How were civil rights expanded for

African Americans during the

1950s and 1960s?
 In the 1954 case Brown v. Board of
Education, the Supreme Court ruled
that public schools were required to be
desegregated.
 The constitutional basis for the
Supreme Court’s ruling in this case
was the 14th Amendment’s guarantee
of “equal protection of the law”.

Chief Justice Earl Warren

(1953–1969)
 During the 1950s and 1960s, Martin
Luther King, Jr. (and other civil rights
leaders) encouraged people to engage
in civil disobedience in order to achieve
greater civil rights.
 Following the March on Washington
in 1963 and King’s famous “I have a
dream . . .” speech, new civil rights
legislation was passed in the U.S.
 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was
passed to end public discrimination
based on race or sex.

July 2, 1964
 The 24th Amendment was ratified in
1964 to end poll taxes.

January 23, 1964

 The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was
passed to end literacy tests and
increase African American voter
registration.

August 6, 1965