10.1 The Modern Civil Rights Movement Emerges

Unit 10: The Modern Civil Rights Movement and Social Change

Lesson 10.1: The Modern Civil Rights Movement Emerges

Lesson Objectives:

Today, you will be able to:

• Identify the strategies and effectiveness of the Montgomery Bus Boycott

• Identify the foundational elements of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

• Evaluate how earlier civil rights efforts contributed to the rise of the modern civil rights movement and Martin Luther King Jr.’s leadership

Essential Question: How did the Brown v. Board of Education case and previous civil rights efforts help pave the way for the modern Civil Rights Movement?

Background: Civil Rights Before 1954

• African Americans resisted racism and injustice throughout U.S. history

• Resistance included:

  • Cultural preservation during slavery

  • Self‑emancipation and the Underground Railroad

  • Legal challenges and organized protest

• Early civil rights activism laid the groundwork for later successes

Multiple Choice

What was the main outcome of the Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court case in 1896?

• It established the standard of 'separate, but equal'

• It ended racial segregation in schools

• It gave equal opportunities to the Black community

Multiple Choice

How did the 'separate, but equal' doctrine affect public institutions and schools in the United States?

• It ensured equal resources for all students

• It led to segregation and unequal opportunities for Black communities

• It promoted integration of schools

Poll

Do you think that schools immediately desegregated after the ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education?

• Yes

• No

​Resistance to Brown

• Desegregation did not happen immediately

• Some northern cities complied quickly

• Many southern officials openly resisted

• White Citizens’ Councils formed to maintain segregation

• Civil rights activism continued beyond the courts

Multiple Select

Which of the following statements about Rosa Parks is true? Select all that apply.

• She had a long history of being active in civil rights efforts

• She was the secretary of the NAACP chapter in Montgomery

• She was chosen because she was pregnant

• She was older and extremely calm

Multiple Choice

What event triggered the Montgomery Bus Boycott and mobilized the Black community in Montgomery, Alabama?

• Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a White person

• Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech

• The Supreme Court ruled segregation unconstitutional

Multiple Select

Which of the following were outcomes of the Supreme Court's decision in Browder v. Gayle?

• Alabama's racial segregation laws for buses were declared unconstitutional

• Brown v. Board of Education was cited as a precedent

• Bus fares increased in Montgomery

• The Civil Rights movement expanded to challenge more racial barriers

Multiple Select

Which individuals and events played a key role in the emergence of the modern Civil Rights Movement?

• Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott

• Martin Luther King Jr. and nonviolent protest

• Supreme Court decisions on segregation

• Economic losses for Montgomery City Lines

Multiple Select

Which factors contributed to the formation of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)?

• Success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott

• King's election as leader

• Belief in churches as organizational spaces

• Violent protests in the South