Name ____________________________________

Date __________________

Civil Rights Movement: Key Vocabulary

Directions: Read the definition of the word in bold. Then, in your own words, provide
your own definition of the vocabulary word and draw a picture or symbol to represent
the word.
1. Segregation is the separation of a group of people by race, religion, or other
factors. During the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans were segregated
because they were not given equal access to public buildings or facilities, like
bathrooms, water fountains and restaurants.
In your own words, what is segregation?
segregation.

Draw a picture/symbol to represent

______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________

2. Discrimination is the practice of unfairly treating a person or group of people

differently from other people or groups of people. African Americans faced
discrimination when they were not allowed to have the same rights as white
people.
In your own words, what is discrimination?

Draw a picture/symbol to represent

discrimination.

______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________

3. To boycott something is to refuse to buy, use, or participate in (something) as a

way of protesting. In the 1950s, African Americans boycotted public
1

transportation in the city of Montgomery, Alabama in order to protest segregation

in public transportation.
In your own words, what is a boycott?
boycott.

Draw a picture/symbol to represent a

______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________

4. Integration means to bring together two or more things that have been
previously separated. After the sit-ins at the Woolworths lunch counter in
Greensboro, North Carolina, African Americans were allowed to eat at the counter
because of integrationpeople of all races were brought together.
In your own words, what is integration?
integration.

Draw a picture/symbol to represent

______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________

5. Civil disobedience is disobeying certain laws in non-violent ways in order to

make a point. African Americans engaged in sit-ins as an act of civil disobedience
to show they deserve equal rights.
In your own words, what is civil disobedience?
civil

Draw a picture/symbol to represent

disobedience.

______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________

6. A sit-in is an organized protest where people sit peacefully and refuse to leave the
space they are occupying. Four young men sparked a movement in Greensboro,
North Carolina and the region by organizing a sit-in at Woolworths lunch counter.
In your own words, what is a sit-in?
sit-in.

Draw a picture/symbol to represent a

______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________

7. To engage in a protest is to have an organized public event at which people

demonstrate disagreement or to express public disapproval of. Sit-ins were a
peaceful protest to demonstrate African Americans demand for equal rights.
In your own words, what is a protest?
protest.

Draw a picture/symbol to represent a

______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________

8. Racism is the belief that certain races, or skin colors, are superior to other races
and any actions that are based on this belief. Alienating someone because of the
color of their skin is an act of racism.
In your own words, what is racism?
racism.

Draw a picture/symbol to represent

______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________

9. Civil rights are basic rights that every citizen of the United States has under the
Constitution. Civil rights for every person means that no matter their gender, skin
color, religion, nationality, age, disability, or religion, a person should not be
discriminated against.
In your own words, what are civil rights?
civil rights.

Draw a picture/symbol to represent

______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________

10.
The Jim Crow Laws were laws that kept African Americans and white people
segregated. Under these laws, African Americans attended separate schools,
churches, restaurants, libraries and had separate bathroom facilities, drinking
fountains and spots on public transportation.
In your own words, what are the Jim Crow Laws?
represent the

Draw a picture/symbol to
Jim Crow Laws.

______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________