HISTORY

History.com describes the Civil Rights Era as a struggle for social justice that took place mainly during the 1950s and 1960s for Black Americans to gain equal rights under the law in the United States. The Civil War had officially abolished slavery, but it didn’t end discrimination against Black people—they continued to endure the devastating effects of racism, especially in the South. By the mid-20th century, Black Americans had had more than enough of prejudice and violence against them. They, along with many white Americans, mobilized and began an unprecedented fight for equality that spanned two decades.

During Reconstruction, Black people took on leadership roles like never before. They held public office and sought legislative changes for equality and the right to vote.  In 1868, the 14th Amendment to the Constitution gave Black people equal protection under the law.  In 1870, the 15th Amendment granted Black American men the right to vote. Still, many white Americans, especially those in the South, were unhappy that people they once enslaved were now on a more-or-less equal playing field. 

To marginalize Black people, keep them separate from white people and erase the progress they made during Reconstruction, "Jim Crow" laws were established in the South beginning in the late 19th century. Black people couldn’t use the same public facilities as white people, live in many of the same towns or go to the same schools.  Interracial marriage was illegal, and most Black people couldn’t vote because they were unable to pass voter literacy tests.

Jim Crow laws weren’t adopted in northern states; however, Black people still experienced discrimination at their jobs or when they tried to buy a house or get an education. To make matters worse, laws were passed in some states to limit voting rights for Black Americans.

Moreover, southern segregation gained ground in 1896 when the U.S. Supreme Court declared in Plessy v. Ferguson that facilities for Black and white people could be “separate but equal.”

ARTISTS

The art of the Civil Rights Era spanned from photographs, paintings, and mixed media.  The following artists and more helped contribute to the Black Arts Movement and the Civil Rights Era.

Soldiers and Students by Jacob Lawrence is a popular painting that uses opaque watercolor over graphite on wove paper. It was painted in 1962 during the Civil Rights Era.

A popular photographer during the Civil Rights Era was Moneta Sleet Jr., who took this photograph of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with his family.

Elaine “Jae" Jarrell was known for her fashion designs.

QUIZ

The Civil Rights Era is often covered in school curriculum. What do you notice about most of the photography from that era?