Noteworthy Places
Little Rock, Arkansas-
One city that was very important during the Civil Rights Movement was Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1948 African Americans began to get more rights. Arkansas was the first Southern state to allow African Americans to attend universities. Little Rock’s governor, Orval Faubus, was secretly still in favor of segregation. In 1957 the National Guard was ordered by him to turn away the nine African American students that volunteered to ingrate a white high school in Little Rock. The “Little Rock Nine” as they were called, were still allowed to enter the school by ruling of a federal judge. This event pushed Faubus to the edge and he ended up closing the school at the end of the year. The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was passed September 9th. This law gave the attorney general power over the schools desegregation.
By: Meghan M.
Birmingham, Alabama-
Another noteworthy town during the Civil Rights movement was Birmingham, Alabama. Birmingham was an extremely dangerous city with total segregation. On May 2, 1963, more than 2,000 African Americans marched down the streets in Birmingham protesting the unfair segregation that was taking place. Another incident that took place was a church bombing. The Baptist Church on Sixteenth Street was a meeting place for many African Americans where they discussed possible solutions to deal with racial inequalities. They bomb was placed under the church steps by a white man; the bomb killed for African American girls and two more died later in the aftermath of the bombing. President Kennedy knew that he would have to have Congress put a new Civil Rights Act in place if they wanted anything to change. This bill would allow African Americans to use the same public accommodations as white people and was the start to fixing segregation in the South.
By: Meghan M.
One city that was very important during the Civil Rights Movement was Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1948 African Americans began to get more rights. Arkansas was the first Southern state to allow African Americans to attend universities. Little Rock’s governor, Orval Faubus, was secretly still in favor of segregation. In 1957 the National Guard was ordered by him to turn away the nine African American students that volunteered to ingrate a white high school in Little Rock. The “Little Rock Nine” as they were called, were still allowed to enter the school by ruling of a federal judge. This event pushed Faubus to the edge and he ended up closing the school at the end of the year. The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was passed September 9th. This law gave the attorney general power over the schools desegregation.
By: Meghan M.
Birmingham, Alabama-
Another noteworthy town during the Civil Rights movement was Birmingham, Alabama. Birmingham was an extremely dangerous city with total segregation. On May 2, 1963, more than 2,000 African Americans marched down the streets in Birmingham protesting the unfair segregation that was taking place. Another incident that took place was a church bombing. The Baptist Church on Sixteenth Street was a meeting place for many African Americans where they discussed possible solutions to deal with racial inequalities. They bomb was placed under the church steps by a white man; the bomb killed for African American girls and two more died later in the aftermath of the bombing. President Kennedy knew that he would have to have Congress put a new Civil Rights Act in place if they wanted anything to change. This bill would allow African Americans to use the same public accommodations as white people and was the start to fixing segregation in the South.
By: Meghan M.