Civil Rights Movement: Freedom Summer 1964
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Henegan1 Civil Rights Movement: Freedom Summer 1964 The Education of African Americans- 1950 to the Present Christina Henegan The Ohio State University Henegan2 The Civil Rights movement was a time when people from all over the United States came together to build awareness and support for equal rights. The Civil Rights Movement was making headlines, and, by 1963, it was in the media every day (Boyd, 2004). The pictures were frightening and the divide between supporters and non-supporters was growing. By the summer of 1964, many players in the civil rights movement were prepared to make their efforts more serious and, in turn, more political. Activists hoped to educate African Americans about the importance of voting and build an awareness in politics that the African American vote was an important one and that issues significant to African American people needed to be addressed. African Americans, as well as white civil rights activists, were ready to support a movement and, with the death of Louis Allen, Bob Moses felt that the summer of 1964 was the time to do it (Boyd, 2004). The Freedom Summer of 1964 was initiated with the goal of registering black people in the South to vote. Volunteers were trained in Oxford, Ohio to register voters, teach at Freedom Schools and support the movement in any other ways possible. They were trained in non-violent responses and about a coalition of Mississippi civil rights groups, the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) (Carson & Bauerlein, 2003, p. 266). The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was a group of young black activists who had been fighting for equal rights for years. SNCC, along side the trained white volunteers from Oxford, Ohio, began their mission to register voters and initiate and support Freedom Schools in many areas. This did not come without some struggle. SNCC volunteers were well aware that the presence of the white volunteers would bring the media focus more to white volunteers who were participating in the Freedom Summer. They feared that their presence and involvement would be the only reason that government would get Henegan3 involved in the movement, but knew that the publicity would be helpful in their movement. Violence toward volunteers of all races did occur with attacks on people, businesses, and churches. Three civil rights workers were kidnapped and killed for their work in the Freedom Summer movement. The work of the volunteers was not in vain. Teachers at the Freedom Schools felt they were helping students to learn. One teacher, Pam Parker, commented on the students, “(students have)…a real, honest enthusiasm and desire to learn anything and everything.” (Kasher, 1996, p. 150). Forty one Freedom Schools were established and more than 3,000 students attended classes during the summer of 1964 (Carson & Bauerlein, 2003, p. 266). These students were supported in a movement to equalize education and inform black children of their rights as citizens of the United States. While Freedom Schools were an important part of the summer of 1964, voter registration was the main goal of the Civil Rights effort. Students in the Freedom Schools were educated about voting and Freedom Summer volunteers were spreading the word throughout the southern communities in Mississippi that registering to vote was not only important, it was imperative. Educating people about the importance of voting and supporting them in registering to vote became a great success with around 17,000 African Americans registering to vote. Although of these, only 1,600 of the registrations were accepted, the movement was an overall success (Carson & Bauerlein, 2003). With the numbers of registered black voters growing, and the impact of the Freedom Summer affecting so many people, members of the United States government began to take notice of the responses people were having to this positive movement. With fuel from the Freedom Summer, the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) gained a large following Henegan4 and attended the Democratic National Convention where its support was widely recognized and helped make the MFDP a party to be respected. As part of the support, a member of the MFDP, Fanny Lou Hamer, spoke out about the atrocities that she had experienced as a black woman trying to work and live as a respected citizen of the Untied States. She presented her struggles on national television and received so many sympathetic responses that the President Johnson interrupted her accounts to try to take away some of the publicity, but the ground work had already been laid (Kasher, 1996). President Johnson knew that he had to work with the MFDP if he wanted to win the re-election and the support of their growing numbers. He attempted to make a deal with the MFDP to be included in the Democratic Convention on certain terms. While this proposal fell short of some Freedom Summer participants’ expectations, others, including Martin Luther King, thought the offer was a victory in their effort (Carson & Bauerlein, 2003). The effects of the Freedom Summer of 1964 were ones that lasted throughout the decade and into the future. White volunteers returned to their schools and homes ready to carry on their involvement in the civil rights movement. Future legislature would be affected by the large movement of black people who had become involved in politics and the act of voting. SNCC and other organizations continued their work in getting people involved and the state of Mississippi came out of the past and joined the present where equality was attainable. The movement of young people in the freedom summer of 1964 can be a model to young adults in the present generation to get involved and take action in the important issues that are affecting their lives today. Researching the Freedom Summer movement can be a great motivator for high school and college student to participate in voting and become more aware of the important issues that will affect their future. Using the Freedom Summer of 1964 to motivate Henegan5 students in 2009 to get become active participants in their futures is one way to encourage positive change in our world. Henegan6 References Boyd, Herb. (2004). We shall overcome. Naperville: Sourcebook, Inc. Carson, Clayborne & Bauerlein, Mark. (2003). Civil rights chronicle: The African-american struggle for freedom. Legacy, Publication. Kasher, Steven. (1996). The civil rights movement: A photographic history, 1954-68. New York: Abbeville Press. Henegan7 Picture Timeline *This lesson will be presented at the beginning of the Unit on the Civil Rights Movement in order to allow students to build a knowledge base for the unit* Focusing on African Americans in United States history, create a visual timeline that completely and thoroughly describes and represents history of African Americans. Topics must come from the early slave trade through 2009. Timeline topics MUST include: • Slave Trade • Slavery • Civil War • Emancipation • Northern Migration • Racism • Integration/segregation • Ku Klux Klan • Civil Rights Movement • Freedom Summer • African American Icons (3 items) • Trends (3 items) 5 Points each 80 points This timeline is meant to be a VISUAL timeline. -Pictures must be cited if not created by you. -Your timeline must have 16 events in order. -The date must be included with each picture. -Each event must have a brief 2-4 sentence description Creativity-10 points: * The timeline must be colorful. Reflection- 10 points: In a typed 1 page document, respond to the following questions *What did you already know about African American history before you started this project *What did you learn from researching and completing this project *What questions do you still have about African American history Henegan8 Freedom Summer Storybook-Assessment Your group will be creating an illustrated storybook that covers the major events of the Freedom Summer of 1964. The goal of the book will be to describe the impact that the Freedom Summer of 1964 had on the Civil Rights Movement. Keep in mind that it should be written in simple, clear language that a 12 year old could read and enjoy. Your Storybook should include the following sections: *A visually appealing cover with an appropriate title *A brief introduction that describes the history of African Americans in the US *Conditions in the US the 10 years prior to 1964 *Rising Tensions in the Civil Rights Movement *The events of the Freedom Summer of 1964 *Conditions in the US the 10 years following the Freedom Summer *Brief Conclusion – Results of Civil Rights Movement on United States to Present Each Section must contain the following: -An illustration of the event -A summary of how the event related to the Civil Rights movement Things to keep in Mind while Creating your Storybook: -must be designed on Computer paper (no lined paper) -must be stapled or bound together in some way -use color -make it artistically and visually appealing (use of page numbers, extra visuals/graphics) Point Breakdown: Cover-3 points Introduction- 5 points 10 years prior- 5 points Rising Tensions- 5 Points Freedom Summer- 10 points 10 years post freedom summer- 5 points Conclusion- 5 points Overall Appearance- paper, use of color, quality of work- 7 points Henegan9 Group Participation- 5 points per person Total Points= 55 Letter to a Civil Rights Figure *This lesson will be given at the end of the lessons on the Freedom Summer of 1964 and Civil Rights Movement to extend students critical thinking* Goal: Compose a professional letter to a figure involved in the incidents that occurred in or around the Freedom Summer of 1964. Objectives: 1. Students will use critical thinking to compose a letter 2. Students will research the letter recipient 3. Letters will be composed using professional letter format 4. Letter will be on topic and ask relevant questions to their recipient Lesson: 1.