Name: Date: Passing the Civil Rights Act (’64) & Voting Rights Act (‘65) Birmingham Campaign 1.
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How does this clip from the 2014 film “Selma” underscore the tragic violence in response to peaceful protests? After being arrested in Birmingham in April of ‘63, Dr. King wrote a letter explaining the conditions in this Alabama city, & why they needed to change with non-­‐violent protest: “Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the US. Its ugly record of police brutality is known in every section of the country. Its unjust treatment of Negroes in the courts is a notorious reality. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes & churches in Birmingham than in any city in this nation… You may well ask, ‘Why direct action? Why sit-­‐ins, marches, etc.? Isn’t negotiation a better path?’ You are exactly right in your call for negotiation. Indeed, this is the purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis & establish such creative tension that a community that has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.” What was the plan for the next phase of “Project C” – the justice campaign in Birmingham – and how did the “Commissioner on Public Safety” Bull Connor respond? Despite Kennedy’s verbal commitment towards civil rights, what do protestors plan next for the nation? How did people come together to make this effort successful? What’s your favorite line from King’s “I Have a Dream” speech? (August 28, 1863) Despite an attempted Senate filibuster, the Civil Rights Act was signed into law by President Johnson on July 2, 1964. Under the Civil Rights Act, segregation on the grounds of race, religion or national origin was banned at all public places. The act also barred race, religious, national origin and gender discrimination by employers and labor unions, and created an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with the power to file lawsuits on behalf of aggrieved workers. Additionally, the act forbade the use of federal funds for any discriminatory program, authorized the Office of Education to assist with school desegregation. Freedom Summer 6.
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What picture # from yesterday’s worksheet relates to who this woman is referring to at start of the clip? Shared by Bob Moses, what was the plan for the Freedom Summer, and how did Mississippi respond? What happened to Schwerner, Cheney & Goodman that was representative of possible outcomes for participants? 9.
Selma to Montgomery Marches What was planned in response to the murder of Jimmy Lee Jackson by an Alabama state trooper during a peaceful protest in Selma and why? 10. What happened when the marchers crossed over the Edmund Pettus Bridge? 11. Later described as “Bloody Sunday,” how does this further demonstrate conflict amongst levels of government? Ø Protestors successfully completed the 50 mile March after the third attempt on March 25th, 1965. The VRA would soon be signed into law in August. The act added federal oversight in discriminatory states, working to end gerry-­‐
mandering of congressional districts and increase the number of voters for decades to come. Try your hand at a literacy test from 1950s Louisianaà Prior to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, an average of 3% of African Americans eligible to vote were registered in the south. Southern states used poll taxes, literacy tests like this, and violence and intimidation to restrict blacks from the political process and deny Constitutional rights. -­‐ In 2013, Shelby v. Holder challenged the VRA and invalidated several sections, arguing its basis was outdated and now harmful towards formerly discriminatory states. LAST CLIP – PREDICT how protests movements might change moving forward.