The civil rights revolution : events and leaders, 1955-1968

From the Supreme Court's decision of Brown v. Board of Education in 1955 to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1968--African American students, lawyers, ministers and communities conducted a successful nonviolent campaign against the system of American apartheid in eleven states.

This work is organized into four sections. The first describes apartheid in the U.S. before Brown v. Board of Education. The causes of the revolution--the enforcement of apartheid laws by state governments, courts, police, and the KKK--are also analyzed. The second presents 54 confrontations in the struggle for Civil Rights--including court cases, boycotts, sit-ins, marches, demonstrations, and the desegregation of cities and schools--from the Moton High student strike (in Farmville, Virginia) in 1951 to 1969's hospital workers' strike in Charleston. The third is a series of 60 biographical profiles of leaders giving their educational and civil rights achievements. This section also includes a list of 40 historically significant activist organizations. The fourth section discusses six important Civil Rights laws and concludes with the general accomplishments of the struggle.

• Acknowledgments p. vii
• Foreword p. xv Bill Maxwell
• Preface p. 1
• I Prelude to Revolution
• U.S. Apartheid to Brown v. Board of Education p. 3
• Cases Argued by the NAACP Before the U.S. Supreme Court, 1915-1955 p. 8
• II Nonviolent Activists v. the Establishment p. 13
• Students v. Prince Edward County, VA, 1951-1964 p. 13
• Autherine Lucy v. University of Alabama, 1952-1988 p. 15
• Baton Rouge Bus Boycott, LA, 1953 p. 16
• The Montgomery Bus Boycott, AL, 1955-1956 p. 18
• Tallahassee Bus Boycott, FL, 1956-1958 p. 23
• Virginia v. The NAACP, 1956 p. 27
• Alabama v. The NAACP, 1956 p. 28
• The Ku Klux Klan v. Black Activists, AL, 1956-1963 p. 29
• Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom, Washington, DC, 1957 p. 31
• Daisy Bates v. Governor Faubus, AR, 1957-1959 p. 33
• Miami Lunch Counter Sit-Ins, FL, 1959 p. 38
• Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-Ins, NC, 1960 p. 38
• Nashville Lunch Counter Sit-Ins, TN, 1960 p. 41
• Tallahassee Lunch Counter Sit-Ins, FL, 1960 p. 43
• Baton Rouge Lunch Counter Sit-Ins, LA, 1961 p. 46
• Desegregation of Savannah, GA, 1960-1963 p. 46
• Desegregation of Atlanta, GA, 1960-1961 p. 48
• Desegregation of College Station, TX, 1959-1961 p. 51
• Sharecroppers Seek to Vote, TN, 1960-1961 p. 53
• Hunter and Holmes Desegregate the University of Georgia, 1961 p. 54
• Freedom Riders-First Echelon, 1961 p. 55
• Freedom Riders-Second Echelon, 1961 p. 58
• The Albany Campaign, GA, 1961-1962 p. 61
• Meredith Matriculates at Ole Miss, MS, 1961-1962 p. 64
• COFO and Moses v. Extreme Apartheid, MS, 1961-1964 p. 66
• Harvey Gantt Desegregates Clemson University, SC, 1963 p. 70
• William Moore, the Postman, April 1963 p. 71
• The Mock Freedom Vote, MS, 1963 p. 72
• The "Battle" of Birmingham, AL, 1963 p. 73
• Dr. King Answers Eight White Clergymen, AL, 1963 p. 77
• Desegregation of Greensboro, NC, 1963 p. 79
• Danville Demonstrations and Boycott, VA, 1963 p. 83
• March on Washington, DC, 1963 p. 85
• Tallahassee Theater Desegregation, FL, 1963 p. 87
• Tallahassee Two-Way Pool Desegregation, FL, 1963 p. 88
• North Florida Citizen Education Project, 1963-1964 p. 89
• Saint Augustine Campaign, FL, 1963-1964 p. 90
• Mississippi Freedom Schools, 1964 p. 93
• Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, 1964 p. 95
• Women's Wednesdays in Mississippi, 1964-1965 p. 98
• Selma Voter Registration Drive by SNCC, AL, 1963-1964 p. 99
• Selma Voter Registration Drive by SCLC, AL, 1965 p. 101
• Police Ambush Marchers in Marion, AL, 1965 p. 104
• Three Marches: Selma to Montgomery, AL, 1965 p. 105
• U.S. Supreme Court v. U.S. Apartheid, 1958-1968 p. 110
• Meredith's March Against Fear, MS, 1966 p. 111
• "Operation Breadbasket," Atlanta and Chicago, 1962-1971 p. 114
• Chicago Freedom Movement, IL, 1966 p. 116
• Cleveland Mayoral Campaign, OH, 1967 p. 120
• J. Edgar Hoover v. Dr. King, 1964-1968 p. 121
• Dr. King v. President Johnson re: Vietnam, 1967 p. 122
• The Orangeburg Massacre, SC, 1960 and 1968 p. 125
• AFSCME Workers Strike, Memphis, TN, 1968 p. 127
• AFSCME Workers Strikes, Atlanta and Charleston, 1968 p. 129
• III Leaders of the Revolution p. 133
• Abernathy, Ralph David (1926-1990), NAACP, SCLC p. 134
• Baker, Ella Josephine (1903-1986), NAACP, SCLC p. 134
• Barry, Marion Sheppilov (March 6, 1936-), SNCC p. 135
• Bates, Daisy Gaston (1920-1999), NAACP p. 135
• Belafonte, Harold George, "Harry" (March 1927-), Entertainer, Activist p. 136
• Bevel, James Luther (October 19, 1936-), SCLC p. 137
• Bond, Julian (January 14, 1940-), SNCC p. 137
• Carter, Robert L. (March 11, 1917-), NAACP-LDF p. 138
• Clark, Septima Poinsette (1898-1987), SCLC p. 138
• Conyers, John, Jr. (May 16, 1929-), Congressional Black Caucus p. 139
• Cotton, Dorothy Foreman (1931-), SCLC p. 139
• Du Bois, William Edward Burghardt (1868-1963), NAACP p. 140
• Due, Patricia Stephens (1939-), CORE p. 141
• Edelman, Marian Wright (June 6, 1939-), NAACP p. 142
• Evers, Medgar Wylie (July 2, 1925-June 12, 1963), NAACP p. 142
• Farmer, James Leonard (January 12, 1920-), CORE p. 143
• Fauntroy, Walter (February 6, 1933-), SCLC, Congressional Black Caucus p. 143
• Forman, James (October 4, 1928-), SNCC p. 144
• Gray, Fred David, NAACP-LDF p. 145
• Green, Ernest G. (September 22, 1941-), Student, NAACP p. 145
• Gregory, Richard Claxon, "Dick" (October 12, 1932-), Entertainer, Activist p. 145
• Hamer, Fannie Lou Townsend (1917-1977), MFDP p. 146
• Height, Dorothy Irene (March 24, 1912-), NCNW p. 146
• Henry, Aaron (1922-1997), NAACP, MFDP p. 147
• Houston, Charles Hamilton (September 3, 1895-April 22, 1950), NAACP p. 147
• Hunter-Gault, Charlayne (February 27, 1942-), Journalist, Activist p. 148
• Jackson, Jesse Louis (October 8, 1941-), SCLC p. 148
• Jordan, Vernon Eulion, Jr. (August 15, 1935-), SCLC p. 149
• King, Martin Luther, Jr. (January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968), NAACP, SCLC p. 149
• King, Coretta Scott (April 27, 1927-), Freedom Activist p. 150
• King, Martin Luther, Sr. (1899-1984), SCLC p. 151
• Lawson, James Morris (September 22, 1928-), SCLC p. 151
• Lewis, John (February 21, 1940-), SNCC p. 152
• Lowery, Joseph E. (1924-), SCLC p. 152
• Marshall, Thurgood (July 2, 1908-January 24, 1993), NAACP, LDF p. 153
• Mays, Benjamin Elijah (August 1, 1894-March 28, 1984), Scholar, Advisor p. 153
• McCain, James, NAACP, CORE p. 154
• McKissick, Floyd B. (March 9, 1922-April 28, 1991), CORE p. 154
• Meredith, James H. (June 25, 1933-), Student, Activist p. 155
• Mitchell, Clarence M., Jr. (1911-1984), NAACP p. 155
• Moses, Robert Parris (January 23, 1935-), SNCC p. 156
• Motley, Constance Baker (September 14, 1921-), NAACP p. 157
• Nash, Diane Judith (May 15, 1938-), Nashville Student Movement, SNCC, SCLC p. 157
• Nixon, Edgar Daniel (July 12, 1899-February 27, 1987), NAACP p. 157
• Parks, Rosa Louise McCauley (February 4, 1913-), NAACP p. 158
• Randolph, Asa Philip (1889-1979), BSCP p. 159
• Robinson, Jo Ann Gibson (April 17, 1912-), WPC p. 160
• Rustin, Bayard (1910-1987), SCLC p. 161
• Shuttlesworth, Fred Lee (March 18, 1922-), ACMCR, SCLC p. 161
• Smith, Kelly Miller, SCLC p. 162
• Steele, Charles Kenzie (February 7, 1914-1980), ICC, SCLC p. 162
• Thurman, Howard (November 18, 1900-April 10, 1981), Professor p. 162
• Vivian, Cordy Tindell (July 30, 1924-), SCLC p. 163
• Walker, Wyatt Tee (August 16, 1929-), SCLC p. 163
• White, Walter Frances (July 1, 1893-March 28, 1955), NAACP p. 164
• Wilkins, Roy Otaway (August 30, 1901-September 8, 1981), NAACP p. 164
• Williams, Hosea Lorenzo (January 5, 1926-), NAACP p. 165
• Young, Andrew Jackson (March 12, 1932-), NAACP, SCLC p. 166
• Young, Jean Childs (1933-1994), NAACP p. 166
• Young, Whitney Moore, Jr. (July 31, 1921-March 11, 1971), NUL p. 167
• Nonviolent Civil Rights Organizations p. 167
• The "Big-6"
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) p. 168
• National Urban League (NUL) p. 168
• National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) p. 168
• Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) p. 168
• Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) p. 169
• Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) p. 169
• Special Purpose Organizations
• Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) p. 169
• Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) p. 170
• Legal Defense and Education Fund (LDEF of the NAACP) p. 170
• Southern Regional Council p. 170
• Voter Education Project (VEP) p. 170
• Local Organizations
• Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR) p. 171
• Twenty-eight Local Civil Rights Action Organizations p. 171
• IV Accomplishments p. 173
• Civil Rights Act of 1957 p. 173
• Civil Rights Act of 1960 p. 174
• Twenty-fourth Amendment to the Constitution p. 175
• Civil Rights Act of 1964 p. 175
• Voting Rights Act of 1965 p. 177
• The Fair Housing Act of 1968 p. 179
• Conclusion p. 179
• Bibliography p. 181
• Index p. 185