Segregation

In the 1950s, the South was very segregated. This meant that black and white people were not allowed to do anything together. They weren’t encouraged to interact in any setting. It was a sad and absurd time in the South.

Laws were in place that made blacks attend separate schools and separate churches. They were not allowed to eat at the same restaurants as white people. They were not allowed to sit next to whites on the bus or the train. If there were not enough seats for whites, black people were required to give up their seats.

In public places, whites and blacks had separate drinking fountains. African-Americans were not even allowed to vote. This had to stop. But changes came very slowly.

Many people helped bring about these changes. Jackie Robinson showed the world that black people had great talent. Thurgood Marshall fought for equal education rights for children. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. took the message to Washington, D.C., and gave his famous speech. These and many more people helped bring about the much-needed changes.