Unit 4: The Modern Freedom Struggle (Movements and Debates)

Double V Campaign

Victory abroad against fascism, victory at home against racism.

A. Philip Randolph

Key figure who threatened a March on Washington in 1941 to protest discrimination in defense industries.

Executive Order 8802

Established by FDR to ban discrimination in defense industries and created the Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC).

NAACP

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; pursued a legal strategy to dismantle Jim Crow.

Thurgood Marshall

Leader of the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund, played a key role in landmark civil rights cases.

Mendez v. Westminster (1947)

Desegregated schools in California, setting a precedent for Brown v. Board of Education.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Supreme Court case that ruled segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Plessy v. Ferguson

1896 ruling that established the 'separate but equal' doctrine overruled by Brown v. Board.

Doll Test

Sociological evidence used by Thurgood Marshall to show that segregation caused psychological harm to Black children.

Massive Resistance

Campaign by Southern states to resist desegregation after the Brown v. Board ruling.

SCLC

Southern Christian Leadership Conference led by Martin Luther King Jr., focused on nonviolent direct action.

SNCC

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, known for grassroots organizing and sit-ins.

CORE

Congress of Racial Equality, initially known for its pacifist approach and freedom rides.

Ella Baker

Civil rights leader who advocated for participatory democracy and grassroots organizing.

Fannie Lou Hamer

Activist who fought for voting rights and famously testified at the 1964 Democratic National Convention.

Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955)

Protest sparked by Rosa Parks, leading to MLK's rise to national prominence.

Birmingham Campaign (1963)

Campaign that produced significant media coverage and pressure for civil rights legislation.

Freedom Summer (1964)

Voter registration drive in Mississippi that highlighted the struggle for Black voting rights.

Black Power

A movement that emphasized self-determination and self-defense for Black people.

Stokely Carmichael

Leader in SNCC who popularized the slogan 'Black Power' during the Meredith March.

Malcolm X

Civil rights leader who advocated for freedom 'by any means necessary' contrasting with nonviolence.

The Black Panther Party

Founded by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, aimed at community service and self-defense.

Ten-Point Program

Black Panther demands including full employment, decent housing, and end to police brutality.

Affirmative Action

A policy aimed at improving opportunities for historically marginalized groups.

Mass Incarceration

Disproportionate imprisonment of African Americans linked to systemic issues and the War on Drugs.

Reparations

The debate over financial compensation for descendants of enslaved people.

Positive Peace

Presence of justice, as opposed to just the absence of tension.

Negative Peace

Absence of tension, often maintained by oppression.

Participatory Democracy

An approach advocated by Ella Baker emphasizing collective decision-making and leadership.

Integration vs. Separation

The ongoing debate within the civil rights movement on whether to seek integration into white society or focus on self-sustained Black communities.

Crisis in American Race Relations

A term used by Dr. King to indicate the underlying tensions regarding race in America.

Women's Political Council

Group of Black women who played a key role in organizing the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

An influential letter written by MLK that outlined the moral imperative for civil rights activism.

Legal Gradualism

Approach taken by the NAACP that focused on legal challenges and gradual change.

Interracial Pacifism

Philosophy of CORE promoting peace through diverse, multi-racial cooperation.

Black Arts Movement

A cultural movement emphasizing Black pride and artistic expression during the civil rights era.

Dred Scott Decision (1857)

A ruling that denied citizenship to Black people, reinforcing their status as property.

Three Girls Report

Document highlighting sexism and exclusion of women in the civil rights movement.

Job Assignment Bias

The tendency to assign clerical work to women regardless of their qualifications in civil rights organizations.

Cultural Pride

A central tenet of Black Power emphasizing pride in Black identity and heritage.

Self-Determination

The concept that Black people should control their own communities and destinies.

Legacy of Chaos and Hatred

The results of violence in addressing social issues, as argued by Dr. King.

Economic Justice

The focus on fairness in economic opportunities as an ongoing goal of the civil rights movement.