Eisenhower Civil Rights through Birmingham

1.  Mississippi
 Till was vacationing,
he was from Chicago
 Whistled at a white
woman
 3 days later,
kidnapped, beaten,
shot, thrown in the
river.
 4 men arrested, all
found innocent by an
all white jury

2.  9 Black students
want to attend Little
Rock High in
Arkansas.
 Governor Orval
Faubus
 Orders National
Guard to prevent the
students from
entering.
 Ike sends in US army
(101st Airborne) to
escort and protect the
students
 1958-School was
canceled all year
 1959-School was
integrated!!

3.  This is the first Civil
Rights bill since
Reconstruction.
 It became a federal
crime to prevent
someone from voting.
 Not very successful!!
 Thurmond’s
Filibuster!

4.  Allowed the Federal
Govt. to inspect polling
places
 Became a crime to
anyone obstructing the
federal registration
process
 Longest filibuster in US
history
 125 hours & 31 minutes

5.  1960-Greensboro, NC
 4 black college
students from NC
A&T wanted lunch @
Woolworth’s
 They were denied so
they just sat there.
 Day 2-27 people just
sat
 Day 3-300 people sat
 Day 4-1000 people
sat

6.  1. Freedom Riders
 Protesting segregation
in Interstate Travel
 Traveling from D.C. to
New Orleans
 May 14-buses split in
Alabama
 Buses firebombed in
Anniston
 Birmingham-the police
were given the day off
by Governor George
Wallace

8.  Nicknamed
“Bombingham”
 Since 1957 over 50 cross
burnings and 18 bombings
 Police Commissioner Eugene
“Bull” Connor arrests 2200
over 5 weeks
 Protest w/ Children
 Fire Hoses, Electric Cattle
Prods, Attack Dogs
 “Are we to say to the world
that we are a land of the free
except for Negroes?” – JFK
 King got his needed
victory, Birmingham
began to integrate!