...Thurgood Marshall Thurgood Marshall was a great African American civil rights activist who changed lots of lives in the United States. As a passionate lawyer and prominent Supreme Court justice, he fought for civil rights and social justice in the courts and believed that racial integration is best for all schools. Thurgood Marshall was born a July 2nd, 1908 in Baltimore, Maryland. He was the great-grandson of a slave who was born in the Republic of Congo. His father William Marshall who was a railroad porter and his mother ‘Norma, a teacher, instilled in him an appreciation for the United States constitution and the rule of law. His original name was Thoroughgood, but was eventually shortened to Thurgood...
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... Introduction The Civil Rights Movement reached its peak in the 1950s and 1960s. An abundance of unfair events created a desire to secure equality for all Americans. Numerous historical leaders poured their lives into fighting for the basic privileges and rights of U.S. citizenship. Many African-American men and women, along with whites, organized and led the movement to fight against injustice. The eight resources below provide information about several historical leaders that made an impact on the Civil Rights Movement. These resources may be used to create assignments to help students develop a deeper understanding of the Civil Rights Movement. Furthermore, students will benefit from meaningful classroom discussions about these heroic leaders. Important People There are numerous well-known historical figures that influenced the Civil Rights Movement leading up to the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is probably one of the most powerful leaders involved in the fight for civil rights. Coretta Scott King worked and marched alongside her husband, Dr. King and continued his fight for justice after his death. In addition, Thurgood Marshall became the first African-American judge on the Supreme Court appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. In 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play Major League Baseball which contributed significantly to the Civil Rights Movement. African-American...
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...Appeals Judge, Thurgood Marshall to join the Supreme Court. In August of the same year he was confirmed. This made him the first Black American to ever take occupation in the highest American courts. Thurgood was one of the most effective civil rights activist in history, and he was a firm believer in the constitution. He strongly believed the constitution was the source to get Black Americans the equality they were striving for. He was dedicated to being a voice for his people, and he knew what was politically correct when coming from both sides of a good argument. Some say it wasn’t in the best interest of the country to let a black man on the supreme court at the time, but President Johnson’s response was simply, “I believe it’s the right thing to do, the right time to do it, the right man, and the right place.”1 Thurgood Marshall was born on July 2, 1908, in Baltimore, Maryland. His father, William Marshall, the grandson of a slave, worked as a steward at an exclusive club. His mother, Norma, was a kindergarten teacher.2 One of William Marshall's favorite pastimes was to listen to cases at the local courthouse before returning home to rehash the lawyers' arguments with his sons. Thurgood Marshall later recalled, "Now you want to know how I got involved in law? I don't know. The nearest I can get is that my dad, my brother, and I had the most violent arguments you ever heard about anything. I guess we argued five out of seven nights at the dinner table."3 Marshall attended Baltimore's...
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...There are three main factors that improved the position of African-Americans in the years 1945-55, the first being World War II, the second is Presidents and the third is Civil Rights Organisations. There are a few significant factors that occurred as a result of the Second World War. For example, the 'Double V Campaign' of 1942. Two months after the Bombing of Pearl Harbour by the Japanese, the Pittsburgh Courier (the most popular black newspaper in America) published the campaign to everyone. It called for a victory on two fronts, it was a campaign for African-Americans to give their all in the war effort and for black people to fight racial discrimination back home in America. The editor of the newspaper wrote "We call upon the President and Congress to declare war on Japan and against racial prejudice in our country." This was significant because it gave African-Americans a chance to prove how much of a positive impact they could have on the war and this in turn could show current white racists a different view on them. Additionally, it could be argued that because it was quite a big newspaper, more people across America would see it, and therefore it could potentially have more of an effect on the general opinion. Another factor was the black soldiers who returned home as heroes after the Second World War. It changed the attitudes of white people all across America but more specifically, white soldiers who had fought alongside them in the war. Before the war, white...
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...Cultural Characteristics of African Americans The largest minority population in America, African Americans helped to build the foundation and culture of the United States of America from the beginning. Separated from their original homeland and culture, Black slaves struggled to find a new identity, religion, language, and core set of family values. Despite hardships like slavery, segregation, lack of proper education, and divided families, African Americans created a unique, spiritual, and creative culture that thrives in modern times. Definition of African Americans The term African American refers to any Black American who is a citizen of the United States. Every Black American of African descent falls into this racial and cultural category. According to 2010 census data, they are the second largest demographic group after Whites and the largest minority population in America. History All people within the African American culture share the common history of enslavement, acculturation, and racial oppression. This history and cultural heritage provides a common bond that gives relevance to the African heritage. The most important historical bond is the recognition that most all African Americans descended from slaves. Slavery The first slaves were introduced to the English-American colonies by a Dutch trader. He sold 20 slaves to settlers in Jamestown, Virginia. After this initial trade the larger global trade pattern between Europe, Africa, and...
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...activism. Activist lawyers generally are passionate about the causes they are fighting for. They believe that there is a fundamental right to make changes to the law and that society demands that they do this. Some would argue that this kind of activism can be likened to that of the religious fanatic who has no doubts about what God wants of him. They argue that the law is supposed to remain constant and unwavering and that inconsistency in the law is dangerous to society itself. This paper will evaluate the above claims using examples of cases where activist lawyers have attempted to change a law that they believed needed to be changed and give examples of cases in which activism resulted in significant changes in not only the law as we knew it, but also society’s perception of right and wrong. Many lawyers believe that law was intended to remain constant and unwavering, and that any lawyer who tries to change the law is as dangerous as a religious fanatic. The difference between religious fanaticism and activist lawyers is that activist lawyers generally seek to reform the law in what they perceive to be an injustice to civil rights. Law students, upon entering law school This, however, is an extreme assertion. The legal system itself is supported by the state, which can be repressive toward its citizens. (Bonsignore, et al: 315) There have been cases where the consistency in the law has been more damaging to society. Activist lawyers serve...
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...relation, these events finally led to achievements of the Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Rights Movement was a series of political movements to pursue equal rights and opportunity for the U.S. citizens. Civil rights activists such as Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks had contributed to the Civil Right Movement. In 1955, Rosa Parks, an African American woman, was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man. Black leaders in Montgomery organized the Montgomery Improvement Association and selected Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to be the leader. In 1955, Martin Luther King led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, African-Americans stopped riding the buses, and the bus company started losing money. During the 381 days of boycott, King was arrested, his home was bombed. On June 4th 1956, the court invalidated the Montgomery bus segregation law in the case Browder v. Gayle (1956). Although the state appealed the decision, the Supreme Court upheld the ruling of the district court on November 13, 1956. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a significant milestone of the Civil Rights Movements, which ended the racial segregation laws for buses. In the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), the establishment of separate public schools for black and white students became unconstitutional. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) took on the “separate but equal” provision in the case. Thurgood Marshall was selected to represent the Brown family of Topeka...
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...pressures, so G.B. asked the U.S. to fill in. * As the leader of the “free world,” the U.S. must now shoulder the responsibility of supporting “freedom-loving peoples” wherever communism threatened them. * “The Truman Doctrine is the U.S. policy of CONTAINMENT.” * Because of the Truman Doctrine we might find ourselves in an array of fights. The Marshall Plan * Marshall pledged the U.S. to contribute billions of dollars to finance the economic recovery of Europe. * A policy not against any country or doctrine but against hunger, poverty, and chaos – a New Deal for Europe. * The Soviet Union refused to participate – solidifying division. * Indirect way of spreading capitalism. NATO * In that same year, the U.S. Canada, and ten western European nations est. the North Atlantic Treaty Organization pledging mutual defense against Soviet attack. * Western Alliance of Nations * Future Defense Alliance * The Soviets responded with the Warsaw Pact – a formal eastern European alliance. Chairman Mao * Communist led by Mao Zedong emerged victorious in the Chinese civil war. * Blocked from the U.N. The Korean War * Occupied by Japan during WWII, Korea had been divided in 1945. * In June 1950, the North Korean army invaded South Korea, hoping to reunify the country under communism. * Korea became the first clear test of containment. Gen. Douglas MacArthur * Launched a counter-invasion and was successful....
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...The African American Civil Rights Movement was a monumental human rights campaign that sought to secure black Americans’ rights as citizens and end racial segregation and discrimination. There is debate among scholars over the time frame of the movement; the popular belief is the “Montgomery to Memphis” period of Martin Luther King Jr., but some historians have traced the movement past the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Supreme Court case, and into the Great Depression Era (Fairclough 387). The movement was generally successful in achieving its goals of legal recognition, as evident in the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but racism and inequality remains persistent in today’s society....
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...Ku Klux Klan; fears of black-white race-mixing, culminating in the murder of Emmett Till in Mississippi in 1955. Why did the Till case become a national scandal? Tills mother said, The murder of my son has shown me that what happens to any of us, anywhere in the world, had better be the business of all of us. B. EDUCATIONAL BARRIERS. Implementation of the Brown decision in Little Rock produced heroes and villains like Orval Faubus, Daisy Bates and Thurgood Marshall. What was it like for Mrs. Bates after she was struck by a rock thrown through her living room window with a note, Stone this time. Dynamite next? The confrontation achieved historic proportions when President Eisenhower reluctantly brought in federal troops to protect the Little Rock Nine after rioting had occurred outside the school. Watching those students being escorted by rifle-toting soldiers through the front door of the high school is a scene few can forget. C. POLITICAL AND LEGAL BARRIERS. The tactics developed by civil rights activists sit-ins and freedom rides proved effective in breaking these barriers down. What of...
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...Title VII of the Civil Rights Act Abstract Title VII of the civil rights act was a hard won victory for civil rights activists and workers in 1964. In securing this act, they ended the decades of ‘separate but equal’ treatment that had been used as a justification for discrimination against black Americans, and wrote into law precedents that would affect change in the labor market undercurrents that subtly discriminated against women. The text of the Civil Rights Act made it unlawful for an employer to hire or discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his/her compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of employment, because of an individual’s race, color, religion, sex or national origin. This act covers hiring, firing, promotions and all workplace conduct. “The history of the 1964 civil rights act, and the series of events through which the need for the act evolved, is the longstanding conflict between those who would make employment related decisions based on bigotry, and those who believe that our country stands for freedom for all peoples, regardless of race, color sex, or national origin. After the civil war, slaves were free, but still unable to participate in many American cultural events because of lack of education, or lingering discrimination. In 1920, the 19th amendment prohibited exclusion to the right to vote to all Americans based on racial or gender identity. In 1963, the equal pay act guaranteed...
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...The significant and new cultural attitudes that emerged in the 1960s were a reflection of the recognition by the dominant majority that racial and ethnic prejudice had no place in society that drowned itself on equality of opportunity. Martin Luther King Jr., an African American, started the Black Revolution of the 1960s with a nonviolent civil rights movement. In August 1963, some two hundred fifty thousand Americans, black and white, came together on the nation’s capital to achieve racial justice in what was known as the March on Washington. There, King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech, one of the most well known events in history. Northern blacks in cities campaigned against segregated public schools, demanding that their kids be accepted...
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...theaters and train cars, and juries.The civil rights movement centered in the southern states of america. That was where the African American population was the most concentrated and where racial inequality in education, economic opportunity, and the political and legal processes was most prominent. Beginning in the late 19th century, state and local governments passed segregation laws, known as Jim Crow laws; they...
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...How far do you agree that the impact of the Second World War was the main reason why the position of African Americans improved in the years 1945-55? It is clear that the Second World War played a vital part in improving the lives of African Americans between 1945 and 1955. However, the impact of the war was lessened by other factors that brought about change such as the civil rights groups and President Truman. These factors were able to convert de jure change into de facto change; something the Second World Wars alone was unable to do. World War Two had a dramatic effect on civil rights for Black Americans. Over 1.2 million black men joined the U.S army during the war and the experience radicalised them. Northern blacks were often trained in rural military camps in the Southern states, this was their first experience of formal racial segregation. They were appalled to know they were fighting a racist opponent, yet being treated as a second class citizen and receiving prejudice treatment back home. Consequently, the black soldiers used the ‘Double V’ sign, which meant they were fighting for two victories: victory overseas and victory over racism at home. The war also began to change the racist attitudes of whites. The United States and her allies were fighting a racist opponent, Hitler, who passionately believed in a ‘Master race’. In the past, white supremacy groups such as the Ku Klux Klan had presented racism as something that was both natural and noble, however, the...
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...American author, Deborah Wiles once said, “This is how it works. Everything is connected. Every choice matters. Every person is vital, and valuable, and worthy of respect.” It is for this reason that the Supreme Court decision in the Brown v. Board of Education case in 1954 does not deserve to be considered the start of the Civil Rights Movement. The event that truly set off this famous movement was the decision in the Mendez v. Westminster case in 1947, because this case acted as a precedent for all other court cases regarding equal rights in education and provided hope for change. In the early and mid-twentieth century, America was operating based off of the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson ruling that “separate but equal” was perfectly legal. This...
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