Heros in the Civil Rights - William Fremd High School

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Student Handout • • How did Carmichael help blacks in Lowndes County, Alabama? • What did Carmichael suggest blacks do in the face of violence? Carmichael also wanted to free the African-American civil rights movement from dependence on whites. He felt that whites' involvement in the movement created the impression that blacks could not help themselves. On June 17, 1966, during a 200-mile March Against Fear across the state of Mississippi, Carmichael delivered a stirring speech that encouraged African Americans to take power into their own hands. On the eleventh day of the march, the 600 marchers stopped in Greenwood and tried to set up tents for the night on the grounds of a local black school. Carmichael was arrested for trespassing and jailed for six hours with two other SNCC workers. The night after he was released, the marchers held a rally. Most of the speakers spoke to the crowd about the power of peaceful demonstrations to show that blacks deserved civil rights. Carmichael, the last speaker, had a different message. "This is the twenty-seventh time I have been arrested," he said angrily. "I ain't going to jail no more." He noted that blacks had been asking for "freedom now" for six years, but had gotten nothing. His anger rising, he said, "Every courthouse in Mississippi should be burnt down tOlyorrow so we can get rid of this dirt. From now on when they ask you what you want, you know what to tell 'em. We want Black Power!" The people shouted back, "Black Power!" again and again, resolving to no longer be afraid to demand justice. • What did most civil rights speakers tell the marchers in Greenwood? • What was Carmichael's message to the marchers in Greenwood? Many blacks eagerly used the phrase "Black Power" during the remainder of the March Against Fear and took it home to their communities. The black power movement helped change the emphasis of the civil rights movement, and lent an angrier tone to civil rights demonstrations. In addition to giving blacks courage, Carmichael's words stirred their pride in their African heritage. African Americans began to call for greater emphasis on black history and the establishment of Afro-American studies at universities. The "Black Power" slogan that Stokely Carmichael popularized created controversy both within and outside the civil rights movement. Many civil rights leaders felt that the slogan would end the era of nonviolent protests, cause needless killing, and alienate white allies. Indeed, many whites feared Carmichael's militancy. The FBI investigated and blamed Carmichael for creating the mind-set that resulted in widespread race riots in the late 1960s. Despite the strident tone of the black power movement, however, the positive impact of Carmichael's efforts is undeniable. His passion and charismatic leadership inspired others to work in their communities to build businesses, to start schools where black history was celebrated, and to develop community-based programs to feed and clothe the poor. • How did "black power" impact the black community? • What were the criticisms of black power? • What were achievements of black power? © Teachers' Curriculum Institute USH-12-S, Activity 2.3, Page 10
Information on Ernest Green Student Handout • At only 16 years of age, Ernest Green became a leader of the civil rights movement by bravely initiating the desegregation of Southern schools. Born in 1941 and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, Green had attended all-black, segregated schools all his life. These schools typically had outdated textbooks, inadequate supplies and facilities, and poor funding. Green was an ambitious student, and in 1957, when he was a high school junior, he made a dramatic decision. He decided to leave most of his friends at the all-black high school and enroll at all-white Central High School for his senior year. He wanted a better education for himself and to pave the way for future generations of black children to attend the best schools available. Eight other black students joined Green in integration efforts at Central High. They came to be known as the "Little Rock Nine." Most whites in Little Rock strongly opposed integration. Arkansas governor Orval Faubus, mindful of voter opinion in an election year, sent National Guardsmen to the school grounds to prevent the Little Rock Nine from entering the school. Town mobs encircled the nine black students, and state guardsmen blocked their paths with bayonets. In addition, segregationists such as the Mothers League and the White Citizens Councils telephoned Green and other families with midnight death threats. Finally, President Dwight Eisenhower took action to protect the students' rights, ordering 1,000 paratroopers to escort the students onto campus, where they successfully enrolled. • What year did Ernest Green enroll at Central High School? Why did he want to enroll there? • Who were the Little Rock Nine? • Were the Little Rock Nine successful? Despite the protection of the federal troops, the Little Rock Nine were continual targets of white students' hatred. Throughout the school year, Green suffered numerous acts of discrimination. For example, he regularly had racial slurs directed at him in hallways. In the gym shower room, white boys flung steaming hot towels in his face, and even placed broken glass in the shower so that he cut his feet. Still, Green remained committed to the cause. When the Little Rock Nine met together during afternoons, Green, the eldest and only senior among the group, comforted his younger classmates, often using humor to distract them. © Teachers' Curriculum Institute USH-12-5, Activity 2.3, Page 11
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