The Civil Rights & Voting Act

1. Why was the Civil Rights and Voting Acts so
important?
Learning Objectives: To evaluate the significance of the Civil Rights Act and the
Voting Act and to review the role that President Kennedy played in the movement?
Key Terms, Events, Names: Civil Rights Act, Lyndon Johnson, Selma to
Montgomery March

2. Why was the Washington March instrumental in
pushing forward the Civil Rights Act

3. Kennedy and the Civil
Rights Bill
LO: To evaluate the significance of the Civil Rights Act and the role that
President Kennedy played in the movement?
• Kennedy was elected on promises to
improve civil rights.
• Birmingham protests had raised calls on
Kennedy to enact legislation. Many civil
rights activists were starting to criticise
Kennedy for his lack of progress on the
issue.
• Review Pages 64-65 about the role that
President Kennedy played in the Civil
Rights Movement and answer Qu. 2-5.

4. Kennedy and the Civil
Rights Bill
LO: To evaluate the
significance of the Civil
Rights Act and the role
that President Kennedy
played in the movement?
After the Birmingham Protests on 11th June
1963, President Kennedy addressed the
nation on TV and radio in a speech in which
he identified the problem of racial
disharmony as:
‘a moral issue…as old as the scriptures
and…as clear as the American
Constitution.’
‘All Americans have the right to be served
in facilities which are open to the public –
hotels, restaurants, theatres, retail stores,
and similar establishments’

5. November,
1963

6. The Civil Rights Act 1964
LO: To evaluate the
significance of the Civil
Rights Act and the role
that President Kennedy
played in the movement?
• On 2nd July 1964, new
president Lyndon Johnson
signed the Civil Rights Act.
• However laws need to be
enforced to work and
Southern states still
continued to ignore the new
law.
The Civil Rights Act, 1964
• Banned discrimination in
education, work and public
places.
• Segregation in hotels, motels,
restaurants, lunch counters and
theatres was banned.
• Businesses who worked with
the government would be
monitored to ensure there was
no discrimination.
• The Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
(EEOC) was created to
implement the law.
Review the Civil Rights Act
worksheet and complete the
rank task on which had the
greatest effect on equality.

7. The Selma March
LO: To evaluate the
significance of the Civil
Rights Act and the role
that President Kennedy
played in the movement?
• Despite the Civil Rights Act, many
Southern States continued to resist so
the Civil Rights Movement organised a
march in Alabama, from Selma to
Montgomery, to highlight the
problem.
• On 7th March 1965 they were stopped
at Edmund Petus Bridge by state
troopers with tear gas, clubs and
electric cattle prods.
• Again, the violence against peaceful
protesters was televised and it put
pressure on President Johnson to act.
Develop a timeline of
events of the Selma to
Montgomery march.

9. The Voting Rights Act
1965
LO: To evaluate the
significance of the Civil
Rights Act and the role
that President Kennedy
played in the movement?
• The success of the Selma
march created an atmosphere
of optimism in which President
Johnson introduced the Voting
Rights Bill.
• By the end of 1965, 250,000
black Americans had
registered to vote.
Disenfranchisement had
been removed.
The Voting Rights Act,
1965
• Ended literacy tests
• Ensured federal agents
could monitor registration
and step-in if it felt there
was discriminationUsing the Starter Generator PPT,
your group must come up with an
interactive game/activity on the Voting
Rights Act for next lesson