Methods of Protest

During the Civil Rights Movement, people chose many methods of protesting against segregation and discrimination. Groups like the NAACP used community organizers and churches (not the chicken place) to spread the word. Rosa Parks, a member of the NAACP began a bus boycott when she deliberately broke the law and was arrested for refusing to sit in the back of the bus. College students led sit-ins and demonstrations where they "took over" the campus so that professors would include African-American and Latino studies. An all-black group of lawyers provided the lawsuit Brown vs. Board of Education, which led to the integration of schools. When the president failed to integrate schools, children throughout the nation led walk-outs which sent the message that they would not receive a mediocre education.

Groups such as the Black Panthers used the threat of violence to provide schools with free breakfast and lunch programs. In some areas of the country, there were riots. These helped pressure Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voter Rights Act of 1965. Although the government helped with Civil Rights, the FBI was often involved in spying on Civil Rights leaders and openly supported racist sheriffs like Bull Connor who used fire hoses and attack dogs on protesters.

As a group, decide which method was the most effective way of fighting for Civil Rights. Make sure your response uses persuasive arguments and is at least one paragraph.