EOTO Recap - Brown vs. Board

 EOTO Recap

        While the Brown vs  Board of Education case was going through trial, there was many other significant events happening throughout the United States. Some of these events were incredible and made strides to create equality among the races, other events took us back a multitude of steps and are very low points in our history.

    The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a major event during the Civil Rights Era. It consisted of African Americans simply refusing to use public transport such as busses. This sparked with the Rosa Parks incident. This bus boycott went on from December 5, 1955 to December 20, 1956; over a full year of boycotting this form of public transportation. Activists met after Rosa Parks was arrested and decided that this would be the simple but productive stance they would take on the issue. 

    Another significant movement that went on was the March on Washington. This was a protest that occurred in August of 1963. More than 250,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to protest for jobs and freedom among African Americans. This is also where Martin Luther King Jr. conducted his "I Have a Dream" speech. While there were many protests that occurred on the grounds of Washington D.C., this was the largest and most impactful. John F. Kennedy endorsed this march and ensured the safety and seriousness of this protest. 

    While these events promised proactiveness and hope for equality in America, there were many people against this idea. And with that, on many occasions steps were taken to revoke the safety and equality of blacks in America. 

    The 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing was a prime example of one of the events that caused the progressions made to be questioned. This occurred on September 15, 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama. Four KKK members were involved in the bombing that resulted in the death of four girls and fourteen to twenty-two additional injuries. Nineteen sticks of dynamite were planted under the church steps and were signaled to go off with timing devices. No prosecutions were conducted until 1977, and no imprisonments took place until 2001. 

    Another devastating event in the time period surrounding the Brown vs Board era is Bloody Sunday. Bloody Sunday is the term coined for the tragedies that occurred during the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965. The march was supposed to go from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama in order to protest the death of activist Jimmie Lee Jackson, who was shot and killed by a local officer. The protest was nonviolent and peaceful. The state and local authorities used tear gas, and billy clubs to beat the peaceful protesters. 

    While major advancements were being made to create true equality in this time period, there were also horrifying drawbacks that were occurring. By viewing both kinds of acts, it allows for a better full-picture view of this time period.