African American Civil Rights Movement (1960s) - AP U.S. History

1. Which act did President Lyndon B. Johnson sign into law on August 6, 1965?

   The Voting Rights Act of 1965. Followed the Selma marches and removed voting barriers.

2. Identify the first African American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

   Shirley Chisholm. Elected in 1968, breaking barriers in national politics.

3. What was the purpose of the 1963 Birmingham Campaign?

   To protest segregation and racial injustice. Used children as protesters, leading to violent police response.

4. What was the purpose of the Freedom Rides in the early 1960s?

   To challenge segregation in interstate bus terminals. Tested Supreme Court decisions banning segregated travel.

5. What major event in 1961 involved riding buses into the segregated South?

   The Freedom Rides. Interstate travelers tested federal desegregation rulings.

6. What significant achievement did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 accomplish?

   It prohibited racial discrimination in voting. Eliminated literacy tests and other barriers to voting.

7. Identify the city where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.

   Memphis, Tennessee. Shot on April 4, 1968, while supporting striking workers.

8. Who delivered the 'Ballot or the Bullet' speech in 1964?

   Malcolm X. Advocated for Black nationalism and self-determination.

9. What was the significance of the 1968 Kerner Commission Report?

   It analyzed urban riots and recommended remedies. Found that white racism caused urban unrest and poverty.

10. What was the significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1968?

    It banned discrimination in housing. Also known as the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

11. Which civil rights leader was known for his work on economic justice?

    Martin Luther King Jr. Later focused on poverty through Poor People's Campaign.

12. Which amendment abolished poll taxes, a barrier to voting for African Americans?

    The 24th Amendment. Eliminated financial barriers that prevented poor from voting.

13. Who was the prominent civil rights leader assassinated in 1968?

    Martin Luther King Jr. Killed in Memphis while supporting sanitation workers' strike.

14. What was the main focus of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)?

    To coordinate nonviolent protests against segregation. Founded by MLK to organize Southern churches for civil rights.

15. Identify the African American leader who advocated for Black Power in the 1960s.

    Stokely Carmichael. Popularized the slogan 'Black Power' in civil rights activism.

16. Who were the 'Little Rock Nine'?

    Nine African American students integrating Central High School. Faced violent mobs while integrating Arkansas school in 1957.

17. Which event is known for Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech?

    The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963. Delivered before 250,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial.

18. Who was the first African American student to attend the University of Mississippi in 1962?

    James Meredith. Required federal troops to ensure his enrollment and safety.

19. Name the organization founded in 1909 that played a key role in the Civil Rights Movement.

    The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). Led legal challenges including Brown v. Board case.

20. What was the outcome of the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer?

    Increased voter registration in Mississippi. College volunteers helped register Black voters despite violence.

21. What was the focus of the 1967 'Black Power' movement?

    Emphasizing racial pride and self-sufficiency. Shifted from integration to Black self-determination and pride.

22. Who was the prominent leader advocating for the separation of races?

    Malcolm X. Broke with civil rights movement over integration versus separation.

23. Who was Emmett Till, and why is he significant?

    A murdered teenager; his death galvanized the Civil Rights Movement. His lynching exposed brutal Southern racism to national attention.

24. Identify the key leader of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement known for nonviolent protest.

    Martin Luther King Jr. Advocated peaceful resistance inspired by Gandhi's methods.

25. What was the primary goal of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)?

    To organize younger African Americans in protests. Focused on empowering young activists through grassroots organizing.

26. What was the outcome of the 1960 Greensboro sit-ins?

    Desegregation of Woolworth's lunch counters. Student sit-ins spread nationwide, desegregating many businesses.

27. Which city was the focus of major civil rights demonstrations, including the 1963 campaign?

    Birmingham, Alabama. Known for harsh police tactics against peaceful demonstrators.

28. Which act banned discrimination in housing in 1968?

    The Fair Housing Act. Completed the civil rights legislative trilogy of the 1960s.

29. What was the purpose of the 1963 March on Washington?

    To advocate for civil and economic rights. Combined civil rights demands with economic justice goals.

30. Which landmark legislation was passed in 1964 to combat racial discrimination?

    The Civil Rights Act of 1964. Banned discrimination in public accommodations and employment.

31. Which event is known for the arrest of Rosa Parks in 1955?

    The Montgomery Bus Boycott. Rosa Parks' arrest sparked this year-long successful boycott.

32. Which organization was founded in 1966 to advocate for self-defense and Black empowerment?

    The Black Panther Party. Emphasized armed self-defense and community empowerment programs.

33. Who was the first African American Supreme Court Justice?

    Thurgood Marshall. NAACP lawyer who argued Brown case before joining Court.

34. What was the main issue addressed by the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party?

    Exclusion of African Americans from the political process. Challenged all-white delegation at Democratic National Convention.

35. What was the main strategy used by the Civil Rights Movement to achieve its goals?

    Nonviolent protest and civil disobedience. Gandhi's influence shaped peaceful resistance to segregation.

36. What was the role of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in the 1960s?

    To organize protests against segregation. Organized sit-ins and Freedom Rides to challenge segregation.

37. Which Supreme Court decision in 1954 declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional?

    Brown v. Board of Education. Overturned 'separate but equal' doctrine from Plessy v. Ferguson.

38. Which 1965 event highlighted the struggle for voting rights in Selma, Alabama?

    Bloody Sunday. Peaceful marchers were brutally attacked on Edmund Pettus Bridge.

39. What was the main goal of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s?

    To end racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans. Aimed to dismantle Jim Crow laws and achieve equal rights.

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