The African American Civil Rights Movement in Oklahoma
Glossary
African Americans: Americans of African descent.
All-Black towns: Communities established by African Americans after the Civil War to build private businesses and escape mistreatment.
Civil Rights Movement: African Americans fought to achieve equality as citizens in American society.
courage: Doing what needs to be done even if you are afraid.
discrimination: Similar to racism, but applies to judging and mistreating people based on their religion, background, class, ethnicity, gender, race, sexual orientation, disabilities, etc.
equality: When everyone is treated equally or the same.
fairness: Treating people equally.
Freedmen: African Americans who were at one time enslaved by one of the Five Tribes, but are now free.
Grandfather clause: A voting law that made it harder for African Americans to vote by requiring them to prove their grandfather had voted in the past, which was almost impossible.
hero: A person who does something extraordinary for others.
integration: Allowing all races to be together.
Jim Crow laws: Laws that made segregation legal.
Ku Klux Klan (KKK): A racist secret society.
lynching: When a group of people murder someone, usually by hanging, without first giving them a trial.
mob: A crowd of angry people.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP): An organization that fought for African American civil rights.
protests: When an individual or group of people publicly show that they disagree with something they feel is wrong.
race: A group of people defined by others based on common physical features such as skin color.
racism: When someone thinks they are better than someone else based on the color of their skin.
resistance: Going against something.
respect: Treating others the way you would want to be treated.
riot: A crowd of angry people that become violent and often destroy property.
slavery: Being forced to work without pay.
segregation: When African Americans and whites are kept separate, either by law or by custom.
violence: A physical attack.
