Hernandez v. Texas: A Great Moment in American History
This 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Hernandez v. Texas, was a major civil rights achievement, giving Mexican-Americans equal protection under U.S. law.
A History Lesson for the Supreme Court
The 1954 Supreme Court had little awareness of what life was like for Mexican-Americans.
Are Mexicans White?
In the 1950s, Mexican-Americans took to the courts to get equality under the law, including the right to be tried by a jury of their peers.
Inequality in the Courthouse
In 1953, The lawyers in Hernandez v. Texas argued for their client as well as for themselves.
Mexican-Americans in World War II
Hundreds of thousands of Mexican-Americans fought in the US military in World War II. They suffered casualties and received honors disproportionate to their numbers, but came home to the same segregated country they had left.
The Birth and Growth of Racism against Mexican-Americans
Racist attitudes against Mexican-Americans intensified in the 20th Century. Of mixed Spanish and Indian ancestry, Mexican-Americans did not fit into iron-clad racial categories: black or white.
Discrimination against Mexican-Americans
In the 1950s life could be difficult for Latinos in the United States.
Chapter 1 | The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Watch a preview of The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Behind the Scenes With David Strathairn
Learn more about the filming of The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer.
From the film Freedom Riders: The Media, part 1
Rioters turn violent against the Freedom Riders despite the presence of the media. The resulting photographs were "about as dramatic as anything I think anyone had ever seen coming out of the Civil Rights struggle," says Ray Arsenault. "The notion that just for the attempt to sit on the front of a bus, that you could risk your life, that people could try to burn you to death was incredible."
From the film Freedom Riders: The Media, part 2
In a news report from Herb Kaplow, the reporter recounts his experience when covering a Freedom Ride. "The mob came out and went straight to the reporters, and started beating them and kicking them and throwing their cameras down, smashing them on the ground." After the reporters were forced away, the mob turned on the Freedom Riders.
From the film Freedom Riders: Freedom to Travel, part 1
Diane Nash and Charles Person discuss the difficulties for black people traveling in the segregated South.
From the film Freedom Riders: Victory for Nonviolence,...
Before getting on the bus, Freedom Riders participated in CORE training sessions, which included a demonstration of nonviolence in volatile situations. Rev. James Lawson and Julian Bond discuss how nonviolence courted to violence in order to attract publicity for the cause.
From the film Freedom Riders: Victory for Nonviolence,...
Rabbi Dresser and Delore Boyd comment on the power of nonviolent methods. Boyd points out that the tenacity of white participants opened her eyes to the fact that white people were not all the same.
From the film Freedom Riders: Freedom to Travel, part 2
Ray Arsenault discusses the importance of Irene Morgan, who took her case to the Supreme Court with Morgan vs. Virginia. However, the subsequent Supreme Court ruling of the unconstitutionality of segregated interstate bus travel, Julian Bond points out, was largely ignored in the segregated South.
From the film Freedom Riders: Democracy in Action
Glenda Gaither Davis is interviewed while riding on the bus toward Jackson, Mississippi.
From the film Freedom Riders: the Solid South
In his bid for the presidency, JFK had to tread carefully around the heart of the Democratic Party - the white voting south. John Patterson, Governor of Alabama from 1959 to 1963, speaks about his endorsement of Kennedy for president.
From the film Freedom Riders: Jim Crow Laws
The segregation and disenfranchisement laws known as "Jim Crow" created a system of racial apartheid across the American South for more than 75 years. The laws affected almost every aspect of daily life, mandating segregation of schools, parks, libraries, drinking fountains, restrooms, buses, trains, and restaurants.
From the film Freedom Riders: Freedom to Travel, part 3
On September 22, 1961, the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) orders all "colored only" and "whites only" signs to be taken down in all bus and rail stations across the country. "This was the first unambiguous victory in the long history of the civil rights movement," says Ray Arsenault. "It raised expectations across the board for greater victories in the future."
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