Civil Rights
By the mid-20th century, racial tensions had escalated and demonstrations swelled for voting rights and school integration. Beginning with the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955 lead by Reverend Martin Luther King, conflicts between the Civil Rights movement and those who would fight to maintain "the white way of life" would lead to violence and, in some cases, murder. Between 1948 and 1965, over two hundred Black churches and homes in the Deep South were the target of bombings, and there was no more volatile city than Birmingham, Alabama (dubbed "Bombingham.")In 1962, before his election as Governor, George Wallace aligned himself with other Southern Governors who were facing the same issues of federal intervention in order to impose desegregation in their states' schools. Wallace appeared at a rally for Georgia's Marvin Griffin, who was running against a candidate with more moderate views on desegregation. Wallace also supported Mississippi's Governor Ross Barnett in the dramatic confrontation between state and federal authority over the admission of the University of Mississippi's first black student, James Meredith. The stage was set for his own dramatic stand at the University of Alabama.
Two generations later the legacy of segregation in public life would shape virtually every feature of 20th century New Jersey. But, most important, blacks themselves realized that their historical experience and their culture could best be remembered if they, under certain conditions, remained separated from the mainstream of the larger society. It was America's apartheid system. In 1954, the United States Supreme Court ruled that it had no place in the nation's public schools. Great moral leaders, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., and political leaders, such as President Lyndon Johnson, railed against it. It is often called Jim Crow. Not unlike other ethnic groups, blacks both opposed segregation and took advantage of its benefits. Black communities used their collective energies to build churches, social service organizations, and business organizations devoted to group progress. They used their separate schools, which were prevalent in South Jersey during much of the 20th century, to encourage educational advancement. 1964... Over 200 Northern college students travel to Mississippi to participate in "Freedom Summer." 3 students are murdered for helping black residents to register to vote. 1964... Despite court rulings, only 2% of Southern black children attend integrated schools. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 authorizes the Justice Department to initiate school desegregation suits. 1965... A peaceful demonstration for voting rights held in the Zion Methodist Church in Selma, AL provokes brutal retaliation from (white) police force and civilians. Many of the demonstrators are clubbed and beaten, one young man, Jimmie Lee Jackson, is shot and killed. Martin Luther King Jr. arrives in Selma for Jackson's memorial service. A massive march from Selma to the state capitol in Montgomery is organized by King and the SCLC. Under orders from Gov. Wallace, state troopers and civilian vigilantes waylaid the marchers on the road to Montgomery with toxic tear gas and billy clubs. National television capt
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Approximate Word count = 1362
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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