Jim Crow Laws (L.Y. and T.K.)
During the end of the Reconstruction Era to the beginning of the Civil Rights movement, there were laws that terrified every black in the south. These laws segregated the nation for over a hundred years. These laws were the Jim Crow Laws. They made every ordinary action in life racist with a penalty of death. This was the rise of a new south, one the Civil war had hoped to destroy had come back, and stealthily made it’s appearance known to the blacks.
- The Second segregation.
The Jim Crow Laws were any and all the laws that enforced racial segregation beginning near the end of the Reconstruction in 1877. It ended near the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s. Due to Southerner’s belief that blacks were lesser than the white men, many of them refused to serve the men that had served them as slaves a couple of years ago. They began refusing to serve Negro men and woman. When the Jim Crow Laws began, it was illegal in 22 states. It eventually became more popular in the south. The government realized that the people were going to bring back prejudice and began charging a fine of 10 to 100 dollars. The people won, and prejudice began again.
- The Jim Crow Laws: Named After a White Man’s Play.
The name of Jim Crow first started as a joke, but eventually stuck around and became the official name for the segregation laws. The performer who began this was Thomas Dartmouth. He played in Park Theater in New York. In the play, he played a highly exaggerated, stereotypical black character. He was of the first actors to wear blackface makeup, by burning wood and using the ash as makeup. Audiences all around the South began to think of blacks as singing and dancing fools. It was a very bleak future for the blacks. By the end of the 1900’s the term Jim Crow meant the laws that governed the Negroes. Thomas and his imitators soon made all of the whites believe that blacks were lazy, stupid, and unworthy of integration. All of this hate combined with the belief that blacks were slaves put the blacks in a terrible spot for their race. What even made it worse was that blacks were victimized by caricatures popping up in news and in stories on the black race. All of this dehumanized the blacks and led to the whites making the Jim Crow Laws. The Laws were all of these things in one.
- Everything was effected. Everything was segregated.
When the Jim Crow Laws came into effect, the blacks in the south felt it's presence immediately. The restaurants had signs that proclaimed "Whites only", bathrooms held poorly made signs that meekly said "Blacks". The laws made sure that the blacks talked to the whites as if they had a higher status, separated the the two races by a wall in restaurants, and had separate cars on trains. An example of a this law: Blacks and whites were not supposed to eat together. If they did eat together, whites were to be served first, and some sort of partition was to be placed between them. Due to all of this, the blacks lived into an entirely different world than the one that the whites lived in. The Jim Crow Laws were the world for the blacks, a dark and seperated world.
- Violence was normal. Killings were an everyday thing.
While the Jim Crow Laws existed, and after they existed, the public used violence like a form of social control. The public did many mob murders to kill blacks. They did most of these murders to make them think that they were still more powerful than the blacks. Drinking from a white only water fountain, or attempting to vote, risked the blacks, family's, lives, jobs, and houses. The most violent form of controlling the blacks violence were hangings/lynchings. All of these cases always ended with a death. Newspapers even started to not publish the deaths do to the occurrence of repeated deaths.
- Laws with no sense.
The Jim Crow Laws affected almost everything of daily life back in the 1890’s. Some laws affected drinking fountains, bathrooms, restaurants, barbers, burials, buses and many more. These are only of the well known laws. Many more affected how the blacks did things in the public. Blacks could not give a handshake to a white person. White people thought this gesture meant equality, and they did not want to be equal with Negroes. Blacks could not even introduce themselves. They had to have all the white people to introduce themselves first, and then they introduced themselves. This was thought to give white people a higher ranking than the rest of the blacks. Majority of the black lives were affected by the Laws when they lived in the South.
- Current News
Even with the Civil Rights Act that passed years ago, some places in United States are still doing what can be considered the “new Jim Crow”. According to The Washington Post, community activists are, “arguing that school closures in cities across the country disproportionately affect[ing] African American students” (Layton). Judith Browne Dianis, the co-director of the Advancement Project, claims, “Children are being uprooted, shuffled into schools that are no better than the ones they came from” (Layton). The primary complaints are that the colored students are being affected by the closing of public schools, who are being replaced with expanding public charter schools. So far, “In Newark, 13 public schools have closed since 2009. In Chicago, 111 schools have closed since 2001. In New Orleans, all the traditional public schools except five have shut down since 2003. The District of Columbia has closed 39 traditional public schools since 2008” (Layton). How this relates to the Jim Crow laws? “...schools that were closed overwhelmingly served African American students while public schools attended by significant numbers of white students remained open” (Layton). Although the Jim Crow laws were technically wiped from the Civil Rights Act, it still exists today, and is still haunting the colored.
Websites and Information
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1anYiTY2-Vj-mqpgG861kLLD2PVm2qeBpSIeW2Uv8ebY/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1anYiTY2-Vj-mqpgG861kLLD2PVm2qeBpSIeW2Uv8ebY/edit?usp=sharing
Jim Crow Laws (R.C. & W.I.)
There was once a time period, when blacks were not the same as whites. There were many laws that favored whites over blacks called Jim Crow Laws or Black Codes. These awful laws were only enforced in the south.
- What were Jim Crow Laws?
- The History of Jim Crow Laws.
- What were white peoples reaction to Jim Crow Laws?
- What were black peoples reactions to Jim Crow Laws?
- What were police officers reactions to Jim Crow Laws?
- Conclusion
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qkF5Eqs79etVC7wamE-sMqcvbi12DccdAr29jHRzIfk/edit?usp=sharing
Jim Crow Laws (A.D. and A.L.)
The Jim Crow laws were racial segregation laws that were passed between 1876 and 1965 in the United States, at the state and local level. The term “Jim Crow” was used as an offensive word for blacks.
- Jim Crow Laws
- Examples of Jim Crow Laws
- Examples of Jim Crow Laws
- Attempts to Break the Laws
- Black Codes
The 1800-1866 Black Codes, which had previously restricted the civil rights and liberties of African Americans with no dissimulation of equality were followed by the Jim Crow Laws. The most notorious Black Codes in the United States were laws passed by Southern states after the Civil War in 1865-1866. These codes were made to restrict African Americans' freedom, and to compel them to work in a labor economy based on low wages or debt. The Black Codes expanded freedmen’s rights, permitting them to own and sell property, make legal contracts, legally marry and testify in court (only in cases where black citizens alone were involved). The Southern “Black Codes” of 1865-66, the end of the Civil War marked the end of slavery for 4 million black southerners.
- Plessy v. Ferguson
- Conclusion
Thurgood Marshall (R.M. and C.D.)
Thurgood Marshall was born July 2,1908 in Baltimore, Maryland, and he died on January 24, 1993. He was a member of the NAACP, and was the first the African American to serve in the Supreme Court. Thurgood is best known from solving important racial segregation cases.
Education Marshall attended Frederick Douglass High School in Baltimore and was with the best students. After high school, he went to Lincoln University where he intended to study medicine and become a dentist. But in his application, his overall goal was to become a lawyer. Later, Marshall married Vivien Burey, and he decided to take his studies more serious. After he graduated, he attended Howard University of Law.
NAACP Marshall represented the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in a case of challenging the University of Maryland Law School’s policy of segregation. He won the case and joined the national staff of the NAACP and became the organization’s chief legal counsel. He remained with the NAACP for a total of 25 years.
Brown v Board of Education Marshall later won a landmark case, Brown v. Board of Education. The resulting Court decision overturned the Plessy doctrine of “separate but equal,” agreeing that students self-esteem was harmed by the mere fact of segregation. Overall, he ended segregation in public schools. Marshall was best known for this case that ended segregation.
Supreme Court Marshall was an Associate Justice of the U.S Supreme Court. He served from October 1967 until October 1991. He was appointed by president Lyndon Johnson to the Supreme Court in 1967. Marshall was the first African American justice, and was the 96th overall justice. He made history by being the first ever black Supreme Court justice. Thurgood Marshall started the chain of black justices all the way up to the present day. Thurgood Marshall argued thirty-two cases before the U.S Supreme Court, more than anyone else in history. This shows Marshall’s determination and hatred for racial segregation.
Marriage and Family Thurgood Marshall was married twice. He married Vivien Burey in 1929. She died in 1955 and he married Cecilia Suyat in that same year. Cecilia Suyat and Thurgood Marshall got married in December 1955. They were married until 1993, until he died. They also had two sons together. Thurgood Marshall Jr, a former aide to president Clinton, and John W. Marshall, a former United States Marshals Service Director.
Thurgood Marshall was the first African American in the Supreme Court and today, there are two African Americans currently in the Supreme Court. There is Associate Justice Alan C. Page, and there is Associate Justice Wilhelmina M. Wright. Thurgood Marshall was also an Associate Justice for the Supreme Court. This is Present Day Implication of Thurgood Marshall because, today there is two members of the Supreme Court, and Thurgood Marshall was the first person to start the chain.
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jVWImVenjFH8MuNOePRKMzCTJV4XM7JN6DLOYj1tC_c/edit?usp=sharing
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jVWImVenjFH8MuNOePRKMzCTJV4XM7JN6DLOYj1tC_c/edit?usp=sharing
Thurgood Marshall (D.G. and C.R.)
Thurgood Marshall is arguably the most important civil right activist, as well as Supreme Court Justice. He was a head of the NAACP, and a key lawyer for cases like Brown vs. Board of Education. As the first black Supreme Court Justice, he was known for bringing racial equality to vast groups of people. Thurgood Marshall certainly left his mark on the civil right movement.
1. Brown versus Board of Education
In 1958 the Supreme Court ruled a crucial decision during a special session right before the school year. The schools in America would now be desegregated. In Kansas, a black girl, Linda Brown, was denied the right to go to a local Topeka school. Instead she was forced to walk six blocks through dangerous roads and railways just to go to the designated school. The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) decided to fund the case and bring in one of their top lawyers. His name was Thurgood Marshall. The case was a huge decision and reversed the previous Plessy vs. Ferguson decision which allowed schools to be segregated. Arguing that separate could never be equal, due to the fact that two situations are never the same. Thurgood Marshall expertly presented the points of the whole community, and masterfully brought equality to everybody. Ruling in Brown’s favor the Supreme Court ordered that schools were to be desegregated as quickly as possible. Brown vs. Board of Education was the spark that ignited Marshall’s law career.
In 1958 the Supreme Court ruled a crucial decision during a special session right before the school year. The schools in America would now be desegregated. In Kansas, a black girl, Linda Brown, was denied the right to go to a local Topeka school. Instead she was forced to walk six blocks through dangerous roads and railways just to go to the designated school. The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) decided to fund the case and bring in one of their top lawyers. His name was Thurgood Marshall. The case was a huge decision and reversed the previous Plessy vs. Ferguson decision which allowed schools to be segregated. Arguing that separate could never be equal, due to the fact that two situations are never the same. Thurgood Marshall expertly presented the points of the whole community, and masterfully brought equality to everybody. Ruling in Brown’s favor the Supreme Court ordered that schools were to be desegregated as quickly as possible. Brown vs. Board of Education was the spark that ignited Marshall’s law career.
2. Murray versus Pearson
Murray vs. Pearson was one of Thurgood Marshall’s first cases, and proved to be one of his most crucial. A black student was declined acceptance into MAryland University due to his skin color. Pearsons side argued that blacks also had law schools and it was separate, but equal. Murray vs. Pearson integrated the prestigious law college of the University of Maryland. They argued that since a prestigious such as Maryland was not also provided for blacks it was not equal. Thurgood Marshall made a push to desegregate major schools in Southern States like Maryland, and Alabama. Leading the way for desegregation.
Murray vs. Pearson was one of Thurgood Marshall’s first cases, and proved to be one of his most crucial. A black student was declined acceptance into MAryland University due to his skin color. Pearsons side argued that blacks also had law schools and it was separate, but equal. Murray vs. Pearson integrated the prestigious law college of the University of Maryland. They argued that since a prestigious such as Maryland was not also provided for blacks it was not equal. Thurgood Marshall made a push to desegregate major schools in Southern States like Maryland, and Alabama. Leading the way for desegregation.
3. Smith Versus Allwright
Along with segregation in the education system, segregation in the voting system was severe. With blacks being kept out of voting in the Texas Democratic primary and other events, Lonnie Smith, a black man wanting to vote, took to court. The NAACP took the case selecting Thurgood Marshall as the lawyer.‘“No matter how much education black people got,’ said Marshall, ‘they would remain semi-slaves until they got meaningful political power.”’(Whitelaw 46) They argued that the primary is part of the election process and all citizens are guaranteed the right to vote by the 15th and 20th amendments. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Smith in 1944 allowing blacks to vote in the South. It started a fire in civil rights.
Along with segregation in the education system, segregation in the voting system was severe. With blacks being kept out of voting in the Texas Democratic primary and other events, Lonnie Smith, a black man wanting to vote, took to court. The NAACP took the case selecting Thurgood Marshall as the lawyer.‘“No matter how much education black people got,’ said Marshall, ‘they would remain semi-slaves until they got meaningful political power.”’(Whitelaw 46) They argued that the primary is part of the election process and all citizens are guaranteed the right to vote by the 15th and 20th amendments. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Smith in 1944 allowing blacks to vote in the South. It started a fire in civil rights.
4. NAACP
Marshall was the head of one of the biggest equal rights organizations. The National Association for the advancement of Colored People, or the NAACP was founded in 1909 solely for civil rights. Thurgood Marshall was invited to legal discussions by the NAACP when he was only 24 years old. In 1938 he became chief counsel for the NAACP in New York. With many problems to face Marshall and other NAACP lawyers took many cases for blacks who couldn’t afford lawyers. “‘A fellow NAACP member said, ‘The broadest of shoulders of all belonged to Thurgood.’ Thurgood traveled about sixty thousand miles a year.”’(Whitelaw 23) Marshall was a very important lawyer for the NAACP due to the major cases he took from Murray vs. Pearson, to Brown vs. Board of Education. The NAACP changed Marshalls life, starting his law career.
Marshall was the head of one of the biggest equal rights organizations. The National Association for the advancement of Colored People, or the NAACP was founded in 1909 solely for civil rights. Thurgood Marshall was invited to legal discussions by the NAACP when he was only 24 years old. In 1938 he became chief counsel for the NAACP in New York. With many problems to face Marshall and other NAACP lawyers took many cases for blacks who couldn’t afford lawyers. “‘A fellow NAACP member said, ‘The broadest of shoulders of all belonged to Thurgood.’ Thurgood traveled about sixty thousand miles a year.”’(Whitelaw 23) Marshall was a very important lawyer for the NAACP due to the major cases he took from Murray vs. Pearson, to Brown vs. Board of Education. The NAACP changed Marshalls life, starting his law career.
5. First Black Supreme Court Justice
Marshall’s biggest career step was clearly being the first ever black supreme court justice. This brilliant appointment by Lyndon B. Johnson truly broke the race barrier. Known for his strictness and belief in equality, he paved the way for blacks. Marshall showed every American that blacks could be educated, and beyond the average man. He proved all those who discriminated, wrong. The community was inspired by a man who began from being very segregated to one of the most honorable Supreme Court Justices. Thurgood Marshall’s career did not only peak, but he told America that anyone can become anything, regardless of color. He retired in 1991 after more than 20 years of service. Only two years later in 1993 Thurgood Marshall died.
Modern Implications
Thurgood Marshall has made several improvements in the quality of the lives of common people who were discriminated. He has allowed them to attend good schools, and colleges. He has allowed them to vote as well. But one thing he has accomplished greater than anyone of his time is leaving a lasting mark. President Obama in his second inaugural address spoke of all people being successful, no matter who they are (Cashin). Obama’s first priority in his election was to appeal to all types of people. Thurgood Marshall paved the way for such people to be successful, and such race-straddling behaviors to be displayed.
Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iE0M4JZToO-KcENjwdbLXjnyQzNgbrcrSyOkX8gnzP0/edit
Thurgood Marshall has made several improvements in the quality of the lives of common people who were discriminated. He has allowed them to attend good schools, and colleges. He has allowed them to vote as well. But one thing he has accomplished greater than anyone of his time is leaving a lasting mark. President Obama in his second inaugural address spoke of all people being successful, no matter who they are (Cashin). Obama’s first priority in his election was to appeal to all types of people. Thurgood Marshall paved the way for such people to be successful, and such race-straddling behaviors to be displayed.
Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iE0M4JZToO-KcENjwdbLXjnyQzNgbrcrSyOkX8gnzP0/edit
Thurgood Marshall (N.M. & D.R.)
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall was an outstanding man. He was the first to be on the Supreme Court, he was a great lawyer, and he helped a lot with the civil rights movement. Thurgood Marshall had a line of mean and tough ancestors and he took their personalities. He was a really great lawyer, and helped out with the civil rights movement greatly. Thurgood Marshall was very involved in the civil rights movement, and is still remembered today by many.
Thurgood Marshall was an outstanding man. He was the first to be on the Supreme Court, he was a great lawyer, and he helped a lot with the civil rights movement. Thurgood Marshall had a line of mean and tough ancestors and he took their personalities. He was a really great lawyer, and helped out with the civil rights movement greatly. Thurgood Marshall was very involved in the civil rights movement, and is still remembered today by many.
- The Supreme Court
Thurgood Marshall was appointed to the Supreme Court and served for 24 years. He was the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court. He retired from the Supreme Court in 1991. Before serving on the Supreme Court he served as the legal director of the NAACP. Before working on the Supreme Court, Marshall had argued against the Supreme Court for cases like school segregation, and racism.
- Brown v. Board of Education
In the Brown v Board of education, Thurgood Marshall personally argued the case to the court. He raised a variety of legal issues his main one was that separate schools for blacks and whites was inherently unequal. On May 14th, 1954, he announced his opinion to the court, “We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of separate, but equal has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal…” Thurgood Marshall really did a great job winning this case, for if he hadn’t, there still would’ve been school segregation in the north.
- “Mr. Civil Rights”
- Solicitor General
- A Pretty Tough Guy
In conclusion, Thurgood Marshall really did so much for the African Americans and segregation. He stopped school segregation, and he was the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court. Secondly he was the first black man to be chosen by the President of the United States. Thirdly he had to overcome his ancestors personalities, his ancestors were mean and vicious. Lastly he was the first man to be chosen by the President to be a solicitor general. Thurgood Marshall served a great life and people around the world remember him to this day.
Loving v. Virginia (D.D. and K.B.)
Loving vs Virginia- the (ironically named) supreme court case that changed marriage in America forever.
Loving Day…not many people know about this day, but it is still important to American history. Loving Day is a day where a ruling of a judge back in 1967 which states that two different race of people can be happily married and be able to start a family. This is one of the most important holidays, but yet nobody really knows what it is.
5 need to know facts:
Loving Day…not many people know about this day, but it is still important to American history. Loving Day is a day where a ruling of a judge back in 1967 which states that two different race of people can be happily married and be able to start a family. This is one of the most important holidays, but yet nobody really knows what it is.
5 need to know facts:
Virginia Law
Virginia only outlawed black and white marriage, not any other races. “Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual, and cannot be infringed by the State. While Virginia prohibits whites from marrying any nonwhite (subject to the exception for the descendants of Pocahontas), Negroes, Orientals, and any other racial class may intermarry without statutory interference.” (Cornell U). This fact makes it even more profound in the civil rights movement-the Lovings played an important role on freeing Americans from laws based on the color of their skin.
Virginia only outlawed black and white marriage, not any other races. “Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual, and cannot be infringed by the State. While Virginia prohibits whites from marrying any nonwhite (subject to the exception for the descendants of Pocahontas), Negroes, Orientals, and any other racial class may intermarry without statutory interference.” (Cornell U). This fact makes it even more profound in the civil rights movement-the Lovings played an important role on freeing Americans from laws based on the color of their skin.
Everyone
“The judge told Mr. and Mrs. Loving: “Almighty God created the races…and he placed them on separate continents…. The fact he separated the races shows that He did not intend for the races to mix.”” (Bill of Rights Institute). This case is unique and important to American history, because it doesn’t only concerned whites and blacks, but it includes all races. “The Loving's case not only won them their freedom to love, but it also granted the same freedom to every interracial couple in every state in America. At the time of the Loving decision, sixteen states from Delaware to Texas had laws banning interracial couples. Loving v. Virginia (1967) made it illegal for these states to enforce those laws.” (Loving Day). Clearly, the Loving decision made a ripple that spread even farther than the Civil Rights Movement and helped interracial couples all over the country.
“The judge told Mr. and Mrs. Loving: “Almighty God created the races…and he placed them on separate continents…. The fact he separated the races shows that He did not intend for the races to mix.”” (Bill of Rights Institute). This case is unique and important to American history, because it doesn’t only concerned whites and blacks, but it includes all races. “The Loving's case not only won them their freedom to love, but it also granted the same freedom to every interracial couple in every state in America. At the time of the Loving decision, sixteen states from Delaware to Texas had laws banning interracial couples. Loving v. Virginia (1967) made it illegal for these states to enforce those laws.” (Loving Day). Clearly, the Loving decision made a ripple that spread even farther than the Civil Rights Movement and helped interracial couples all over the country.
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment to the Constitution was approved on July 9, 1868, and granted citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States,” which included former slaves recently freed. The amendment also state that everyone is equal, therefore all (most) of the slaves were released. Even though everyone was supposed to be equal. They still could not be married each other. There was a big controversy around the year of 1920 in the United States according to a website called loc.gov. This problem has been existing for a long time in the U.S. Many people wondered why did the government not make a change sooner. The government is using the same technique, that the government is using in modern day with the topic of same sex marriage. The government is trying to wait 20 years to pass the law, because all of the older “racist” people will end up “dieing off”. But to Mr. and Mrs. Loving the topic couldn’t wait. They were being punished for the way they felt for each other. Good thing that the Lovings stood up for what they believed in.
The 14th Amendment to the Constitution was approved on July 9, 1868, and granted citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States,” which included former slaves recently freed. The amendment also state that everyone is equal, therefore all (most) of the slaves were released. Even though everyone was supposed to be equal. They still could not be married each other. There was a big controversy around the year of 1920 in the United States according to a website called loc.gov. This problem has been existing for a long time in the U.S. Many people wondered why did the government not make a change sooner. The government is using the same technique, that the government is using in modern day with the topic of same sex marriage. The government is trying to wait 20 years to pass the law, because all of the older “racist” people will end up “dieing off”. But to Mr. and Mrs. Loving the topic couldn’t wait. They were being punished for the way they felt for each other. Good thing that the Lovings stood up for what they believed in.
Racist?
Not everyone back them (1967) was racist or prejudice . Actually few people were actually considered racist towards other races. Most people were just scared of what other people would think. Once this court case made it the supreme court. People were not afraid to have an opinion and voice it. The day that the jury could say if they were against or not and the final Decision was 9 votes for Loving, 0 vote(s) against (Supreme Courts of America). And it shocked that nation, but it was good that people were not scared to make a decision for themselves
Not everyone back them (1967) was racist or prejudice . Actually few people were actually considered racist towards other races. Most people were just scared of what other people would think. Once this court case made it the supreme court. People were not afraid to have an opinion and voice it. The day that the jury could say if they were against or not and the final Decision was 9 votes for Loving, 0 vote(s) against (Supreme Courts of America). And it shocked that nation, but it was good that people were not scared to make a decision for themselves
Letter
“In 1963, at the suggestion of her cousin, Mildred Loving wrote a letter to the U.S. attorney general, Robert F. Kennedy, asking him to intervene on her and her husband's behalf. "I wasn't in anything concerning civil rights," Loving later told an interviewer. "I was, well, we were trying to get back to Virginia. That was our goal, to get back home."” (Encyclopedia Virginia). After she wrote the letter, this is what happened. “Mildred's letter was forwarded from the Attorney General's office to the offices of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) in New York. They took interest in the Loving's case and helped them find an attorney. Two lawyers, Bernard S. Cohen and Philip J. Hirschkop, also felt that the Lovings were entitled to be married and to live in the state of their choice. They agreed to work on the Loving's case for free.” Thanks to Mildred’s brave letter, multiracial couples in America are now free to love eachother.
“In 1963, at the suggestion of her cousin, Mildred Loving wrote a letter to the U.S. attorney general, Robert F. Kennedy, asking him to intervene on her and her husband's behalf. "I wasn't in anything concerning civil rights," Loving later told an interviewer. "I was, well, we were trying to get back to Virginia. That was our goal, to get back home."” (Encyclopedia Virginia). After she wrote the letter, this is what happened. “Mildred's letter was forwarded from the Attorney General's office to the offices of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) in New York. They took interest in the Loving's case and helped them find an attorney. Two lawyers, Bernard S. Cohen and Philip J. Hirschkop, also felt that the Lovings were entitled to be married and to live in the state of their choice. They agreed to work on the Loving's case for free.” Thanks to Mildred’s brave letter, multiracial couples in America are now free to love eachother.
Currently, multiracial couples can celebrate their rights on June 12th every year. This yearly celebration is called Loving Day. The Loving Day organization is a non profit organization meant to advocate the celebration of Loving day, and to teach the world about Loving v. Virginia and the hardships that interracial marriage faced before it could become legal everywhere. Loving v. Virginia changed the way America thought about interracial marriage, and it’s important that we are all thankful to the people who made it possible.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PDuMCsIViq3fvIc4rqdOHRXLvglyCJTYUjFFahcT-l4/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PDuMCsIViq3fvIc4rqdOHRXLvglyCJTYUjFFahcT-l4/edit?usp=sharing
Brown vs. Board of Education (C.O. & A.B.)
Brown v The Board of Education is a crucial ruling in America’s history, causing the integration of the public school systems. This series of five cases overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson ruling, allowing separate facilities, as long as they were equal, to be used to separate blacks from whites since 1986. although many states didn’t accept it at first, they were eventually forced to when JFK got involved.
- Linda Brown was Oliver Brown’s daughter. Everyday she walked to school over dangerous railroad tracks just to go 1 mile to school. She goes to a colored school even though a school for whites is just 1 block away from the Brown house. This true story is what lead Oliver Brown to wrIte to the local Topeka, Kansas court and in 1951 Brown went against the Board of Education to try and convince them that school segregation is unconstitutional. This started the chain of arguments that would eventually lead to the Supreme Court’s decision in 1954 (YouTube).
- There were 17 states that were affected by the ruling. At first, schools didn’t agree with and accept the ruling. Eventually they were forced to allow black enrollment (YouTube). Some governors closed schools rather than integrate them, some organized resistance movements, and some simply refused to enroll black students. JFK had to intervene, sending people in the military to protect the blacks and force unwilling governors to allow enrollment in all schools. I.e. the University of Alabama(Wikipedia).
- Brown v The Board of Education was the 5th case to go to the Supreme Court about segregation in public schools. Although it was not the first to go to the supreme court, it was the most popular because it was the case that was ruled in favor of integration. The name was also chosen because the Supreme Court didn’t want the problem to look like it was purely southern (National Park Service). The name Brown was chosen for the Topeka case because they wanted a male’s name. The case was set on a 25 year hiatus before the Supreme Court ordered that all schools be integrated (Wikipedia).
- Chief Justice Fred Vinson died before the case was able to be reheard the next year. Vinson was a Southern man, and he loved segregation. But his successor was in favor of the blacks. He was able to lead the Justices to a unanimous vote. If Fred Vinson hadn’t died, then Brown might not have been able to convince the Justice’s to vote for school integration, which was an important turning point in our nation’s battle for desegregation. After another 14 years, colored people finally had the same rights as whites and nothing can take that away (US Courts).
- Reporters who were at the court were surprised by the fact that the decision was unanimous. The judge’s had been sharply divided and would not be able to make an agreement, much less a unanimous one. Justice Robert Jackson had suffered a mild heart attack after the decision was still at the court to announce his decision on the topic. That was a surprise to the reporters since he wasn’t supposed to return to his seat until June 1954 (Columbia Law School).
Nowadays, almost every school is integrated. The ruling in Brown v. the Board of Education is the reason for this. A study shows that black dropout rates have fallen at least 25 percent due to integration. Another study shows that the desegregation process during the civil rights era has lead to higher earning rates, better health, and better prospects in life. People are living their lives with people of color, and most don’t have a problem with it. Many whites are friends with people of color. Its not wrong, its just life.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gSp5auaTBt49x9L-l8ZjHFbmJh5Et82YjOaeofCk3YM/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gSp5auaTBt49x9L-l8ZjHFbmJh5Et82YjOaeofCk3YM/edit
Brown vs. Board of Education (A.J. & C.W.)
The Civil Rights movement was comprised of several different protests, court cases, and laws. The movement aimed for the rights of the African American population especially the desegregation of schools. In 1896, the Supreme Court ruled the decision made in Plessy v. Ferguson "Separate, but equal” which allowed the states to segregate schools. This ruling stayed for almost half a century. Seventeen Southern and border states imposed a mandatory segregation for nearly ⅔ of the Negro population in the United States. States have records of closing schools rather than permitting with White and Negro students in the same classroom. But that all changed on May 17, 1954; thanks to the court case of Brown v. Board of Education.
Origin of the case
A young African-American girl named Linda Brown was a third grader who lived Topeka, Kansas. She was the daughter of the Reverend Oliver Brown, and she was forced to walk twenty blocks each day to her bus stop (Herda 6). She then had to wait, often through pouring rain and snow, for a bus to take her to Monroe Elementary, an all black-school, two miles away. It was extremely unfair as there was a nearby all white school, Sumner Elementary, closer to her home (Wikipedia). Linda Brown’s father was so outraged that he sued the Topeka Board of Education for unequal protection. The lawsuit made it all the way to the Supreme Court to become one of the most important cases for social equality (Little Rock: the Desegregation 12).
A young African-American girl named Linda Brown was a third grader who lived Topeka, Kansas. She was the daughter of the Reverend Oliver Brown, and she was forced to walk twenty blocks each day to her bus stop (Herda 6). She then had to wait, often through pouring rain and snow, for a bus to take her to Monroe Elementary, an all black-school, two miles away. It was extremely unfair as there was a nearby all white school, Sumner Elementary, closer to her home (Wikipedia). Linda Brown’s father was so outraged that he sued the Topeka Board of Education for unequal protection. The lawsuit made it all the way to the Supreme Court to become one of the most important cases for social equality (Little Rock: the Desegregation 12).
The combination of cases and the sending of the case to Supreme Court
The Brown lawsuit was henceforward placed with five other lawsuits dealing with public school equality. These included: Briggs v. Elliot (filed in South Carolina), Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County (filed in Virginia), Gebhart v. Belton (filed in Delaware), and Bolling v. Sharpe (filled in Washington, D.C.) It was later named the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. This is because when all the names of the plaintiffs were listed alphabetically, Brown’s name was first. Some interesting facts about the five cases are: The Davis case was the only case to originate from a student protest, Barbara Rose Johns organized a student walkout of Moton High School, in which all 450 students participated in. The Gebhart case had a trial court, the only one out of the five. It was affirmed with the Delaware Supreme Court who found discrimination based on race unlawful. It was the only case for the verdict to be unlawful as the other plaintiffs in their original cases declared discrimination to be lawful (Wikipedia).
The Brown lawsuit was henceforward placed with five other lawsuits dealing with public school equality. These included: Briggs v. Elliot (filed in South Carolina), Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County (filed in Virginia), Gebhart v. Belton (filed in Delaware), and Bolling v. Sharpe (filled in Washington, D.C.) It was later named the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. This is because when all the names of the plaintiffs were listed alphabetically, Brown’s name was first. Some interesting facts about the five cases are: The Davis case was the only case to originate from a student protest, Barbara Rose Johns organized a student walkout of Moton High School, in which all 450 students participated in. The Gebhart case had a trial court, the only one out of the five. It was affirmed with the Delaware Supreme Court who found discrimination based on race unlawful. It was the only case for the verdict to be unlawful as the other plaintiffs in their original cases declared discrimination to be lawful (Wikipedia).
The Supreme Court in 1954
The Supreme Court Chief Justice at the time was Earl Warren (Herda 6). The other eight justices are Felix Frankfurter, Hugo Black, Stanley F. Reed, William O. Douglas, Tom C. Clark, Robert H. Jackson, Harold H. Burton, and Sherman Minton (National Park Service). Warren rallied the other justices together to form a unanimous decision by all nine justices with no separate opinions so that the decision seemed united and would demand the country's attention (The Supreme Court A to Z 56). Stanley F. Reed was one of the justices that voted for the desegregation of schools, even though he had doubts and did not fully agree with the idea (The Supreme Court Justices 385). A fun fact is that, Robert H. Jackson left his hospital bed, right after suffering from a heart attack, to vote on the issue in Supreme Court (The Supreme Court Justices 410). Both these people and all the other justices worked hard to make the decision unanimous.
The Supreme Court Chief Justice at the time was Earl Warren (Herda 6). The other eight justices are Felix Frankfurter, Hugo Black, Stanley F. Reed, William O. Douglas, Tom C. Clark, Robert H. Jackson, Harold H. Burton, and Sherman Minton (National Park Service). Warren rallied the other justices together to form a unanimous decision by all nine justices with no separate opinions so that the decision seemed united and would demand the country's attention (The Supreme Court A to Z 56). Stanley F. Reed was one of the justices that voted for the desegregation of schools, even though he had doubts and did not fully agree with the idea (The Supreme Court Justices 385). A fun fact is that, Robert H. Jackson left his hospital bed, right after suffering from a heart attack, to vote on the issue in Supreme Court (The Supreme Court Justices 410). Both these people and all the other justices worked hard to make the decision unanimous.
The final decision
On May 31, 1955, Warren read the Court's unanimous decision, now referred to as Brown II, instructing the states to begin desegregation plans "with all deliberate speed." The Brown case decided that separate is never equal. The final decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson of 1896 ("Brown v. Board of Education"). This was the latest in a series of court cases that were getting rid of legal restrictions on Negros: colleges must admit Negroes to study professional courses not offered in the Negro colleges; Negroes may not be excluded from the trains or bus coaches operated for interstate rulings; Negroes can not be banned or barred from service or eating in restaurants in the District of Columbia (The Eisenhower Years: 1952-1960 59). Though the victory was a beginning for equality, the fight was far from over, as many Southern schools still refused to integrate their schools ("A case for equality: this year marks the 60th anniversary of a Supreme Court decision that brought an end to segregation in public schools").
On May 31, 1955, Warren read the Court's unanimous decision, now referred to as Brown II, instructing the states to begin desegregation plans "with all deliberate speed." The Brown case decided that separate is never equal. The final decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson of 1896 ("Brown v. Board of Education"). This was the latest in a series of court cases that were getting rid of legal restrictions on Negros: colleges must admit Negroes to study professional courses not offered in the Negro colleges; Negroes may not be excluded from the trains or bus coaches operated for interstate rulings; Negroes can not be banned or barred from service or eating in restaurants in the District of Columbia (The Eisenhower Years: 1952-1960 59). Though the victory was a beginning for equality, the fight was far from over, as many Southern schools still refused to integrate their schools ("A case for equality: this year marks the 60th anniversary of a Supreme Court decision that brought an end to segregation in public schools").
Response, after effects, and implementation
The Warren Court continued to bring equality to all African American people for 15 years after the Brown v. Board case; dealing with cases that significantly affected not only race relations, but also the administration of criminal justice, the operation of the political process, and the separation of church and state. The South faced the decision head on and met it with resistance including a so-called Southern Manifesto (Herda 10). Plenty of Southerners were outraged by the decision to the point where leaders in at least two states, Georgia and South Carolina vowed to destroy their public schools. The Court affected 8.5 million white students and 2.5 million Negroes attending segregated public schools in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia (Chronicle 20th Century). But, more recently, the Supreme Court decisions made it harder to maintain school desegregation. As a result of these developments and other factors, public school children are more racially isolated now than at any point in the past four decades ("Landmark: Brown v. Board of Education").
The Warren Court continued to bring equality to all African American people for 15 years after the Brown v. Board case; dealing with cases that significantly affected not only race relations, but also the administration of criminal justice, the operation of the political process, and the separation of church and state. The South faced the decision head on and met it with resistance including a so-called Southern Manifesto (Herda 10). Plenty of Southerners were outraged by the decision to the point where leaders in at least two states, Georgia and South Carolina vowed to destroy their public schools. The Court affected 8.5 million white students and 2.5 million Negroes attending segregated public schools in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia (Chronicle 20th Century). But, more recently, the Supreme Court decisions made it harder to maintain school desegregation. As a result of these developments and other factors, public school children are more racially isolated now than at any point in the past four decades ("Landmark: Brown v. Board of Education").
Current Event
Even though the world has aged 60 years since the life-changing Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision, there is still minor segregation in terms of education and income. According to Gary Orfield, "What we've seen over the past two decades is a slow but steady increase in the isolation of black and Latino students. There is 'double segregation' of race and poverty". In fact, the U.S. Department of Education has stated that about 80 percent of Hispanic students and 74 percent of Black students attend schools where most students are not White students. Also, 43 percent of Hispanic students and 38 percent of Black students are in schools that are "intensely segregated schools" with Whites percentage is only around 10 percent of the student body. Extreme situations include where Glenallan students tell their White principal he is the first White they have ever met. This is also because recently the gap between the rich and the poor is growing. The poor section is mostly where the African Americans live. In fact since 2000, the population of low-income public schools has risen majorly, more than 50 percent in 17 states. Luckily, there is still hope for the low-income schools because educators at the Glenallan are trying to offer new and exciting opportunities for kids like an after school math club, a writing club, a theater club, and a STEM Academy (Long).
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q4CLMujHtJzcyAFShtX1CNOe_oXrcKUGpl3Avtij4rQ/edit?usp=sharing
Even though the world has aged 60 years since the life-changing Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision, there is still minor segregation in terms of education and income. According to Gary Orfield, "What we've seen over the past two decades is a slow but steady increase in the isolation of black and Latino students. There is 'double segregation' of race and poverty". In fact, the U.S. Department of Education has stated that about 80 percent of Hispanic students and 74 percent of Black students attend schools where most students are not White students. Also, 43 percent of Hispanic students and 38 percent of Black students are in schools that are "intensely segregated schools" with Whites percentage is only around 10 percent of the student body. Extreme situations include where Glenallan students tell their White principal he is the first White they have ever met. This is also because recently the gap between the rich and the poor is growing. The poor section is mostly where the African Americans live. In fact since 2000, the population of low-income public schools has risen majorly, more than 50 percent in 17 states. Luckily, there is still hope for the low-income schools because educators at the Glenallan are trying to offer new and exciting opportunities for kids like an after school math club, a writing club, a theater club, and a STEM Academy (Long).
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q4CLMujHtJzcyAFShtX1CNOe_oXrcKUGpl3Avtij4rQ/edit?usp=sharing
Voting Rights Act of 1965 (V.A. and C.J.)
The right to vote wasn’t always available to everyone, only white men who owned land were able to vote. As time went on, more and more African Americans felt the need to vote. In 1965, an act was passed to let Africans Americans vote. The profound effects of that law are still felt today.
Although slavery had come to an end, many African Americans were still treated unequally and unfairly. Despite the fact that they had achieved their freedom, African Americans were upset with the fact that they had no say in the USA's government and the election processes of the officials who would represent them. Unfortunately, a staggeringly high number of African Americans were illiterate and had received little to no formal education. This was mainly due to the decades of slavery and imprisonment that countless african americans had endured. A motto many African Americans subject to such prejudices abided by was “Vote or Die!” (Block, Margaret. "Vote or Die." Vote or Die. N.p.: n.p., 1969. N. pag. Print. )
On July 2, 1964 is a landmark piece of the Civil Rights Act that outlawed discrimination based on race, religion, sex, or national origin. This allowed all citizens equal protection under the fourteenth Amendment and protected voting rights under the Fifteenth Amendment. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed this at the White House. Despite this, many African Americans were still not allowed to vote in many places. Those who tried were quickly stopped with “intelligence tests”, which tested on archaic forms of american literature which no normal citizen was expected to know.
On March 25, 1965, MLK led thousands of nonviolent demonstrators on a 50 mile march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery , Alabama as a protest to African American’s inability to vote. On the way to Montgomery, the marchers were assaulted and attacked by state troopers; some marchers were beaten with bats and clubs, while others choked on tear gas( Barret, Linda, and Galen Guengerich. The Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam Era (1964-1975). Illus. Mark McIver. New York: Macmillan, 1992. Print. pg 21 )
Many were injured, but the march still pressed on.
Many were injured, but the march still pressed on.
Here, MLK shakes President Johnson’s hand after the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is signed into law. It stated that literacy tests could be used to only in areas where more than 50% of the voting age citizens had actually voted in 1964. Within the next three years, more than 74,000 new black voters were added to the rolls. They didn’t waste any time : hundreds of new black officials won election to offices across the south. (Littell, Mcdougal. Creating America. N.p.: n.p., 2005. Print. pg 255) For the first time in U.S history, voting segregation had come to an end.
The Voting Act also signified the end of any sneaky methods that were employed to stop African Americans from voting. Poll taxes, intelligence tests, and voter discrimination were a thing of the past. In 1965, the national Voting Rights Act enabled over 130,000 African Americans in Mississippi to vote. (Civil Rights Monkeyshines on America June 2001. Print.) An expansion of the law in the 1970s also protected voting rights forThe Voting Act also signified the end of any sneaky methods that were employed to stop African Americans from voting. Poll taxes, intelligence tests, and voter discrimination were a thing of the past. In 1965, the national Voting Rights Act enabled over 130,000 African Americans in Mississippi to vote. (Civil Rights Monkeyshines on America June 2001. Print.) An expansion of the law in the 1970s also protected voting rights for non-English-speaking U.S. citizens, non-church members, and foreign immigrants ( "Voting Act of 1965." Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Oct. 1768. Web. 16 May 2014.)
The Voting Act of 1965 is arguably one of the most important pieces of legislature the U.S government has ever signed into law. It marked an end to a dark part of American history. Finally, African Americans were considered equal to whites. Segregation began to die off (for the most part). In addition, this Act paved the way for the Gay and Lesbian Act and the Disability Act, each very influential pieces of legislature. The positive effects of these Acts is quite obvious. People today are not discriminated because gender, sexual orientation, and race. The current U.S president, Barack Obama, is African American. This shows just how highly valued each citizen is, regardless of any physical features.
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11dvb8kTQE61-143oyutRRcM0U7HVDUGRt89CcQtCX1g/edit
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11dvb8kTQE61-143oyutRRcM0U7HVDUGRt89CcQtCX1g/edit
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (L.C. & D.N.)
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 officially ended segregation in the United States.
This law also didn't allow discrimination based on race, sex, religion, or national origin. The Fourteenth Amendment guaranteed equal rights to everyone. Also, this law allowed everyone to vote, also ending unequal voter registration requirements. This act also ended the segregation in schools, and other public services. This act was first requested by JFK, in his Civil Rights speech. He said, "giving all Americans the right to served in the facilities open to the public-hotels, restaurants, movie theaters, retail stores, and similar establishments.
This law also didn't allow discrimination based on race, sex, religion, or national origin. The Fourteenth Amendment guaranteed equal rights to everyone. Also, this law allowed everyone to vote, also ending unequal voter registration requirements. This act also ended the segregation in schools, and other public services. This act was first requested by JFK, in his Civil Rights speech. He said, "giving all Americans the right to served in the facilities open to the public-hotels, restaurants, movie theaters, retail stores, and similar establishments.
- How did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 affect the American Society?
The Civil Rights Act affect the American Society The civil rights movement deeply affected the American society. Along this time, two laws were passed. The Civil Rights Act, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Finally after years of televised marches, demonstrations, and other civil rights movement protests, Congress decided to put the bill I to action. JFK was the first person to propose this law, and he always believed that black should be treated equal. He was, in a way, the new Abraham Lincoln. After JFK was assassinated, the really kicked the politicians hard. It took all of the new Presidents skills to get the law passed. Finally, on July 2, 1964, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. But things were not well after the law was passed. The South had a lot to say about this law. One man in Georgia said that Congress had no right under the U.S. Constitution to ban segregation and he refused to serve African Americans. After a long period of time, blacks were finally treated as equals.
- Were there any Supreme Court cases with the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
In a supreme court case the court ruled that not all education programs and institutions were covered by the Education Amendment of 1972. Also it was discovered that discrimination can only be barred only in programs that directly receive federal funds. Some amended portions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 refined the definitions and activities that are covered by the Civil Rights Act. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 bans all discrimination in schools.
In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the "separate but equal" creed that formed the basis for state approval for discrimination and received national and international attention to African Americans difficulty. In that bumpy decade and a half, civil rights activists used nonviolent protests and civil disobedience to receive change. The government took action and made a legislative progression with new methods such as the Voting Rights of 1965 and the Civil Rights of 1968.
- Were there any Supreme Court cases with the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
In a supreme court case the court ruled that not all education programs and institutions were covered by the Education Amendment of 1972. Also it was discovered that discrimination can only be barred only in programs that directly receive federal funds. Some amended portions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 refined the definitions and activities that are covered by the Civil Rights Act. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 bans all discrimination in schools.
In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the "separate but equal" creed that formed the basis for state approval for discrimination and received national and international attention to African Americans difficulty. In that bumpy decade and a half, civil rights activists used nonviolent protests and civil disobedience to receive change. The government took action and made a legislative progression with new methods such as the Voting Rights of 1965 and the Civil Rights of 1968.
- What Happened After the Assassinations of Malcolm X and M.L.K?
The Assassinations of Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King and the fighting in the black community caused a decline in protestation in the 1960s. The forms of discrimination and government supported segregation of public facilities came to an end. Black candidates were elected for offices in places where blacks were once barred from voting and a great about of leaders/organizations that were recently created in the 1950s and 1960s remained active. Southern colleges/universities that once excluded blacks began to allow them in.- What Happened After the Assassinations of Malcolm X and M.L.K?
- One provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was that once put in place, of banning discrimination, the Supreme Court then found it "unconstitutional". Finally after JFKs assassination, and TV crew filming the cruel treatment towards the blacks, reinforcing the act again was now almost impossible not to do.