Hello, and thank you for joining me.

I'm Mr. Marchant and I'll be your history teacher for today's lesson.

I'll be guiding you through all of our resources, and my top aims are to ensure not only that you enjoy our learning, but also that you can successfully meet today's lesson objective.

Welcome to today's lesson, which is part of our unit on the civil rights movement in the USA, where we're asking ourselves, how successful was the American civil rights movement? By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to assess the African-American challenges to segregation in schools.

There are five keywords which will help us navigate our way through today's lesson.

Those are segregation, constitutional, civil rights, federal, and desegregate.

Segregation is when groups of people are separated from one another.

If something is constitutional, then it is allowed under the laws of a political system.

Civil rights are the rights that everyone in a country has.

Something is federal if it's related to the national government of the USA, rather than the government of individual states.

And to desegregate something is to end segregation.

Today's lesson will be split into three parts, and we'll begin by focusing on Jim Crow and discrimination.

By 1865, although many states in the USA had abolished slavery, this had not occurred in the South.

In 1865, the American Constitution was changed.

The 13th Amendment was passed abolishing slavery throughout the entire USA.

So, let's check our understanding of what we've just heard.

I want you to write the missing word from the following sentence.

The 13th Amendment guaranteed the abolition of slavery as part of the US blank.

So what's the missing word? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay.

Well done to everybody who said that the missing word was Constitution.

The 13th Amendment guaranteed the abolition of slavery as part of the US constitution.

Alongside the 13th Amendment, another change had been made to the US Constitution in 1865.

The 14th Amendment was passed, which promised the equal protection of the laws to all American citizens.

This was intended to protect newly freed African Americans from discrimination.

Similarly, the 15th Amendment was introduced guaranteeing African Americans the right to vote in the USA.

So, let's make sure we have a secure understanding of what we've just heard.

How did the 14th Amendment try to protect African Americans? Was it that it required the government to pay them money, it promised equal protection under the law, or it sentenced all former slaveholders to jail? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that the correct answer was B.

The 14th Amendment tried to protect African Americans by promising them equal protection under the law.

Despite the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, racism and discrimination against African Americans continued in the USA after 1865 and well into the 20th century.

Discrimination against African Americans included segregation in the South, voter restrictions in the South, intimidation and violence from groups like the KKK, unofficial segregation in the North, such as in housing, and lower paying and less secure employment.

So let's check our understanding of what we've just heard.

We have a statement on the screen which reads, slavery, racism, and discrimination came to an end in 1865.

Is that statement true or false? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay.

Well done to everybody who said that that statement was false, but we need to be able to justify our response.

So two justifications have appeared on the screen.

The first, says that slavery came to an end in 1865, however, racism and discrimination would not disappear overnight.

And a second, says that slavery would not end until the 1900s, however, racism and discrimination slowly came to an end in the 1860s.

So which one of those two justifications is correct? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay.

Well done to everybody who said that the correct justification was A.

Although slavery came to an end in 1865, racism and discrimination did not disappear overnight.

The laws that enforced segregation in the South were known as Jim Crow laws.

Most public spaces, including schools, hospitals, and parks were segregated in the South in the late 19th century and continued to be segregated in the 1940s and 1950s.

For instance, on the screen, you can see an image of a segregated coach station.

So let's reflect on what we've just heard.

Where were Jim Crow laws in force? Was it in the North, the South, or throughout the entire USA? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay.

Well done to everybody who said that the correct answer was B.

Jim Crow laws were in forced in the South of the USA and enforced segregation in those areas.

In 1896, the constitutionality of Jim Crow laws was challenged in a legal case taken to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court judged that segregation was constitutional, claiming that facilities could be separate but equal.

In reality, segregated facilities for African Americans were often of very poor quality, receiving less funding and maintenance than white facilities.

So let's make sure we have a secure understanding of what we've just heard.

We have a statement on the screen that reads, segregated schools in the South had equal funding to ensure they were separate but equal.

Is that statement true or false? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay.

Well done to everybody who said that that statement was false, but we need to be able to justify our response.

So two justifications have appeared on the screen.

The first, says that states in the south set up schools for both white and black children, but gave less funding for African American education.

And the second, says that most states in the South refused to provide any funding for African American education.

So which one of those two justifications is correct? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay.

Well done to everybody who said that the correct justification was A.

States in the South set up schools for both white and black children, but gave less funding for African American education.

So we're now in a good position to put all of our knowledge of Jim Crow in discrimination into practise.

I want you to study the following statements.

They say the American Constitution did not promise equality for white Americans and African Americans.

The Jim Crow laws only applied to the South.

The Supreme Court declared that segregation was unconstitutional in 1896.

And discrimination was uncommon in the North.

And I want you to identify whether each statement is true or false, and to correct any of the false statements.

You should provide additional detail to support any corrections you do make.

So pause the video here and press play when you're ready to reflect on your responses.

Okay.

Well done for all of your hard work on that task.

So firstly, I asked you to identify whether each of our statements were true or false, and you should have said that the first statement was false, that the second statement was true.

The Jim Crow laws did only enforce segregation in the US South.

The third statement was false, and the fourth statement was also false.

So thinking about the second part of task A, where I asked you to correct our false statements, your answers may have included, the 14th amendment of the American constitution promised equal protection under the law for white Americans and African Americans.

The Supreme Court declared that segregation was constitutional in 1896, saying that segregated facilities could be 'separate but equal'.

And discrimination was common in the North, even though it did not have Jim Crow laws.

For example, there was unofficial segregation of housing in the North and many African Americans suffered from lower pay than white Americans.

So well done if your own corrections look something like those models, which we've just seen.

So now we're ready to move on to the second part of our lesson for today where we are going to focus on civil rights organisations.

Racial discrimination across the USA increased their difficulty of everyday life as an African American.

In response to this, a range of different organisations became active in challenging the racial discrimination which African Americans faced.

The work of these organisations was part of the Civil Rights movement, which began in the mid-20th century.

In 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People or the NAACP, was founded in New York.

The founders of the NAACP included W.

E.

B Du Bois, the first black American to earn a PhD from Harvard University.

And Ida B.

Wells, a black American woman known for her campaigns against lynching.

As many of its founding members had legal experience, the NAACP chose to fight racial discrimination by launching legal challenges through the courts.

Membership at the NAACP grew rapidly as they were able to successfully challenge some cases of racial discrimination.

For instance, in 1917, the NAACP succeeded in getting the Supreme Court to rule that laws which segregated housing by preventing black people from buying in majority-white neighbourhoods were illegal.

By 1919, there were around 90,000 members in the NAACP.

Membership grew even larger in the 1940s, as many African Americans returned from fighting in the Second World War only to face continued discrimination at home.

By 1946, the NAACP had around 600,000 members.

So I want you to change one word to correct the following sentence.

The NAACP challenged racial discrimination by launching violent challenges.

So think which word seems like it's incorrect and what should it be changed to? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay.

Well done to everybody who changed the word violent to legal.

The NAACP challenged racial discrimination by launching legal challenges through the courts.

And let's try another question.

Why did American involvement in the Second World War increase NAACP membership? Was it because the NAACP ran many war propaganda campaigns and that gained them greater support, because many black Americans had fought for their country, but still face discrimination at home, or because the US government had promised to introduce a civil rights act after the war? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that the correct answer was B.

Membership at the NAACP grew significantly after the end of World War II because many black Americans who'd fought for their country returned home to still face discrimination and hoped to make a change.

As well as the NAACP, there were other groups fighting for civil rights in the USA, including Christian Church organisations.

Churches were at the centre of most black communities, particularly in the South.

This meant that churches were often used as meeting spaces for African Americans who were organising challenges against racial discrimination.

Protests and challenges to discrimination launched by church organisations were often able to involve large numbers in local communities to increase the pressure for change.

Furthermore, it was often easier for black church leaders to speak out against racism because unlike African Americans who worked for white-owned businesses, they did not risk losing their jobs for challenging discrimination.

This meant that it became more common for church organisations to take a role in leading local protests for civil rights.

Martin Luther King Jr.

is an example of a famous civil rights leader who began as a pastor, a priest in a local church.

So let's reflect on what we've just heard.

We have a statement on the screen that reads, church organisations played a large role in the fight for civil rights.

Is that statement true or false? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay.

Well done to everybody who said that that statement was true, but we need to be able to justify our response.

So two justifications have appeared on the screen.

The first, says that churches were always supported by government leaders, and the second, says that churches with the centre of most black communities.

So which one of those two justifications is correct? Pause the video here and press play when you are ready to see the right answer.

Okay.

Well done to everybody who said that the correct justification was B, churches were at the centre of most black communities in the South, which meant they were able to play a large role in the fight for civil rights.

So we can now move on task B, we have Jacob's view where he says, "African Americans were able to use different approaches to challenge racial discrimination in the 20th century." Explain why Jacob's view is correct.

You should refer to the NAACP and churches as part of your answer.

So pause the video here and press play when you're ready to reflect on your response.

Okay.

Well done for all of your effort on that task.

So we had Jacob's view, that African Americans were able to use different approaches to challenge racial discrimination in the 20th century.

And I asked you to explain why Jacob's view is correct.

Your answer may have included, African Americans worked through a range of organisations to challenge racial discrimination.

For example, the NAACP supported some African Americans in fighting for their civil rights by taking legal action through the courts.

African Americans also challenged discrimination through church organisations.

This was especially true in the South where churches were at the centre of many black communities and could help organise large numbers of people to increase the pressure for change.

So really well done.

If your own answer looks something like that model, which we've just seen.

And now we're ready to move on to the third and final part of our lesson for today, where we are going to think about challenging segregation.

Poor quality, segregated schools led to a cycle of lifelong inequality for African Americans.

Challenging segregation in education provided one of the earliest and most important successes for the civil rights movement during the mid-20th century.

In 1951 in Topeka, Kansas, the parents of Linda Brown took the local board of education to court.

Brown's parents were unhappy that segregation prevented Linda from attending a nearby school.

Instead, she had to attend an all-black school two miles away.

Linda's parents were supported by the NAACP who took the case to the Supreme Court.

In 1954, in the case of Brown v.

Board of Education at Topeka, the Supreme Court ruled that school segregation was unconstitutional.

The court ordered all schools to desegregate, and within weeks, many cities and towns had complied with this instruction.

The decision in Brown v.

Board also encouraged civil rights campaigners, who believed similar rulings might be achieved against segregation in other areas of life beyond education.

However, the Supreme Court's decision also met with a lot of resistance.

In Mississippi, a White Citizen's Council, WCC was formed to oppose desegregation in the state.

And there was even a rise in KKK membership.

Despite the Supreme Court's ruling, local politicians and officials often acted slowly.

In 1956, there were still six Southern states where not a single African American child attended the same school as white students.

So let's reflect on what we've just heard, which two reasons led civil rights campaigners to celebrate the Brown v.

Board ruling, was it that schools were immediately desegregated, that discrimination in the South was ended by the ruling, that the ruling showed segregation could be overturned, or that African American children gained more opportunity? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay.

Well done to everybody who said that the correct answers were C and D, the Brown v.

Board ruling was celebrated because it showed that segregation could be overturned.

This was a successful legal challenge through the Supreme Court and because it also provided African American children with more opportunity, as black children now had the opportunity to attend the same, often better-funded schools as white children.

Three years after the Brown v.

Board case, the town of Little Rock in Arkansas finally made the decision to desegregate its own schools.

However, when nine black students, the Little Rock Nine, went to Little Rock Central High School for their first day in September 1957, they faced significant opposition.

A hostile crowd had formed outside the school.

The crowd were joined by members of Arkansas's National Guard, so state troops, sent by Governor Orval Faubus to prevent the Little Rock Nine from entering.

One of the Little Rock Nine, Elizabeth Eckford showed up on the first day alone whilst the rest of the nine arrived together, images of Eckford walking alone through a hostile crowd quickly spread across the world, helping to generate international support for the civil rights movement in America.

These events pressured President Eisenhower reluctantly into taking action.

The president ordered Governor Faubus to remove his state troops from Central High School, and instead, over 1000 federal government troops were sent to Little Rock to guarantee the safety of the Little Rock Nine, and ensure they could finally attend their school.

However, once Little Rock's Central High School was successfully desegregated, the issues in the town over desegregation were repeated in many other parts of the South without any successful resolution.

By 1960, just 2,500 of Arkansas's 2 million black students attended the same school as white children.

Five years after the events at Little Rock and eight years after the Brown v.

Board ruling, there was still no African American children attending the same schools as white children in three Southern states.

So let's make sure we have a secure understanding of everything we just heard.

We have a statement on the screen that reads, the federal government did nothing to ensure schools were desegregated after 1954.

Is that statement true or false? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay.

Well done to everybody who said that that statement was false, but we need to be able to justify our answer.

So two justifications have appeared on the screen.

The first, says that President Eisenhower sent federal troops to support the Little Rock Nine, but did not do this elsewhere.

And the second, says that the governors of states which failed to desegregate were removed from power for ignoring the Supreme Court.

So which one of those two justifications is correct? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay.

Well done to everybody who said that the correct justification was A, we can tell that the federal government did take action to ensure schools were desegregated because President Eisenhower sent federal troops to support the Little Rock Nine in 1957.

However, we do need to keep in mind that the President did not do this elsewhere.

And let's try another question.

Which statement is most accurate? That all schools in the South were entirely desegregated by 1962.

That no Southern states had entirely segregated schools by 1962, but none were completely desegregated either or that free southern states still had entirely segregated schools by 1962.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay.

Well done to everybody who said that the correct answer was C.

By 1962, there were still three Southern states that still had entirely segregated schools, and in many other Southern states, whilst desegregation did begin, most white and black children continued to attend different schools.

So we're now in a good position to put all of our knowledge into practise.

We're going to split task C into three parts.

Firstly, I want you to explain why some historians might argue that school segregation was successfully challenged during the 1950s.

Then, I want you to explain why some historians might argue that school segregation was unsuccessfully challenged during the 1950s.

And finally, I want you to tell me, overall, how successful were the attempts at challenging school segregation in the USA during the 1950s? And you must explain your answer for that question.

So pause the video here and press play when you're ready to reflect on your responses.

Okay.

Well done for all of your hard work on that task.

So firstly, I asked you to explain why some historians might argue that school segregation was successfully challenged during the 1950s.

And your answer may have included, some historians would argue that school segregation was successfully challenged because the Supreme Court and president both took action in support of desegregation.

For example, in the Brown v.

Board case in 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that school segregation was unconstitutional.

Furthermore, in 1957, President Eisenhower even sent troops to ensure that Central High School in Little Rock was desegregated, despite local resistance.

This suggested that some of the most powerful groups in the country had been convinced that segregation was wrong, which encouraged campaigners to believe racial discrimination in other areas of life could be successfully challenged too.

So, really well done if your own answer looks something like that model.

For the second part of task C.

Where I asked you to explain why some historians might argue that school segregation was unsuccessfully challenged during the 1950s.

Your answer may have included, some historians might argue that school segregation was unsuccessfully challenged because of a continuing opposition to desegregation experienced in many parts of the South.

For instance, whilst many towns and cities complied with the Supreme Court's order to end segregation in schools in 1954, there were still six entire Southern states two years later, which had maintained entirely segregated schools.

This suggests that the legal successes of civil rights campaigners did not result in practical gains for many African Americans.

Similarly, even after federal troops forced a desegregation at Little Rock Central High School in 1957, the overwhelming majority of black children in the rest of Arkansas remained in segregated schools.

So again, really well done if your own answer looks something like that model there.

And for the final part of Task C, I asked you overall, how successful were the attempts at challenging school segregation in the USA during the 1950s? And your answer may have included, overall, the challenges against segregation in schools during the 1950s may be considered somewhat successful.

The NAACP's success in getting the Supreme Court to declare school segregation unconstitutional, made it possible to overcome a form of racial discrimination which had contributed significantly to lifelong inequality between white and black Americans.

Nevertheless, there were still many areas in the South where opposition meant that desegregation of schools simply had not occurred by the end at the 1950s, meaning millions of African American children only benefited in theory rather than practise from legal challenges to school segregation.

So, we've now reached the end of today's lesson, which puts us in a good position to summarise our learning about segregation laws in the USA.

We've seen that segregation was one of many forms of racial discrimination suffered by African Americans.

The Supreme Court ruled that segregation was constitutional in 1896, so long as facilities were separate but equal.

The NAACP and church organisations were important groups in the civil rights movement during the mid-20th century.

School segregation was declared unconstitutional in 1954, and schools across the country were ordered to desegregate.

And widespread white opposition meant that in many parts of the South, school desegregation had not occurred by the start of the 1960s.

So really well done for all of your effort during today's lesson.

It's been a pleasure to help guide you through our resources today, and I look forward to seeing you again in the future as we think further about the civil rights movement in the USA and continue to ask ourselves, how successful was that movement during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s?.