Major Events in The Civil Rights Era

Last Friday, we had an Each One Teach One about major events in the civil rights era.

The first group talked about major events that countered the civil rights movement. On April 4th, 1968, MLK was assassinated outside his bedroom in Memphis, Tennessee. After his death, more than 100 million Americans tuned into three major networks to watch his funeral. Malcolm X, who preached a message opposite to King's, was also assassinated. Robert F. Kennedy was killed on June 5th, 1968. It was just after he won the primary. He was a big advocate for civil rights, and also wanted to pull the troops out of Vietnam. It appears that anyone who had influence and a controversial message was assassinated during this period. The first group also talked about the Watts riots that took place in Los Angeles from August 11th through the 16th, 1965. This was a response to police brutality in the city. After the riot turned violent, 34 people were killed and 4,000 were arrested. It also caused 40 million in property damage. Little Rock Nine was another big event during this time. After nine black students enrolled in a formerly all white high school in Little Rock Arkansas, protests broke out and the national guard had to be called in.

The second group talked about the major pro-civil rights events. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 enacted by JFK ended segregation in public accommodations. It also prohibited racial segregation in schools and employment. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned literacy tests, and authorized the U.S. attorney general to investigate the use of poll taxes in state and local elections. This helped drastically improve voter turnout among African Americans. The Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 was passed during Lyndon B. Johnson's presidency. It helped lower income families obtain decent houses, and contributed to the building of many new communities. The Fair Housing Act helped prevent discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of a house. It covered discrimination based on race, sex, and religion. This was the final great legislative achievement of the civil rights era.

The civil rights era was a hard-fought, back and forth battle between pro-civil rights activists and anti-civil rights ones. It was characterized by riots, assassinations, and legislation. But in the end, pro-civil rights activists prevailed, giving blacks equal rights under law.