The Civil Rights Movement started in the 1950s as both black and white Americans took action against racial inequalities. Several events contributed to growing unrest, including African Americans serving in World War II but still facing discrimination at home, the murder of Emmett Till in 1955, and changes to laws regarding racial segregation. Key early victories for the movement included the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling declaring racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott protesting segregation on public buses, and the 1957 desegregation crisis in Little Rock, Arkansas.

1. The Civil Rights Movement
Lesson objective:
To discover what caused started the Civil Right
movement and to learn about some of the early
victories in their campaign

2. The Civil Rights Movement
The Civil Rights Movement was when people decided
to take action against the inequalities in America.
Both black and white people became involved in the
major campaigns that began in the 1950’s.

3. What started the Civil Rights
Movement?
The Civil Rights Movement did not begin
because of one particular event but due to a
growing unrest caused by events such as:
•Black Americans fighting for the USA in wars
•The murder of Emmett Till
•The change in laws to do with segregation

4. The impact of war on Black Americans
One million black Americans
served in the US armed
forces during the Second
World War
Black Americans found
themselves fighting for
‘Democracy and Freedom’
against the evil of Nazi
Germany, and yet in their own
country they were seen as
second class citizens

5. The Death of Emmett Till
When Emmett Till was murdered the story
spread not just across America but across the
world.
One way in which people recorded the event was
in a song.
Read the lyrics in front of you and listen to the
song to find out why his murder made such an
impact.

6. The Fifties
During the 1950’s four major events happened
that aided the Civil Rights Movement these are:
•Brown Vs Board of Education- 1954
•The murder of Emmett Till- 1955
•The Montgomery Bus Boycott- 1955
•Little Rock, Arkansas- 1957

7. Information Swap
The class will be divided into three groups, each
group has a particular event that they need to
make notes on. They have 5 minutes to do this.
After 5 minutes you need to find someone else in
the class who was studied something different and
swap information.
Repeat this with the final event and then sit back
in your place
Be prepared to feedback the details to the rest
of the class.

8. • Brown Vs Board of Education
• The Montgomery Bus Boycott
• Little Rock, Arkansas

9. Out of the four events that you learnt
about today- which do you think made
the biggest impact towards Civil
Rights?

10. Out of the four events that you learnt
about today- which do you think made
the biggest impact towards Civil
Rights?