The Civil Rights Movement and Its Key Figures

The Civil Rights Movement in the United States was a transformative period that challenged racial segregation and discrimination. This page provides an overview of crucial events and figures that shaped the movement.

Abraham Lincoln played a significant role in American history by abolishing slavery in 1865. Nearly a century later, Barack Obama made history by becoming the first Black American president, marking a milestone in the ongoing struggle for equality.

Highlight: The Civil Rights Movement spanned several decades, with key events occurring from the 1950s through the 1960s.

The movement saw several landmark moments:

1. In 1954, segregation in schools was declared illegal.
2. The Montgomery Bus Boycott began in 1955, led by Rosa Parks and other activists.
3. In 1960, Ruby Bridges became one of the first Black children to attend an all-white school in New Orleans.
4. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington D.C. in 1963.
5. The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, abolishing the Jim Crow laws.

Vocabulary:

• Activist: A person who campaigns for social or political change.
• Boycott: A form of protest where people refuse to buy, use, or participate in something as a way of expressing strong disapproval.
• Civil rights: The rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a central figure in the Civil Rights Movement. Born on January 15, 1925, in Georgia, he was a Christian pastor who became the leader of the civil rights movement. His "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered in 1963, articulated a vision of freedom, equality, and racial harmony.

Quote: "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'" - Martin Luther King Jr.

King was tragically assassinated in 1968, but his legacy lives on. In 2011, a memorial was opened on the site of his famous speech, and he is commemorated annually on the first Monday of January.

Rosa Parks played a crucial role in the movement when she was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955 for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. Her act of defiance sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which lasted over a year and resulted in significant financial losses for the bus company.

Example: The Montgomery Bus Boycott demonstrated the power of collective action in the fight against racial segregation.

The page also includes a brief grammar lesson on expressing obligation and interdiction in the past:

• Obligation: had to + verb
• Interdiction: was/were not allowed to + verb, or was/were forbidden to + verb

This historical overview provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the Civil Rights Movement and its lasting impact on American society.