This week we are looking at the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20th century. A

This week we are looking at the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20th century. As we have seen in this course, the Civil War and Reconstruction did little to change the status of African Americans, especially in the South. While slavery was outlawed, other means were used to keep African Americans segregated and discriminated against, and the modernization of society seemed to have little to no effect on the treatment of African Americans, especially in the South, where Jim Crow laws remained in effect.
It was against the backdrop of segregation and discrimination that the modern Civil Rights Movement began. In 1954, the Supreme Court decision Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas launched a movement that would culminate in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965–a century after the end of the Civil War. That court decision overturned the 1896 decision Plessy v. Ferguson, which had legalized the concept of “separate but equal.” Brown made it clear that separate is inherently unequal. Southern states launched a massive resistance to compliance with the decision, and that in turn, precipitated the Civil Rights Movement. Below are links to 3 of the episodes of Eyes on the Prize. Each episode is about 55 minutes long. Please choose one of these episode and watch it by clicking on its link. You must be logged into Canvas for the links to work. As you watch your episode, pay attention to the people of the era. Watch what is happening, and think about the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement in this country. If the series captures your attention, and if you have time, feel free to watch more than one episode!
Compose and post your initial response by Thursday at 11:59 PM. You must post your initial response before you can respond to your peers. An excellent initial response will be a complete paragraph of 250 to 500 words. Whether you are using course materials or outside sources, be sure to introduce your source and also include a reference citation in MLA, format.
Below are some questions to consider. You do not have to answer every single question, nor are you limited to these questions. These are prompts to get you thinking about the topic. You are also welcome to take your discussion in a different direction, as long as it’s related to the topic: How did the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education (1954) impact American society and African Americans in particular?
What were the goals of the Civil Rights Movement?
How did African Americans use the medium of television in their protests?
What was the impact of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and other leaders of the movement? How did they inspire people to follow them? How were their approaches similar and different?
How did the Civil Rights Movement inspire other groups to fight for civil rights and self-determination?
Did the landmark legislation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 achieve the goals of the Civil Rights Movement? If not, what remains to be done?
What are some of the legacies of the Civil Rights Movement for today?