Civil rights
On Thursday 1 December 1955, a man stepped onto a Montgomery bus and looked around for a seat. It was the time of segregation in the US. Blacks and whites were not allowed to share benches in parks, or sit next to one another on buses – or use the same entrances into cinemas.
The white man couldn’t find a seat in the front of the bus, so the driver asked four black people to move and make room for him. Three of them did; one did not. Her name was Rosa Parks.
Her actions inspired the civil rights movement in the US as activists across the country began campaigning for equal rights.
One of the most influential of these was Martin Luther King Jr, who led marches throughout the USA. In 1963, he addressed 250,000 supporters in Washington with his now famous I Have A Dream speech, in which he called for people to be judged “not by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character”.
On 2 July 1964, President Lyndon B Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, which outlawed segregation in all schools, public places and jobs.
Every third Monday in January is marked as Martin Luther King Day. It is a time to remember the courage and resilience of the activists who fought for their civil rights.
Read Our Stories
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Critics feud over ‘false’ civil rights film
Selma, a new film about American civil rights, is released in the UK today. It is critically acclaimed and Oscar-nominated — but is it inaccurate? And does it matter if so?
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US celebrates 50 years of civil rights
It is now five decades since President Johnson managed to pass the Civil Rights Act in a bid to end centuries of discrimination against black people. How should we celebrate its legacy?
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The day nine young students defied racism
That astonishing act of courage took place exactly 60 years ago — yet how much has changed? For example, today in America blacks are three times as likely as whites to be killed by police.
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‘This struggle should matter to all of us’
Is protest against racism a duty for everyone? As Black Lives Matter protests swept across the world this weekend, the focus is turning to the role of white people in fighting injustice.
Assembly
This week’s tailor-made assembly slides explore the history of the civil rights movement and some of the activists involved. Videos, discussion points, facts and figures illustrate how the movement has changed life for millions – and the work still to be done. The ready-to-use presentation is easy to share on screens to support online learning.
Activities
- Learn about the civil rights movements and then test your knowledge with this quiz.
- Research the civil rights movement in the USA and create a timeline of key moments.
- Read about other civil rights activists and their fight against injustice. Choose one person and write a short biography of their life and work.
