Of the People: Women of the Civil Rights Movement - DVD

The battles for African American women fought 100 years ago-for a constitutional right and against segregationist and discriminatory Jim Crow laws in the South echo today as American women continue to work against voter suppression and for full access to the polls. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Black women played an active role in the struggle for universal suffrage. They participated in political meetings and organized political societies, as well as attend political conventions at their local churches where they planned strategies to gain the right to vote. In the late 1800s, more Black women worked for churches, newspapers, secondary schools, and colleges, which gave them a larger to promote their ideas. But in spite of their hard work, many people didn't listen to them. Black men and white women usually led civil rights organizations and set the agenda and often excluded Black women from their organizations and activities. Though Black women are less well remembered, they played an important role in getting the Fifteenth and Nineteenth Amendments passed.

Faced with significant opposition to desegregation and the tragic assassination of Medgar Evers, Congress was urged to pass a comprehensive civil rights bill. Following President Kennedy's assassination in November, President Lyndon Johnson, with strong support from Roy Wilkins and Clarence Mitchell, vigorously advocated for the bill's passage, which was successfully achieved the following year. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 bans discrimination based on race, color, religion, S*x, or national origin. It's provisions outlaw discrimination in hiring, promotion, and termination based on both S*x and race. The Act also forbids discriminationin public accommodations and federally funded programs, while enhancing the enforcement of voting rights and the desegregation of schools. This series explores the resilience, innovation, and lasting contributions of African Americans, serving as a rich educational resource for classrooms, academic discussions, and lifelong learners of history.

Produced by Blackside, Eyes on the Prize tells the definitive story of the civil rights era from the point of view of the ordinary men and women whose extraordinary actions launched a movement that changed the fabric of American life, and embodied a struggle whose reverberations continue to be felt today. Winner of numerous awards, Eyes on the Prize is the most critically acclaimed documentary on civil rights in America.