Glossary
13th Amendment
Ratified in 1865, this amendment officially abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States, except as punishment for a crime.
Example:
The 13th Amendment was a monumental step, finally ending the institution of chattel slavery that had defined much of American history.
14th Amendment
Ratified in 1868, it granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves, and guaranteed equal protection of the laws and due process.
Example:
The 14th Amendment was later used by civil rights activists to challenge segregation, arguing that 'separate but equal' facilities violated the equal protection clause.
15th Amendment
Ratified in 1870, this amendment prohibits states from denying a citizen the right to vote based on 'race, color, or previous condition of servitude.'
Example:
Despite the 15th Amendment, Southern states implemented poll taxes and literacy tests to disenfranchise African American voters for decades.
All deliberate speed
The phrase used by the Supreme Court in Brown II (1955) to order lower courts to proceed with desegregation of public schools, which allowed for significant delays.
Example:
The vague directive of 'all deliberate speed' in Brown II unfortunately provided an excuse for many Southern states to resist desegregation for years.
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas
A landmark 1954 Supreme Court case that declared state-sponsored segregation in public schools unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson.
Example:
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas was a monumental victory for the Civil Rights Movement, signaling the beginning of the end for legal segregation.
Civil Rights Division
A division within the U.S. Justice Department responsible for enforcing federal statutes prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, and national origin.
Example:
The strengthening of the Civil Rights Division under Truman aided efforts to challenge segregation in schools through legal means.
Committee on Civil Rights
Established by President Truman in 1946, this committee investigated racial discrimination and recommended measures to promote civil rights, including desegregation of the armed forces.
Example:
The Committee on Civil Rights' report highlighted the widespread racial injustices in America, pushing the federal government to take a more active role in civil rights.
Earl Warren
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who presided over the Brown v. Board of Education case and wrote the unanimous decision declaring school segregation unconstitutional.
Example:
Chief Justice Earl Warren's leadership on the Supreme Court was crucial in achieving a unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education, lending it significant authority.
Emmett Till
A 14-year-old African American boy who was brutally murdered in Mississippi in 1955 after allegedly whistling at a white woman, becoming a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement.
Example:
The horrific murder of Emmett Till and his mother's decision to have an open-casket funeral shocked the nation and galvanized support for civil rights.
Fair Employment Practice Commission
A proposed commission by President Truman to prevent employers from discriminating against the hiring of Black people, which was blocked by Southern Democrats.
Example:
Truman's push for a Fair Employment Practice Commission demonstrated his commitment to using federal power to combat racial discrimination in the workplace.
Kidnapped and murdered
Refers to the violent abduction and killing of Emmett Till by white supremacists in Mississippi, a crime that drew national attention to racial violence.
Example:
The fact that Till was kidnapped and murdered with impunity underscored the extreme dangers faced by African Americans in the Jim Crow South.
Linda Brown
An African American student in Topeka, Kansas, whose denial of enrollment at an all-white school near her home became the central case in Brown v. Board of Education.
Example:
The courage of Linda Brown's family in challenging school segregation helped bring about a pivotal Supreme Court decision.
Montgomery Bus Boycott
A 385-day protest in Montgomery, Alabama (1955-1956), by African Americans against segregated public transportation, sparked by Rosa Parks' arrest.
Example:
The success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which led to the desegregation of city buses, demonstrated the power of collective nonviolent action.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
Founded in 1909, this civil rights organization is dedicated to fighting racial discrimination and securing political, educational, social, and economic equality for African Americans.
Example:
The NAACP played a crucial role in the Civil Rights Movement, particularly through its legal challenges against segregation, such as Brown v. Board of Education.
Passive resistance / Peaceful nonresistance
A philosophy and method of nonviolent protest, advocated by Martin Luther King Jr., involving refusing to cooperate with unjust laws or practices without resorting to violence.
Example:
King's call for passive resistance encouraged protestors to endure insults and violence without retaliation, aiming to expose the brutality of segregation.
Plessy v. Ferguson
A landmark 1896 Supreme Court decision that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine.
Example:
Plessy v. Ferguson provided the legal justification for Jim Crow laws across the South for over half a century.
Reconstruction era
The period following the Civil War (1865-1877) focused on rebuilding the South, integrating formerly enslaved people into society, and defining the rights of African Americans.
Example:
During the Reconstruction era, federal troops occupied the South to enforce new laws and protect the rights of freedmen.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
A Baptist minister and prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement, known for his advocacy of nonviolent civil disobedience.
Example:
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. emerged as an inspirational figure during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, advocating for peaceful resistance against injustice.
Rosa Parks
An African American civil rights activist whose refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus in 1955 sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Example:
Rosa Parks' courageous act of defiance became a symbol of the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement and ignited a year-long protest.
Separate but equal
A legal doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson that allowed for racial segregation in public facilities as long as the segregated facilities were supposedly equal in quality.
Example:
In practice, the separate but equal doctrine rarely resulted in truly equal facilities, with those designated for African Americans consistently inferior.
Sit-in
A form of nonviolent direct action where protestors occupy a segregated space, such as a lunch counter, and refuse to leave until served or their demands are met.
Example:
The Greensboro sit-in at a Woolworth's lunch counter sparked a wave of similar protests across the South, challenging segregation in public accommodations.
Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
An organization formed in 1957 by Martin Luther King Jr. and other Black ministers to coordinate civil rights protests and promote nonviolent direct action.
Example:
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference utilized the moral authority of Black churches to mobilize communities for the civil rights struggle.
Southern Manifesto
A document signed in 1956 by 101 members of Congress from Southern states, denouncing the Brown v. Board of Education decision and pledging to resist school integration.
Example:
The Southern Manifesto demonstrated the widespread political opposition to desegregation among Southern leaders, signaling a long and difficult struggle ahead.
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
An influential civil rights organization formed in 1960 to coordinate student-led sit-ins and other forms of nonviolent direct action.
Example:
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee played a vital role in organizing grassroots efforts and empowering young activists throughout the Civil Rights Movement.
The Negro Motorist Green Book (The Green Book)
A guidebook published from 1936 to 1966 that listed hotels, restaurants, and other businesses considered 'friendly' and safe for African American travelers during the era of segregation.
Example:
The Green Book became an essential tool for Black travelers navigating the dangers and indignities of segregated roads across America.
Thurgood Marshall
A prominent NAACP lawyer who argued the Brown v. Board of Education case before the Supreme Court and later became the first African American Supreme Court Justice.
Example:
Thurgood Marshall's brilliant legal strategy was instrumental in dismantling the 'separate but equal' doctrine.
Woolworth's lunch counter
A specific location in Greensboro, North Carolina, where four African American college students initiated a pivotal sit-in protest in 1960 against segregation.
Example:
The Woolworth's lunch counter became an iconic symbol of the fight against segregation, as students bravely challenged discriminatory practices.