Lecture on 1950s Racial Upheaval in America

Overview

• The 1950s were marked by racial segregation and inequality in America.
• Separate facilities for blacks and whites existed, signaling a lack of equality.
• The lecture focuses on racial upheavals and the journey towards justice, featuring personal accounts like that of NBC's John Chancellor.

Key Figures and Events

Willie Mays

• Became a prominent symbol in baseball once the color barrier was removed.
• Despite his success, faced racial discrimination in the South.

Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man"

• Published in 1952, brought attention to racial issues as an American problem, not just a black or white problem.
• Illustrated the invisibility of African Americans in media and society.

The Great Migration

• Over six million African Americans moved from the South to Northern cities like Chicago.
• Motivated by the search for better jobs and escape from Southern racial injustices.

Emmett Till

• A 14-year-old boy from Chicago murdered in Mississippi in 1955 after allegedly flirting with a white woman.
• His death and the open casket funeral revealed the brutality of Southern racism.
• The acquittal of his murderers and their later confession highlighted the racial injustice.

Racial Segregation and Legal Cases

Brown vs. Board of Education (1954)

• Supreme Court declared segregated schools unconstitutional.
• Aimed to integrate schools for equal opportunities.

Little Rock Nine (1957)

• Nine African American students were selected for their academic excellence to integrate Central High School, Little Rock, Arkansas.
• Governor Orval Faubus opposed integration and used the National Guard to prevent it.
• President Eisenhower intervened with federal troops to ensure integration.

Media's Role in Civil Rights

• Television brought racial issues to national attention, highlighting events like Little Rock and Emmett Till's murder.
• Journalists like John Chancellor played pivotal roles in documenting racial tensions.

Entertainment and Sports

Louis Armstrong

• Became vocal about racial injustices following events like the Little Rock crisis.

Bill Russell

• Dominant basketball player who broke many racial barriers in sports.
• Experienced racism even in Northern cities like Boston.
• Participated actively in civil rights movements.

Impact on Civil Rights Movement

• Emmett Till's murder galvanized the Civil Rights Movement.
• Civil rights leaders used media to expose racial injustices across the country.
• The visibility of racial issues increased with the involvement of prominent figures and the media.

Conclusion

• The 1950s set the stage for the Civil Rights Movement by making visible the racial injustices that had long been ignored.
• Figures like Bill Russell and events like Little Rock and Emmett Till's case were pivotal in shifting public perception and policy towards racial equality.