The Civil Rights Movement

Selected Legislation of the Era

Lauren Patton

Jamesville-DeWitt Middle School

pattonlm@jd.cnyric.org

March on Washington

Identify Problems:

Step 1: Identify the problem.

What issues are being faced by African Americans?

Complete the problems and solutions cut-and-paste activity provided with your partner.

Problem and Solution 1

Problem: Prior to 1956, 17 states required all schools to be segregated by race. State and local laws punished teachers in integrated schools with fines and even jail time!

Problem and Solution 1

Solution: In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruled that the idea of ‘separate but equal’ was not constitutional. Therefore, laws calling for racial segregation of schools

were unconstitutional.

Problem and Solution 2

Problem: Many African Americans were turned away from registering to vote and from polling places. They had to pay poll taxes and take impossible tests. They faced threats of violence, false arrest, and beatings by local police and groups like the KKK.

Problem and Solution 2

Solution: In 1964, the 24th Amendment outlawed poll taxes. A year later, the Voting Rights Act banned discrimination at voting booths nationwide.

Problem and Solution 3

Problem: African Americans were discriminated against when they tried to buy or rent a home. They also had trouble getting loans to purchase big ticket items like houses.

Problem and Solution 3

Solution: The Fair Housing Act was passed as a part of the 1968 Civil Rights Act. It prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing (loans) of housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, marriage status and disability.

Gather Evidence

Choose one of the problems and solutions from the previous activity.

Step 2: Now, you and your partner should gather evidence that supports the existence of this issue.

You will complete the ‘evidence’ worksheet with your partner.

Determine Causes

Once you have gathered evidence and sources, let’s discuss the causes of your problem.

Step 3: You and your partner should use your information and research to determine the causes. Complete this worksheet.

Evaluate

Step 4 is to evaluate the solution that was created for your problem.

In the first activity, you discovered the solution, using the evaluation worksheet, determine if that was the best solution for the issue.

Class Discussion

Each group that chose the same piece of legislation will get together and compare findings. Then, as a group, the information gathered and evaluations made will be shared with the rest of the class.

REMEMBER: You are now the experts on your issue – teach us about it!