The Civil Rights Movement

As we have seen the end of the Civil War did not resolve the problems for black people in America. Many black people found that they could not take part in society. Jobs, housing, education and a host of other areas of life that we take for granted were excluded to black people.

Even drinking water in public was kept separate between black and white people.

So how could ordinary people get justice? The late 50s saw the growth of non-violent direct action. Black and white campaigners would take part in civil disobedience to gain publicity for their cause. Sit-ins, bus boycotts and a selection of protests which forced the authorities to either change their racist laws or arrest them. The idea was that this publicity would cause fair and just people to see what was going on in the worlds largest democracy.

In this picture you can see black and white students at a white only cafe. They refuse to react to the insults and abuse. This would have allowed the authorities to arrest them for violent behaviour.

Elizabeth Ekford tried to get into a white school in Arkansas in 1957. She faced incredible levels of verbal and physical violence.

In Alabama, the authorities were happy to use high powered water hoses against school children. They were even willing to send 9 year olds to jail for a week! It was photos like this that made people throughout America become very uncomfortable with events.

Rosa Parks campaigned in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955 won the right to ride at the front of buses. Here she can be seen in 1956 after such discrimination was illegal.