Civil Rights Movement for Kids: A History with 21 Activities
world Black college students show heroism and determination as they move into leadership roles alongside their elders If Not Us Then Who ask the Freedom Riders of Chapter 4 Black and white old and young the Freedom Riders put their lives on the line as they challenge segregation in buses waiting rooms and restaurants Chapter 5 describes people across the South Standing up for Freedom from the 1963 Children's Crusade in Birmingham to Selma's Bloody Sunday in March 1965 By day civil rights demonstrators stood up to fire hoses and police dogs By night civil rights leaders fell victim to midnight assassins lurking on dark streets and hiding in bushes In 1963 the March on Washington celebrated the Civil Rights Movement Chapter 6 I Have a Dream describes the march and the steady progress of the dream of justice for all The great march celebrated the movement and claimed its rightful place in the center of the American political scene Chapter 7 Praying with My Feet examines the religious roots of the Civil Rights Movement People from diverse reli gious traditions came together in the movement agreeing that each of their religions required a moral commitment to justice and equality Chapter 8 You May Be Killed focuses on the Freedom Sum mer of 1964 Hundreds of young men and women streamed south to work in a massive voter registration campaign That summer had barely begun when the prophetic warning of the chapter title was tragically fulfilled for three young men in Mis sissippi Chapter 9 The Struggle Continues focuses on the multiple civil rights movements active at the beginning of the twenty first century Although the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s won great victories African Americans still continue to seek an end to prejudice and discrimination based on racism Other groups seeking justice both in this country and around the world have been inspired by their
Throughout this book the Civil Rights Movement appears as a living force This movement is not a part of history but a part of present day political reality Learning about the origins of the movement sheds light on today's struggles against prejudice and discrimination Stories of the great achievements of young peo ple in the movement can inspire each person to care and to dare and to work for justice today Learning about the origins of the movement sheds light on today’s struggles against prejudice and dis
Let the ORED Children Lead Early Days the 1950s Let the Gilles lead Segregation laws were the products of prejudice and specifically of racism These laws also increased prejudice by separating people so that they could not get to know one another and learn about their mistaken beliefs Introduction Imagine laws ordering you not to eat with ride the bus with go to school with or marry someone just because you and that per son had different skin colors Segregation the separation of per sons on the basis of skin color was the law of the southern United States during the 1950s This chapter looks at segregation and the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement that ultimately dismantled segregation laws The chapter also introduces courageous young people who
dared to challenge segregation and describes their struggles Legal segregation was both a product and a cause of prejudice Prejudice means pre judging another person or group of people without regard to facts For example some adults say that young people are loud and irresponsible That is a prejudice against all young people Racism is a set of prejudices against people whose skin color or ethnicity is different from your own An ethnic group is a group of people who share common customs language values and or national origin Segregation laws were the products of prejudice and specifi cally of racism The laws were made by white men who believed black people were inferior Segregation laws made it easier to be prejudiced because the law gave respectability to prejudice These laws also increased prejudice by separating people so that they could not get to know one another and learn about their mistaken beliefs Back to the 1950s Let's take a trip back in time back some 50 years ago Daily life was different then for children as well as for adults In 1950 girls wore dresses to school and boys wore pants but not blue jeans Children always spoke respectfully to adults They addressed adults by their last names Mr Johnson or Mrs King Most adults also addressed each other formally using last names This rule of respect was broken when white adults spoke to black adults Then the white adults usually called the black adults by their first names Sometimes even more disrespectful ly they would call a black man boy Fifty years ago most mothers stayed at home They took care of their children homes laundry cooking and cleaning Women who worked outside the home had few choices They worked at traditional women's jobs such as a cleaning lady or
