1. 1964: Civil Rights in America
By: Brianna Bennett

2. Research Question:
How did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and events
involving racial segregation during that period
(Mississippi Burning Trial, Race riots, etc.) have
affect on the way discrimination is viewed in
America today?

3. Civil Rights Act 1964
• On July 2, 1964 President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights
Act into law.
Before the government had passed this act, John F. Kennedy was
killed and Johnson used the shock of his death to push the act
forward to advance African-Americans within the U.S. society
▫ Though Kennedy believed in civil rights for blacks, in 1963 he wanted to
proceed slowly with passing the act because he feared political backlash
▫ In LBJ’s words, "no memorial or eulogy could more eloquently honor
President Kennedy's memory than the earliest possible passage of the
civil rights bill for which he fought."
It guaranteed that "No person in the United States shall, on the
ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to
discrimination.”

4. Civil Rights Act of 1964
also…
authorized the Department of
Justice to bring legal action
against segregation
banned segregation in all public MLK and Johnson during
signing of Civil Rights Act
facilities
 outlawed not only racial
discrimination in employment,
but religious and sex
discrimination as well (Title VII)

5. Civil Rights Act 1964
Though the act could not change the racial opinions of
some people in America by force, the law did have
positive affects.
IMPACTS:
• In 1964, only two southern states (Tennessee and Texas) had more
than 2% of their black students enrolled in integrated schools.
• Because of Title VI, about 6% of the black students in the South
were in integrated schools by the next year.
▫ *Title VI protects people from discrimination based on race, color or
national origin in programs or activities that receive Federal financial
assistance*

6. Civil Rights Act of 1964
IMPACTS:
• "Whites only" water fountains, pools and
restaurants became illegal
• "no blacks need apply" job announcements
became a violation of federal law
• Women had greater job opportunities also
"Male only" job notices became illegal for the
first time!

7. Civil Rights Act of 1964
FOLLOWING:
• Riots Occurred- some African-Americans in north-eastern cities
believed the act did not go far enough

8. Following…Mississippi Freedom
Democratic Party Steps Up
• The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party demanded to have seats
at the Democratic Party Convention in Atlantic City
▫ They believed that they were more representative of the people who lived
in Mississippi than the politicians who would usually have attended such
conventions
About MFDP:
1. Established in April 1964
Overall, Johnson was dismayed by the lack of public support

9. Following… March 1964
• Malcolm X breaks with the Nation of Islam, and
begins his own group, the Organization of Afro-
American Unity.
• Promotes peaceful co-existance between whites
and blacks as well as equal rights for blacks

10. July 18, 1964
• James Powell, a 15 year old black resident of Harlem, was shot and
killed by an off duty white police officer named Thomas G. Gilligan.
Powell and his two other friends were involved in horseplay and,
supposedly, were bothering and messing around with a building
superintendent, Patrick Lynch.
• Lynch sprayed the boys with his garden hose. The two other boys
chased Lynch and as Powell went to follow along with them, Lt.
Gilligan intervened and shot at James twice, with the second bullet
being fatal.
• Members of Powell’s community were outraged, and like wild fire,
their anger spread.

11. Sparks start
• On July 16th through the 17th, protests were
organized by the CORE (Congress of Racial
Equality) to have the prosecution of the offending
officer
• CORE addressed the issue of police brutality
occurring in the 60’s; it was an issue that
concerned the organization greatly
• On July 18th, protestors marched on the 28th
Precinct in Harlem, NY
▫ Police confronted the protestors, and violence broke
out
▫ This was the start of the Harlem Race Riots

12. Harlem Race Riots
What started as a protest march to the police station began to escalate into a six
day rampage of violence;
*Ironically, it occurred only 2 weeks after President Johnson signed the Civil
Rights Act of 1964.
A few types of examples of police brutality was:
• spraying the black crowds with a fire hose,
• attack dogs,
• and physical abuse with weapons against the riots of the black community.
Despite the protests, later on in the year, a grand jury found Lt. Gilligan not
guilty and he did not face any criminal charges.

13. Sounds a little similar…
The recent Zimmerman and Martin case,
in which the unarmed teenage black boy
Trayvon Martin was killed by a white
neighborhood watchman, has caused an
uproar by members of Martin’s
community and efforts for Zimmerman’s
arrest to be pushed forth. Resembling
the Powell case in the 60’s, these prime
examples of racial predjudice show that
America is continuing to deal with racial
profiling issues today.

14. Moving Forward
• During the midst of the Civil Rights movements,
students from Universities from the North went
to the South to help African Americans register
to vote and participate in the voting process- free
from fear and intimidation. Young people were
hoping to move the Civil Right’s Act forward by
joining organizations and participating in
marches for what they believed was right.

15. Mississippi Summer Project
A civil rights movement in
1964, named Freedom
Summer, was a campaign
launched to get African
Americans in the southern
United States registered to
vote. Thousands of students
and civil rights activists, both
white and black, joined the
organization Congress of
Racial Equality (CORE) and
traveled to southern states to
register voters. They mostly
emphasized voter registration
rather than desegregation as a
goal.

16. Mississippi Summer Project
• It was launched in June, 1964 and ended in late August 1964
▫ GOAL: to get as many of the state’s African Americans to vote as possible
White supremacists responded by harassing, arresting,
and attacking (in some cases fatally) the activists.
• Between June 20 and August 26, the following events had occurred in
Mississippi:
▫ 4 activists killed
▫ 4 critically injured
▫ 80 were beaten
▫ Roughly 1,000 were arrested
▫ 37 churches were burned/bombed
▫ 30 homes/businesses as well

17. Volunteers and Activists- Every Day
Occurances
When the buses arrived in Mississippi , protesters against the civil
rights activists violently attacked; buses were set on fire, mobs used
clubs to hit the volunteers, and guns were shot.
Reported witness William Orrick of the Justice Department: “People
with no apparent connection were beaten, a boy’s leg was broken,
and another boy had inflammable liquid poured over him and set on
fire.”
Frank Cieciorka stated, “I was beaten once, involved in high-speed
chases twice, and jailed four times.”
Deborah Rand recalled, “As I walked down the street with my
Freedom School students, cars swerved trying to hit us.”

18. Freedom Summer Cont.
• On June 14, 1964 the first group of summer volunteers began training at
Western College for Women in Oxford, Ohio.
• Of the approximately 1,000 volunteers, the majority were white
northern college students from middle and upper class backgrounds.
• The training sessions were intended to:
▫ prepare volunteers to register black voters,
▫ teach literacy and civics at Freedom Schools,
▫ and promote the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party’s challenge to the all-white
Democratic delegation at that summer’s Democratic National Convention in Atlantic
City, New Jersey.
Only one week after their meetings in Oxford, 3 civil rights workers are reported
missing….

19. The Mississippi Burning Trial
On August 4 in Neshoba County, Mississippi, 3 bodies are found in a dam
after 6 weeks of investigation by the FBI (backed by the President) Michael
Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, and James Chaney were three civil rights
activists involved with the Mississippi Summer Project who were killed by
members of the Ku Klux Klan.
BEFORE THE KILLING
• Schwerner and Chaney were working near Neshoba County, Mississippi to
accomplish tasks such as opening “Freedom Schools”, organizing black boycotts of
white-owned businesses , and to register African-Americans to vote.
▫ *The work these activists were doing enraged members of the Ku Klux Klan, who
were becoming very active in Mississippi during the 60’s. They wanted to get rid
of as many prominent workers as they could *

20. The Mississippi Burning Trial
• Michael Schwerner became a target by members of the Klan because he was
successful in organizing a boycott of a variety store in Meridian until the
store hired its first African-American employee.
• The hatred the Klan grew for him was also because Schwerner was Jewish,
and the KKK referred to him as “Jew Boy” or “Goatee”.
• Sam Bowers was the Imperial Wizard of the White Knights during
"Freedom Summer" and had an intense dislike for Schwerner.
He was the one who ordered Schwerner to be killed by activating “Plan 4”
Sam Bowers

21. The Mississippi Burning Trial
PLAN 4
• The Klan was aware that Schwerner had a meeting at Mount Zion
Church, which was to be a future location for one of the many
Freedom Schools that were opening throughout Mississippi.
• However, the KKK were misinformed because when they showed up
to the church, Schwerner was not there; he was actually in Oxford,
Ohio along with Chaney and Goodman attending a seminar. With
rage, members began beating the church members before they
burned it to the ground.
• Learning about the fire, all 3 activists returned to investigate the
church. It was there in Neshoba County, Mississippi that they
learned from other community members that they were being
targeted by some local white men.

22. The Mississippi Burning Trial
• Heading back to Meridian and a few miles outside of Philadelphia,
the three driving in a blue Core-Wagon were spotted by Klan
member, Deputy Sheriff Cecil Price.
• Price pulled the wagon over and arrested the three students for
being under suspicion of arson in the Mount Zion Church fire.
• Price freed the three jailed men around 10 p.m. and followed them
as they drove down Highway 19.
• The CORE group realized that Price was chasing them, and a high
speed chase occurred until Chaney stopped the car and surrendered
to Price.

23. Wayne Roberts
The Mississippi Burning Trial
• The three men were placed in Price's patrol car and Price, followed
by two cars of young Klan members, drove down a dirt road called
Rock Cut Road.
• Price then handed the men over to the other members of the KKK in
the two cars.
• The three were taken from the car, and were beaten severely. 26-
year-old Wayne Roberts, shot Schwerner, then Goodman, then
Chaney.

24. •On August 4, the FBI discovered their
bodies hidden in a dam lying on a
nearby farm.
•19 of the men were arrested, but a week
later, charges were dismissed by Federal
Judge William Harold Cox (extreme
segregationist)
•It was not until March, 1966 that the
U.S. Supreme Court would over-rule
Cox
Andrew’s father issued a statement that was published
nationwide: “Our grief, though personal, belongs to
the nation. The values our son expressed in his simple
action of going to Mississippi are still the bonds that
Andrew Goodman, James Chaney bind this nation together.”
and Michael Schwerner (Left to right)

25. Lawrence Rainey, Neshoba
County Sheriff, and his deputy,
Cecil Price at 1964 hearing
The Mississippi Burning Trial:
WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS…….
Price and Posey received six years.
Roberts (shooter) and Bowers (planner) received
ten years.
All others (15 KKK members involved with Plan 4)
received four years.

26. Mississippi Burning Movie
Receiving 7.8 stars out of 10, the 1988
“Mississippi Burning” movie was an
emotionally powerful film that was based on
the murders of Chaney, Schwerner, and
Goodman.
1964: When America was at war… with
itself

27. “It is not enough to say we must not
wage war. It is necessary to love peace
and sacrifice for it.”

28. Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King played a huge part in fighting for civil rights in the
60’s and was recognized for his achievements. He was….
• leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
• named Time Person of the Year in 1963
• awarded the American Liberties Medallion by the American Jewish
Committee for his "exceptional advancement of the principles of human
liberty“ in 1965
• awarded the Margaret Sanger Award for “his courageous resistance to
bigotry and his lifelong dedication to the advancement of social justice and
human dignity.” in 1965 as well
• awarded the Marcus Garvey Prize for Human Rights by Jamaica in
1968.

29. Nobel Peace Prize of 1964
Martin Luther King Jr. was the youngest man to have received the
Nobel Peace Prize, at the age of 35. He was awarded the Nobel Prize
for his work in settling racial disputes with nonviolence and his
belief in equality.
After winning the award, he announced that he would
donate the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the
civil rights movement.

30. Oral History
Who? – My great-grandma Orr
She’s in her early 80’s; during the 60’s she was
in her 30’s.
She is a very interesting person to talk to!

31. Oral History
Question #1:The South was known for its strong racism in the 60’s.
(Mississippi) Living in Ohio during the 1960’s, were there any
signs of segregation in the North? If so, can you give me some
examples?
Answer: “No, I do not remember any signs of segregation where I
lived. There were definitely no separate bathrooms, eating areas,
water fountains and such for black and whites where I lived; some
places in the south were a whole’nother story.”

32. Oral History
Question #2: What do you remember about the deaths of the 3 civil
rights workers in Neshoba, Mississippi? (near Philadelphia, Miss.)
Was it a big deal here or did it only make headlines in the South?
Answer: “Oh, I don’t recall the names of the fellows, but I DO
remember hearing about the murders of the civil rights workers.
Yes, I do remember! But I don’t remember how much they talked
about it here… I believe it was a bigger deal in some areas then
others. I just remember hearing about it.”
[Begins talking about babysitting in Nova Scotia]

33. Oral History
Question #3: Many race riots occurred in the 60’s, such as the Harlem
Race Riots. Where there any

34. Oral History
Question #3: When the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, did you
think it was a step forward towards racial equality?
Answer: “I believe so. It outlawed many issues with discrimination,
and I think it made a positive change on America.

35. sources
http://www.kingian.net/ Site for teens on non
violence and the ideas of Martin Luther King Jr.
http://www.thekingcenter.org/ Speeches,
biography, educational activities from the
• King Center in Atlanta
• http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/history/A085
8852.html

36. sources
• http://crime.about.com/od/history/p/ms_burn.
htm
• http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/
laureates/1964/king.html
• http://crdl.usg.edu/events/ny_race_riots/?Wel
come james powell
• http://www.detroits-great-
rebellion.com/Harlem-riot.html