20th Century History Unit 2: The Civil Rights Movement

LEARNING OUTCOME

Depicting the spirit of the Montgomery bus boycott, this cartoon by Laura Gray first
appeared in The Militant on March 26, 1956.

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

1. Who are the figures shown as ‘holding down’ and restraining the African
American?
There are 3 Klu Klux Klan members, two of which are armed with baseball bats. There
is also a white corporate man wearing suit also restraining the African American man
and this shows that as well as people as clearly identifiable as racists such as KKK
members, it was also those in power and making the policies and laws that were
discriminatory.

2. “Freedom is rising in the south.” Why was there no freedom in the south and
what were local laws or customs that oppressed African Americans?
There were no freedoms in the South due to a combination of racism bound in
legislation and also racism that was in the views of the society. Law’s like the Jim
Crow Laws dictated the freedoms of African American citizens. They were made to sit
at certain parts of buses, given access to different facilities like toilets, drinking taps
and also extremely disadvantaged before the courts as juries were comprised from
members listed to vote and through a series of loopholes African Americans were
denied
EXTENDED RESPONSES

3. Using your own knowledge as well as the document. Explain how the
Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955) and the Greensboro Sit In’s (1960) helped to
ignite the Civil Rights Movement and through coordinated, sustained and
peaceful action, were able to bring about significant social change.

Both the Greensboro Sit In’s and the Montgomery Bus Boycott assisted in igniting the
Civil Rights Movement, and portrayed how non-violent actions were able to break
down the discriminatory laws and procedures of Southern America.

The Greensboro Sit Ins began in 1960, and quickly spread to cities and towns all over
the South. Students would sit at lunch counters, insisting on being served and when
refused service they would stay seated in the diner filling space, often bringing books
with them to study. The movement received large media attention, meaning that this
method of protest quickly spread throughout the North and the South of the country.
By the end of March, the protests had moved to 55 cities in 13 states. Many
protesters were arrested, however, the national media coverage meant increased
attention to the movement. In 1960, dining establishments throughout the South
began desegregating. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was also
established as a result of the Greensboro Sit In’s. This committee became a large
influencing organisation during the Civil Rights Movement. They started large events
such as the Freedom Rides in the South (1961).

In 1955, media attention of the Bus Boycotts spread throughout Montgomery, and
the movement was highly supported by the African American population. The Bus
Boycotts were impactful and important in a number of ways. Firstly it was one of the
first mass protests for civil rights in the US, and paved the way for additional protests
throughout the country. Additionally, Martin Luther King’s leadership of the
Montgomery Improvement Association assisted him in becoming such an important
leader of the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King’s leadership meant that the
movement would continue to be non-violent, which was vital to its success.

The Civil Rights Movement grew immensely due to these events and other events
like them and demonstrates the power of non-violent actions and protests had in
gaining support and positive media attention.

4. Using your own knowledge as well as the document. Assess the accuracies and
inaccuracies of the document. (Remember to consider what is accurately
portrayed and what might be left out, glossed over or outright misrepresented)
Consider leaders, ideas, events and movements.
The cartoon explains that African Americans were being ‘held down’ by those in
power (white Southern citizens and members of the KKK,) and represents the racism
and discrimination that African Americans experienced in the South. There was a lot
of violence experienced by African American communities throughout the Southern
parts of the US however, they continued to protested the treatment they were
experiencing eventually leading to the abolishment of the Jim Crow Laws. The on
going, sustained non-violent actions that made events like the Bus Boycott and the
Sit Ins so successful. In summary, although the image depicts the racial tension and
lack of freedoms due to the racism of the South, the cartoon doesn’t capture the on
going determination of many of the African American communities and leaders
which lead to the racism and discriminatory processes and laws of the South being
abolished.