Civil Rights Movement

Sociology:
Causes
of
social
movements
and
Groups
within
the
Civil
Rights
Movement
Brynna Johnson
Grade Level: 11th and 12th grade
Subject: Sociology
Learner Background: These students will most likely not have too much background about the
American Civil Rights Movement. Students may have learned about the movement during US History as
an eighth grader, or in a Civics class taken during their junior year. As a class we will have just finished a
unit on deviance.
Objectives: As a result of these 3 lessons, students will be able to:
1. Identify what a collective and mob behavior is through analysis of a lynching as well as
identify what a social movement and social movement organizations
2. Analyze primary and secondary source documents of each social movement organization (
NAACP, SNCC, CORE, SCLC, Black Panther Party, Mississippi
3. Create a presentation about one organization within the Civil Rights Movement.
Materials/ Resources:
1. Images of lynchings, documents and numbers of lynchings,
2. NAACP- “Goals for the NAACP/ Fight For Freedom Campaign”, SNCC- “Black Power: SNCC
Speaks for Itself”, CORE- “At the Breaking Point”, Black Panther Party- “What We Want What
We Believe”
3. Internet, PowerPoint, and LCD projector
Essential Questions Day 1: What is a collective? Why are they created? What is the reaction to a
collective by those who don’t agree?
Focus on Lynching in the South- Mob violence
Essential Questions Day 2: What is a social movement? What are the causes of the civil rights
movement? What is a social movement? What are social movement organizations?
Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement used as examples
Research this day using primary sources
Essential Questions Day 3: How are the different Civil Rights organizations similar and different?
Students will answer this question through presentation of their PowerPoints.
Overall Assessment:
Students will be assessed on their understanding of the unit in the following ways:
1. Day one completion of organizer
2. Group PowerPoint- using a specific rubric and South Windsor Social Studies Presentation Rubric
3. Individual Paper- There will be a rubric for this essay. The individual paper would be quite
similar to
Day 1: Collective Behavior and Social Movements
Place one or several images of a man being lynched and the mob around the man. Ask students about
their feelings after viewing the image. A discussion will start from here.
Learning Activities
1.
Pair students to view more images and primary documents to analyze the impact that lynching
had on the African- American community, the United States community, and the world
community. This website has outstanding photographs of lynchings throughout the country.
http://www.withoutsanctuary.org/main.html
2. Show students a clip of a lynching and mob behavior from Mississippi Burning.
3. Discuss the Black Response to lynching. Read a secondary source and a primary source by Ida
Wells Barnett to explain to students how African-Americans were going to deal with these
tragedies and prevent them from continuing.
Assessment:
Students will complete the organizer while viewing the documents to determine the impact of each
segment of society.
Closure:
Students must write an exit ticket before they leave with the following information:
1. What is a collective? Provide an example other than lynching
2. How were people in the African- American community impacted by lynching?
Differentiated Instruction
For this first lesson if I know that there are a few students who have difficulty reading primary sources I
will pair them with another student who is a good reader.
Part A: Document Analysis
Directions: In Pairs… While reading the documents and viewing the images consider the impact
lynching had on the African- American community, United States community, and the world community.
Take notes below on this impact as well as how these different communities tried to stop lynchings. Be
sure to cite which document you are referencing. If you cannot find all the information in your sources
you will have to predict.
African- American Community
United States Community
World Community
Part B Directions: Analyze your findings in two paragraphs below individually.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Day two: What is a social movement and social movement organization?
Essential Question:
Why does a group come together to make a social change? How does a group come together to make
social change? What tactics are used to make a social change?
Materials: Yellow and Green Tabs in Black Binder Primary Documents. There are several primary
sources from the black binder. Some that could be used are:
NAACP- “Goals for the NAACP/ Fight For Freedom Campaign”, SNCC- “Black Power: SNCC Speaks
for Itself”, CORE- “At the Breaking Point”, SCLC, Black Panther Party- “What We Want What We
Believe”, Black Muslims
I also created a resource list below for students to find excellent primary source documents.
Initiation: Teacher will ask students to recall what they learned yesterday about lynching as a tactic and
the response to it? The teacher will ask students to respond to the question : “When you want to make a
change in any area of your life what do you do? “
Learning Activities:
1. Students will brainstorm what they know about the American Civil Rights Movement and what
members of the movement were trying to change.
2. The teacher will then introduce the concept of Social Movement Organizations in the Civil Rights
Movement. The students and teacher will brainstorm reasons for the creation of the movement
and the goals of the movement. (Here the teacher will view the background knowledge that
students have of the movement)
3. The teacher will then divide the students into groups of 4 or 5 to research a specific organization
within the movement. The organizations that will be studied are the NAACP, SNCC, SCLC,
CORE, Black Panther Party, and the Black Muslims. The first step in the research process will be
to analyze specific primary documents that the teacher will distribute. (These are from the black
binder) The rest of the class time should be spent reading documents.
4. If there is time we will use the computer lab either this day or the next day to research their
organization.
Closure: Students will have to write an exit ticket on the following question:
1. Why and how did people of the Civil Rights Movement join specific organizations within the
movement? Why wasn’t there just one organization within the movement?
2. Name two goals and two tactics that organizations had.
Differentiation:
I would choose the groups for this project carefully. Depending on the nature of the class I would either
create a few groups with the top students and provide them with more resources and expectations to
include in their PowerPoint. Overall, my expectations would be different for each group and this would
be known to each group.
Organizations within the Civil Rights Movement
“We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest”- Ella Baker
Task:
Your group is to research an organization that was part of the Civil Rights Movement. Your group will
create a PowerPoint to share with the class. You will have one day in the computer lab so use your time
wisely! You are to then write an individual 2-3 page paper regarding the organization’s role in the Civil
Rights Movement.
Organizations and Primary Sources
NAACP- “Goals for the NAACP/ Fight For Freedom Campaign”, SNCC- “Black Power: SNCC Speaks
for Itself”, CORE- “At the Breaking Point”, SCLC, Black Panther Party- “What We Want What We
Believe”, Black Muslims
Questions to answer in the PowerPoint
1. Members/ Leaders of the organization
2. How did the organization get started?
3. Why and how did members join?
4. Purpose/Function of the organization
5. Goals- What were the goals and were they met? If so, how were they met?
6. Activities- What were some of the major events that the group was involved in?
7. What Strategies/ Tactics were used by the group? Were these tactics new, or had they been used
before?
8. How did “outsiders” receive this organization?
9. Were the goals and purposes of the organization ever realized?
10. Overall, do you think the movement succeeded or failed?
Would you have wanted to be a member of this group? Why or Why not?
Be sure to include AND REMEMBER
•
You must use at least 2 book sources and three Internet sources
•
Images of the leaders, members, and activity involvement of the organization
•
symbols used by the organization
•
Music or video clips of the organization speaking. Try to find at least 2
•
THERE MUST BE A PROPER BIBLIOGRAPHY. THE BIBLIOGRAPHY NEEDS A
SEPARATE PAGE. IF YOU DON’T REMEMBER HOW TO CITE BE SURE TO VIEW
THE SOCIAL STUDIES WEBSITE FOR HELP OR ASK ME.
SOURCES
PAGE
BELOW
Sources that may help you: Please start with these sources
Video- Bobby Seale: “The Black Panther Party’s Ten Point Program”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPP0hiLuxdQ
Malcolm X: “Malcolm X Explains Black Nationalism”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO6Co8v2XjY
“American Rhetoric” This site has text and audio files of Stokeley Carmichael’s address on Black power,
1966 http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/stokelycarmichaelblackpower.html and of Malcolm X
“The Ballot or the Bullet” 1964: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/malcolmxballotorbullet.htm
PBS site on Huey Newton with great descriptions of Black Panther Party’s formation and activities
http://www.pbs.org/hueypnewton/actions/actions_formation.html
“Black Panther Rank and File” Online exhibit of oral histories with former Panther members in Baltimore
http://www.mica.edu/blackpanther/article.cfm?entry=86
People of SNCC http://www.ibiblio.org/sncc/people.html
SNCC development http://www.eightcitiesmap.com/students1.htm
SNCC Newsletters http://www.crmvet.org/docs/sv/sv.htm
Music and the Civil Rights Movement http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~jscamal/civilrights/BlackFolk.htm
Interview with Representative John Lewis who was a member of SNCC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjDKUde0E0s
Background information on the formation of NAACP
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0834933.html
Civil Rights Movement Veterans http://www.crmvet.org/
Outstanding Website of Pictures of the Movement http://www.crmvet.org/images/imgyoung.htm
Outstanding Pictures of the Movement http://www.crmvet.org/images/imgeyes.htm
Excellent Images of Tactics of the movement http://www.crmvet.org/images/imgcoll.htm
Images of Volunteers in the organizations http://www.crmvet.org/images/imgvols.htm
Images of people in all the different organizations http://www.crmvet.org/images/imgband.htm
Great website on Non-Violent training http://www.crmvet.org/info/nv.htm
Pins of the Movement http://www.crmvet.org/info/pins.htm
CORE Newsletters http://www.crmvet.org/docs/core/corehome.htm
CORE RULES FOR MEMBERS http://www.crmvet.org/docs/corerules.pdf
Individual Assignment: Write a 2-3 page paper on the organization that you studied.
In this paper, not only are you to explain in great detail the organization that you studied, but you must
compare and contrast the other organizations within the Civil Rights Movement. The overall question
that you must answer: “Which organization of the Civil Rights Movement came closest to meeting their
purpose and goals?” The second question that you must answer “How was the organization that you
studied similar and different from one of the other organizations studied?” Overall, was the organization
that you studied helpful in making Civil Rights Movement successful? This paper will be written in class after we have listened to all of the presentations and you may use the
Venn diagrams for support. You will create these Venn Diagrams when you are listening to another
person’s presentation. Your paper will be graded using the social studies rubric. Your paper must have
the following:
•
Creative Title.
•
Clear Thesis Statement
•
Specific details that explain the organization that you studied
•
How was your organization similar or different to another organization
•
Overall, was the organization that you studied helpful in making Civil Rights Movement
successful? Day 3: Presentations of each organization
Essential Questions Day 3: How are the different Civil Rights organizations similar and different?
Students will answer this question through presentation of their PowerPoints.
Initiation: The teacher will explain to students that they must present their findings and take notes on the
other groups while listening to presentation. Explain to students that they are supposed to listen primarily
to similarities and differences between the organizations.
Learning Activities: While students present their findings they are to take notes on the other groups for a
comparison. Students should focus on the following areas:
1. Members/ Leaders of the organization
2. How did the organization get started?
3. Why and how did members join?
4. Purpose/Function of the organization
5. Goals- What were the goals and were they met? If so, how were they met?
6. Activities- What were some of the major events that the group was involved in?
7. What Strategies/ Tactics were used by the group? Were these tactics new, or had they been used
before?
8. How did “outsiders” receive this organization?
9. Were the goals and purposes of the organization ever realized?
10. Overall, do you think the movement succeeded or failed?
Closure:
1. Which organization would you have wanted to join and why?
2. Which organization might you have been afraid to join and why?
Directions: For each group that you listen to please take notes inside
My Organization
__________________________
Asdf
Similarities between Organizations
Directions: For each group that you listen to please take notes inside
My Organization
__________________________
Asdf
Similarities between Organizations
My Organization
__________________________
Asdf
Similarities between Organizations
Directions: For each group that you listen to please take notes inside
My Organization
__________________________
Asdf
Similarities between Organizations
PowerPoint Rubric
Oral Presentation (Effective Communicator/Knowledgeable Person) South Windsor Public Schools
Social Studies
Levels of Performance
Criteria
4 Exemplary
3 Proficient
2 Developing
1 Beginning
Purpose
• Clear, consistent
• Adequate
• Inconsistent
• Minimal
understanding of
understanding of
understanding of
understanding of
audience and genre audience and genre audience and
audience and
genre
genre
Organization
• Presentation
clearly
demonstrates
preparation
• Presentation
contains an
effective
introduction and
conclusion
• Main ideas are
clearly presented
• Transitions are
easy to follow
• Presentation
shows evidence of
preparation
• Presentation
contains an
introduction and
conclusion
• Development of
main ideas is
somewhat
inconsistent
• Transitions are
evident
• Presentation
shows poor
preparation
• Presentation
contains a weak
introduction and/or
conclusion
• Development of
main ideas shows
major
inconsistencies
• Inconsistent
transitions
• Presentation
shows severe lack
of preparation
• Presentation
lacks an
introduction and/or
conclusion
• Main ideas are
difficult or
impossible to
follow
• Transitions are
missing
• Presentation
contains all
expected content
• Main ideas are
extensively
supported
• Main ideas are
effectively support
by details and/or
vivid examples
• Presentation
contains most of the
expected content
• Main ideas are
adequately
supported
• Main ideas are
only supported by a
few details or
examples
• Presentation
contains less than
adequate
information or
some inaccuracies
• Few, if any, main
ideas are
developed
• Few, if any, main
ideas are
supported
• Presentation
contains little of the
expected content
• Main ideas are
not developed
• Main ideas are
rarely supported
• Speaks clearly,
expressively with
enthusiasm and
varied inflection and
adjusts pace and
volume effectively
• Communication is
enhanced through
the use of
consistent eye
contact,
professional
posture, natural
gestures
• Dress enhances
presentation
• Speaks clearly
with inflection and
adjusts pace and
volume
appropriately
• Communication is
established through
occasional eye
contact,
professional
posture, natural
gestures
• Dress appropriate
for presentation
• Speaks clearly
with little inflection
and without
adjusting pace or
volume
• Communication
is impaired by lack
of eye contact,
inappropriate
posture
• Dress
inappropriate
• Speaks unclearly
without appropriate
pace, volume, or
inflection
• Communication
is precluded by
failure to make eye
contact,
inappropriate
posture and dress
• Dress detracts
from presentation
Elaboration
Style
Usage
• Speaker uses
audience
appropriate
vocabulary
• Speaker has clear
and correct
language usage
with clear
articulation of ideas
• Speaker
effectively
integrates suitable
high quality audio
and/or visual
materials that
enhance the
presentation
• Speaker uses
vocabulary and
pronunciation
appropriate to the
audience and
assignment, but
makes some errors.
• Speaker uses
mostly clear and
correct language
• Speaker
effectively
integrates good
quality audio and/or
visual materials to
explain or enhance
the presentation
• Speaker uses
inconsistent
language that is
inappropriate to
the audience and
assignment
• Speaker uses
inconsistent
language
• Speaker
ineffectively uses
audio and/or visual
materials are of
poor quality
• Speaker uses
language that is
inappropriate to
the audience and
assignment
• Speaker does not
use correct
language
• Speaker fails to
use audio and/or
visual materials in
presentation
Essay Rubric
Persuasive Essay Rubric (Effective Communicator/Knowledgeable Person) South Windsor Public
Schools Social Studies
Levels of Performance
Criteria
4 Exemplary
3 Proficient
2 Developing
1 Beginning
Purpose
(Introduction)
• Title relevant to
• Title somewhat
• Title not relevant • No title
thesis
relevant to thesis
to thesis
• Very limited
• Clear awareness
• Adequate
• Some awareness awareness of
of audience
awareness of
of audience
audience
• Strong thesis
audience
• Vague thesis
• Irrelevant or no
statement (direct,
• Adequate thesis
statement
thesis statement
thoughtful,
statement (position • Introduction
• Introduction lacks
persuasive position
for one side)
includes weakly
supporting ideas
for one side)
• Introduction
supported thesis
• Introduction
includes thesis
statement
includes thesis
statement
statement supported supported with
with main ideas
some ideas that
expressed in
are not stated in
general terms
general terms
Organization
(Body
paragraphs
and
conclusion)
• Each body
paragraph has a
topic sentence that
clearly connects with
one of the main
ideas stated in the
introduction
• Sophisticated
transitions used
throughout
• Concluding
paragraph
summarizes thesis
and supporting
ideas in a cogent
way and leaves the
reader with a
relevant idea to
contemplate
• Each body
paragraph has a
topic sentence that
connects with one
of the main ideas
stated in the
introduction
• Adequate
transitions used
throughout
• Concluding
paragraph
summarizes thesis
and supporting
ideas clearly
• Most body
paragraphs have a
topic sentence
that connect with
the main ideas
stated in the
introduction
• Some transitions
used
• Concluding
paragraph does
not adequately
summarize thesis
and/or supporting
ideas
• Few or none of
the body
paragraphs have a
topic sentence that
connect with the
main ideas stated
in the introduction
• Poor or no
transitions
• Concluding
paragraph
irrelevant or
missing
• Each topic
sentence is fully
developed and
supported
• Supporting
evidence is
accurate, relevant,
and in logical order
• Supporting
evidence comes
from varied
curriculum sources
• Each topic
sentence is
adequately
developed and
supported
• Most supporting
evidence is
accurate, relevant,
and in logical order
• Supporting
evidence comes
from limited
• Most topic
sentences are
adequately
developed and
supported
• Some supporting
evidence that is
accurate, relevant,
and in logical
order
• Supporting
evidence comes
• Few or no topic
sentences are
developed and
supported
adequately
• Little or no
supporting
evidence that is
accurate, relevant,
and in logical order
• No curriculum
sources used
Elaboration
• Strong evidence of
analysis,
interpretation, and
synthesis
• Opposing points of
view are strongly
countered
curriculum sources
• Adequate
evidence of
analysis,
interpretation, and
synthesis
• Opposing views
are countered
from a single
curriculum source
• Some evidence
of analysis,
interpretation, and
synthesis
• Opposing views
are not countered
• Little or no
evidence of
analysis,
interpretation, or
synthesis
• Insufficient
information
• Opposing views
are not countered
• Fluent, polished,
and appropriate to
purpose
• Effective use of
relevant and varied
vocabulary
• Adequately fluent
and appropriate to
purpose
• Adequate use of
relevant and varied
vocabulary
• Somewhat fluent
and appropriate to
purpose
• Limited use of
relevant and
varied vocabulary
• Not fluent or
appropriate to
purpose
• Very limited
vocabulary
• Appropriate
grammar throughout
• Correct spelling
throughout
• Appropriate
grammar in most
instances
• Few spelling
errors
• Numerous errors
in grammar
• Numerous
spelling errors
• Lacks appropriate
grammar
throughout
• Excessive
spelling errors
Style
Usage
Documents
and
Images
Below:
Initiation
of
Lesson
1
Image
Documents
and
Images
to
Analyze
Document
#1
Document
#2
Document
#3
Document
#4
DocDDD
Doucment
Document
#6
Document
#7
http://www.jimcrowhistory.org/resources/gateway/gw_antilynching.htm
Great
website
on
lynching
OFFICE OF ANTI-LYNCHING BUREAU
2939 PRINCETON AVENUE
CHICAGO
To the Members of the Anti-Lynching Bureau-The year of 1901 with its lynching record is a thing of the past.
There were 135 human beings that met death at the hands of mobs
during this year. Not only is the list larger than for four years
past, but the barbarism of this lawlessness is on the increase.
Six human beings were burned alive between January 1st 1901 and
Jan. 1st 1902. More persons met death in this horrible manner the
past twelve months than in three years before and in proportion as
the number roasted alive increases, in the same proportion has has
there been an indifference manifested by the public. Time was when
the country resounded with denunciation and the horror of burning
a human being by so called christian and civilized people. The
newspapers were full of it. The last time a human being was made
fuel for flames it was scarcely noticed in the papers editorially.
And the chairman of your bureau finds it harder every year to get
such matter printed. In other words, the need for agitation and
publication of facts is greater than ever, while the avenues
through which to make such publications have decreased.
Nowhere does this apathetic condition prevail to a greater extent
than within the membership of the Anti-Lynching Bureau. When the
bureau was first organized three years ago, it was thought that
every man, woman, and child who had a drop of Negro blood in his
veins and every person else who wanted to see mob law put down
would gladly contribute 25 cents per year to this end. There were
upward of 300 responses to the first appeal and less than 50 per
cent renewed at the end of that year. The third year of the
bureau's existence is half over and although the chairman has
determined to issue a periodical, there are absolutely no funds in
the treasury to pay postage much less the printer.
Nevertheless my faith in the justice of our cause and the absolute
need of this agitation leads me to again address those who have
shown 25 cents worth of interest in the matter heretofore. I send
with this circular a pamphlet which friends have helped to pay
for. It was thought best to begin with what to us was the
beginning of history for our race in the United States the
Reconstruction period. In view of the recent agitation in Congress
and out anent the disfranchisement of the Negro and the causes
alleged therefore it was thought best to throw some light on those
times and give some unwritten history. This history is written by
one who can say with Julius Caesar of the history he wrote: "All
of which I saw and part of which I was." He has given his time and
money to aid the publication. Will not the members of the bureau
bestir themselves to circulate this number and aid in the
publication of others. We can only change public sentiment and
enforce laws by educating the people., giving them facts. This you
can do by 1st, Renewing your membership in the Anti-Lynching
Bureau and securing others. 2nd, By paying for the copy sent you
and purchasing others to distribute. 3rd. By paying for the copy
of the Reconstruction "Review" to your Congressman together with a
letter urging the cutting down of the representation in Congress
of the states which have nullified the Constitution. It rests with
you to say whether the Anti-Lynching Bureau shall be strengthened
to do its work for the future.
Jan. 1st, 1902
Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Chairman
BLACK RESPONSE
The Black American community responded to white mob violence in several ways. Black people
resisted this oppression. This resistance was expressed in three ways: retaliatory violence,
Northward migration, and organized non-violent protest.
There are records of numerous instances of individual and collective acts of Black retaliatory
violence. Although retaliatory violence seemed unreasonable, and often led to more lynching and
violence, Blacks frequently armed themselves and fought back in self-defense.
Several Black leaders advocated self-defense against mob attack. Through the pages of The
Crisis, W. E. B. DuBois occasionally encouraged Blacks to fight back. “If we are to die,” he
angrily wrote after a Pennsylvania mob lynched a Negro in 1911 “in God’s name let us not
perish like bales of hay.” Lynching, said DuBois, would stop in the South “when the cowardly
mob is faced with effective guns in the hands of the people determined to sell their souls dearly,”
(Oct. 1916). A. Phillip Randolph, editor of the militant Socialist monthly, The Messenger, also
advocated physical resistance to white mobs: “The black man has no rights which will be
respected unless the black man enforces that respect...We are consequently urging Negroes and
other oppressed groups concerned with lynching and mob violence to act upon the recognized
and accepted law of self-defense.”18 The NAACP, considered moderate by Randolph, also
defended the legality of Black retaliatory self-defense from mob attack.
Poet Claude McKay, in 1921, captured the sentiment of many militant Negroes in his poem, “If
We Must Die”: “If we must die/let it not be like hogs: hunted and penned in an accursed
spot!/...If we must die; oh let us nobly die/ dying but fighting back.”19
By the First World War, Blacks were increasingly armed and prepared to defend themselves
from mob violence in many parts of the country, even in the deep South. In one case, the mayor
of Memphis, Tennessee was advised, “The Negroes would not make trouble unless they were
attacked, but in that event they were prepared to defend themselves.” Most of the race riots were
the result of Negro retaliation to white acts of persecution and violence. However, in most cases,
because of the overwhelming white numerical superiority, Negro armed resistance was futile.
Another response of disillusioned Black people to the southern reign of terror was the “Great
Migration” which began shortly before World War I. In the decade between 1910 and 1920,
more than five hundred thousand Blacks fled from the social and political oppression of the
South to the overcrowded industrial centers of the North. The number of Blacks in Northern
cities increased substantially. Despite southern efforts to halt the Black exodus, the annual rate of
Black northward migration reached seventy-five thousand by the 1920s.
Organized non-violent protest, educating public opinion about the barbarity of lynching, and the
passage of federal anti-lynching legislation were seen by many Black leaders to be the most
effective weapons against antiBlack mob violence. The pioneer organizer of the crusade against
lynching was a Black woman named Ida B. Wells-Barnett. Mrs. Barnett, editor of the Memphis
Free Speech, had more to do with originating and carrying forward the anti-lynching crusade
than any other person. Almost single-handedly, she rallied anti-lynching sentiment in the United
states and England. She served as chairman of the Anti-Lynching Bureau of the Afro-American
Council. Mrs. Wells published several pamphlets exposing the barbarity of lynching, including A
Red Record written in 1894.
The struggle of Black leaders and organizations to make lynchings a federal crime was long and
futile. At the beginning of the twentieth century, such organizations as the Afro-American
Council and the Niagara Movement, precursors of the NAACP, demanded investigation of
lynchings and legislation to enforce the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. In 1900, Negro
Congressman George White introduced America’s first anti-lynching bill, only to see it die in the
House Judiciary Committee.
In the first year of its existence, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
launched a vigorous campaign against lynching and all forms of racism and discrimination. By
1918, The Crisis, the NAACP organ, was alerting one hundred thousand people each month to
the horrors of mob violence and the demands of Black America. The NAACP’s Legal Redress
Committee attacked segregation and discrimination in the courts. The NAACP’s attempts to
secure federal anti-lynching legislation, such as the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill, were unsuccessful.
However, the Association’s nationwide and interracial fight against lynching eventually helped
reduce the annual number of lynchings in the United States.
The Civil Rights Movement
It cannot be said that one event alone spurred a people to action and that the Civil
Rights Movement was born. Instead, the Movement developed out of the postWorld War II society in the mid-1950s and early 1960s.
The Movement did not start when the Supreme Court eliminated "separate but
equal" educations with its Brown v. Board of Education decision, nor did Rosa
Parks or the students of the Greensboro, North Carolina sit-ins inaugurate it.
Instead, each individual struggle and its subsequent achievement altered the tone
of society and the expectations of present and future generations.
Those opposed to anything but a separate and inherently unequal society saw
such developments as an assault on order and their very way of life. As a reaction
to and an attempt to strike fear into the hearts and minds of the Black population
against "nigger loving" concepts of racial equality, southerners revived the evereffective lynching, which had been in decline, to combat the achievements of Civil
Rights workers.
Lynching served as a reminder to all Southern blacks that they existed in the Jim
Crow South. The violent deaths inflicted both on locals who attempted to work
within their own community as well as on "outside agitators" from such Civil
Rights organizations as the Congress of Racial Equality attempted to maintain the
status quo of Southern society through the implicit threat of the lynch mob.
Lynching, however, had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of silencing the
black population and dissuading them from organizing, several well-publicized
lynchings galvanized the Civil Rights movement, introduced a national audience to
the violence inflicted by an archaic social order, and even forced the federal
government to become involved in what had been a state government concern.