Date of Creation
12-12-2023
Degree Type
Thesis
First Advisor
Stephanie Yuhl
Abstract
Studies of the Civil Rights Movement commonly include events like Brown v. Board of Education, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, sit-ins, bus boycotts, and the Freedom Riders. The creation of Title I schools through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 1965 to serve "disadvantaged" students also was a major move in a broader attempt to undo systematic Black poverty. As part of his War on Poverty in the formation of a "Great Society," President Lyndon Johnson and his administration proposed drastic increases for federal involvement in the funding of public school education in 1965. At the same time, many figures in the Civil Rights Movement realized that the courts alone would not force desegregation, but true desegregation required a comprehensive economic and legislative shift. Activists like Rep. Robert Powell, Ella Baker, and Malcolm X argued that schools were still inherently unequal and that action to undo such segregation was necessary. My interest lies in finding out to what extent the ideas and Civil Rights climate contributed to the creation of Title I schools through the ESEA of 1965. Along with a helpful legislative situation and a commitment from the executive branch to fund education to fight poverty, the environment of change that the Civil Rights Movement created played a crucial role in allowing for the creation of Title I funds for schools. I argue that the fight for education equality in pursuit of demanding a tangible representation of citizenship was at the heart of the Civil Rights Movement.
Recommended Citation
Ryan, Edwin, "A Path to Full Citizenship: The Impact of the Civil Rights Movement on the Creation of Title I Schools through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965" (2023). Washington Semester Program. 16.
https://crossworks.holycross.edu/washington/16