along the highway 54 miles. The protest was peaceful but the governor asked the state troopers and police to stop the march. The city police refused and the state troopers and some deputies from the county police went to Pettus Bridge to head off the marchers. Major John Cloud led the troopers and Sheriff Jim Clark led the horsemen. The marchers did not fight to cross the bridge but simply put their heads down and continued marching. At first, the troppers pushed back the marchers but soon started landing blows with their billy clubs and whips. Next, tear gas was fired and still the marchers were nonviolent. The troopers beat the protesters and the deputies trampled them with their horses. The troopers fired 40 cans of tear gas, 8 cans of nausea gas and 12 cans of smoke into the lines of marchers. The people turned and fled and the first attempt was incomplete. This day became known quickly as Bloody Sunday.
The Second Attempt: The violence on Pettus bridge was broadcasted around the country and in a few days about 800 people poured into Selma to support the marchers and black voting rights. Only 48 hours after the first attempt, 80 more supporting marches were held in different cities across the country. Also in response, MLK flew to Selma to support the cause. The second attempt to March was a small scale symbolic march that ended at the Pettus bridge. This march took place two days after Bloody Sunday on March 9th. Before attempting a full scale march, the civil rights leaders wanted the protection of the court. The leaders appealed to Federal District Court Judge named Frank M. Johnson Jr.. He agreed with the demonstrators and said, "The law is clear that the right to petition one's government for the redress of grievances may be exercised in large groups, and these rights may be exercised by marching, even along public highways.”
The Third Attempt: The third attempt to march was finally fulfilled on March 21, 1965. About 3,200 marcher assembled to march all 54 miles to Montgomery. They walked 12 miles each day and slept in empty fields at night. On Thursday the 25th, the numbers had grown to 25,000 marchers and they finally reached the steps of the capitol building!
Effects of the March: The march lead to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which outlaws the practices designed to prevent eligible voters from voting. Members of Congress and President Johnson committed themselves to passing the voting rights law for blacks. The march spread the movement for equal rights around the country and showed the white community the brutality of racism in the south. This demonstration so greatly affected the movement, that less than five months later, President Johnson signed The Voting Rights Act of 1965. This march pushed the civil rights movement across the finish line. Even though the 15th amendment had been ratified on February 3, 1870, the amendment would not be realized for almost a century.
The memory of the Selma to Montgomery March stills lives today. People often reenact this march and use it to protest current day issues. At the end of 2012, thousands of people marched the same route as the 1965 demonstrators. Their goal was to keep the memory of the Selma to Montgomery March fresh and to bring attention to workers rights and immigrant rights.
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iO2Eskfq1K83h75W_yV44orvVW5HE_ywChltjJv1jPM/edit?usp=sharing
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iO2Eskfq1K83h75W_yV44orvVW5HE_ywChltjJv1jPM/edit?usp=sharing
March from Selma to Montgomery (J.K. and G.H.)
The Selma to Montgomery marches, also known as Bloody Sunday and the two marches that followed, were marches and protests held in 1965 that marked the political and emotional peak of the American civil rights movement. All three were attempts to march from Selma to Montgomery where the Alabama capitol is located. The marches grew out of the voting rights movement in Selma, launched by local African-Americans who formed the Dallas County Voters League (DCVL). In 1963, the DCVL and organizers from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) began voter-registration work. When white resistance to black voter registration proved intractable, the DCVL requested the assistance of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, who brought many prominent civil rights and civic leaders to support voting rights.
1. The Meaning of the Selma to Montgomery March
The Selma to Montgomery marches were bloody and violent and took place on March 7, 1965. The people in the march were trying to make a civil rights movement for African American's rights. The protest took place in 1965 and had a strong influence. There were three marches from Selma to Montgomery, where the capitol of Alabama is located. There were two African American groups that protested about voting rights. The groups were the Dallas County Voters League (DCVL) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and also had helped from other people such as Martin Luther King Jr. (Wikipedia)
The Selma to Montgomery marches were bloody and violent and took place on March 7, 1965. The people in the march were trying to make a civil rights movement for African American's rights. The protest took place in 1965 and had a strong influence. There were three marches from Selma to Montgomery, where the capitol of Alabama is located. There were two African American groups that protested about voting rights. The groups were the Dallas County Voters League (DCVL) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and also had helped from other people such as Martin Luther King Jr. (Wikipedia)
2. The Three Marches
The first march was on March 7, 1965 and was called "Bloody Sunday". The 600 marchers were protesting the death of Jimmie Lee Jackson. (Wikipedia). The people started to march to Montgomery to protest at the Alabama capitol. When the local and state troopers met the marcher at the Pettus Bridge, the troopers assaulted the protesters. (America’s Story from America’s Library) The second march was on March 9. The police were there, but there were no violence. The troopers stood aside to let them pass, but Dr. Martin Luther King made the marchers go back to the church. (Wikipedia) The third march was on March 16. This time the army protected the marchers. The marchers averaged 10 miles a day and arrived at Montgomery on March 24 and the capitol on March 25. (Wikipedia)
The first march was on March 7, 1965 and was called "Bloody Sunday". The 600 marchers were protesting the death of Jimmie Lee Jackson. (Wikipedia). The people started to march to Montgomery to protest at the Alabama capitol. When the local and state troopers met the marcher at the Pettus Bridge, the troopers assaulted the protesters. (America’s Story from America’s Library) The second march was on March 9. The police were there, but there were no violence. The troopers stood aside to let them pass, but Dr. Martin Luther King made the marchers go back to the church. (Wikipedia) The third march was on March 16. This time the army protected the marchers. The marchers averaged 10 miles a day and arrived at Montgomery on March 24 and the capitol on March 25. (Wikipedia)
3. The Influence of the Selma to Montgomery March
The people were marching for the right to vote. African Americans made almost half the population in Selma, but only two percent of them were allowed to vote. Discrimination and intimidation to stop the blacks from being able to vote. The marchers were demanding the right to vote. (America’s Story from America’s Library)
The people were marching for the right to vote. African Americans made almost half the population in Selma, but only two percent of them were allowed to vote. Discrimination and intimidation to stop the blacks from being able to vote. The marchers were demanding the right to vote. (America’s Story from America’s Library)
4. The Death of Jimmie Lee Jackson
Jimmie Lee Jackson was shot by the Alabama state trooper on February 18, 1965 trying to protect his mother from being beaten. He was marching in protest against the arrest of James Orange who was a worker for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in Marion, Alabama. Jimmie Jackson died from his wounds eight days later. Martin Luther King, Jr. praised Jackson as a hero at his funeral. (Standford.edu)
Jimmie Lee Jackson was shot by the Alabama state trooper on February 18, 1965 trying to protect his mother from being beaten. He was marching in protest against the arrest of James Orange who was a worker for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in Marion, Alabama. Jimmie Jackson died from his wounds eight days later. Martin Luther King, Jr. praised Jackson as a hero at his funeral. (Standford.edu)
5. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Leadership
Martin Luther King Jr.'s group called Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) made a march to protest black voting rights in 1965. The protesters were trying to reach Montgomery, but were stopped by Alabama's state and local police. Eventually, the protesters reached Montgomery at the third march. Martin Luther King Jr.'s participation inspired people to see the protest and the need for black voting rights. (History)
Martin Luther King Jr.'s group called Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) made a march to protest black voting rights in 1965. The protesters were trying to reach Montgomery, but were stopped by Alabama's state and local police. Eventually, the protesters reached Montgomery at the third march. Martin Luther King Jr.'s participation inspired people to see the protest and the need for black voting rights. (History)
“Present Day Implications of the Topic”
Even though the march from Selma to Montgomery occurred years ago, it still relates to us now. There was a 2012 Selma to Montgomery march marching for civil rights such as before. People believed that the government views targets minorities, gays, and anyone they deemed as outsiders. These people were led by Sarah Palin. This event seems all to similar other than the time and the violence. It is truly the 2012 Selma to Montgomery march inspired by the courage of the marchers back in 1965.
Sources:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R6SA5hFQt7ibZot-MSe5_8q09mxHNSxP3rlt3plz85g/edit
Even though the march from Selma to Montgomery occurred years ago, it still relates to us now. There was a 2012 Selma to Montgomery march marching for civil rights such as before. People believed that the government views targets minorities, gays, and anyone they deemed as outsiders. These people were led by Sarah Palin. This event seems all to similar other than the time and the violence. It is truly the 2012 Selma to Montgomery march inspired by the courage of the marchers back in 1965.
Sources:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R6SA5hFQt7ibZot-MSe5_8q09mxHNSxP3rlt3plz85g/edit
March from Selma to Montgomery (S.H. and K.D.)
The March on Selma was an incredibly important event in the civil rights movement. The negroes were marching for their right to vote. They went from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama. This was a five day march in which the walked 54 miles.
Although blacks had been legally freed from slavery and were legally equal to the whites by the laws of the constitution, they weren’t thought of as equal. The negroes would have to fight for simple rights that the white man would have taken for granted. They needed to take action in a big way so they would be noticed; so the march was organized. They went to the Montgomery courthouse to demand their voting rights. This was an outstanding march and it was also courageous because at any moment they could of been attacked by the haters.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader in the march. He lead thousands of people to the capitol in Montgomery, being completely nonviolent along the way. Two of the civil rights promoters, the SNCC* and the SCLC*, were campaigning for black voting rights at the time. This might have helped contribute to the courthouse’s decision. King spoke to them on the importance of being able to vote. “The Civil Rights Act of 1964 gave negroes some part of their rightful dignity, but without the vote it was dignity without strength. We are still in for a season of suffering. We must keep going.” He was right.
Other important people in the march were Sheyann Webb, age eight, and Rachel West Nelson, age nine. Sheyann and Rachel were initiated into the march as the youngest people. They were important as they were the official singers for the marches and mass rallies. Both girls knew that the march was dangerous, but they marched anyway, for their right to vote in the future. Sheyann was especially scared; she wrote her own obituary in case she died in the march. They may not have been large in size, but their courage was.
On March 25, 1965, Martin Luther King Jr. led 2,000 marchers to Montgomery from Selma. It was a 54 mile march that took five days. On the way, three people were killed, and many more were beaten. People used tear gas,clubs, whips, and beat the marchers. Jimmy Lee Jackson, Reverend James Reeb, and Viola Gregg Liuzzo were killed in the march known as “Bloody Sunday.” Fortunately, their deaths caused a national outcry. President Lyndon B. Johnson pledged his support for the marchers, and more than 50,000 supporters went to Montgomery to witness the March on Selma. On August 7, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, giving all people, black or white, the right to vote.
Recently, Brad Pitt and Oprah Winfrey have decided to co-produce a movie on the Selma march. They begin filming on May 20, 2014. Paramount is filming the video in the Montgomery Courthouse. David Oyelowo, a British actor, is set to play Martin Luther King Jr. The movie is set to be about how King helped to change the lives of many through his hopeful antics.
The Selma March was a brave and courageous act by the African Americans. Through their hard work, determination, and never giving up, they earned their right to vote.
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13bFvU0BC6lw8UOWTTrWdVRPt1j-bqudjD2P82LwvzQU/edit?usp=sharing
The Selma March was a brave and courageous act by the African Americans. Through their hard work, determination, and never giving up, they earned their right to vote.
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13bFvU0BC6lw8UOWTTrWdVRPt1j-bqudjD2P82LwvzQU/edit?usp=sharing