Escelation of protests

• What does SNCC stand for?


  Student Non-Violent Co-ordinating Committee
• What was the main goal of the SNCC?


  To achieve civil rights for African Americans
• In what year did the Greensboro sit-in occur?


  1960
• What was the significance of the sit-ins initiated by the SNCC?


  They sparked a wave of similar protests across the southern states
• How many students participated in the wave of sit-ins?

  70,000 students
• How did the protests in Nashville, Tennessee, differ from other protests?


  They were carefully planned with groups rotating to avoid arrests
• What was the outcome of the Woolworths lunch counter protests?


  Woolworths desegregated its lunch counters
• What was the 'jail not bail' strategy favored by the SNCC?


  It aimed to overwhelm the court system with protestors
• How did the NAACP view the tactics of the SNCC?


  They were lukewarm in their defense, seeing them as unnecessarily militant
• What was Martin Luther King's approach compared to the NAACP's?


  King favored direct action over the NAACP's court-based approach
• Where did Martin Luther King organize protests in 1961-62?


  Albany, Georgia
• How did the local police chief in Albany respond to King's protests?


  He avoided confrontation and did not overreact
• What lesson did King learn from the Albany protests?


  Negotiating with white authorities was largely a waste of time
• What was the goal of the Freedom Rides organized by CORE in 1961?


  To test the Supreme Court's ruling on desegregation of interstate bus travel
• What was the reaction to the Freedom Riders in Birmingham, Alabama?


  They faced violent attacks and arrests
• What was the outcome of the Freedom Rides for the Kennedy administration?


  It embarrassed the administration and prompted federal intervention
• Who was the first African American student to register at the University of Mississippi?

  James Meredith
• What was the response of the governor of Mississippi to Meredith's admission?


  He opposed it and created a violent protest
• How many federal marshals were sent to ensure Meredith's enrollment?


  500 federal marshals
• What was the significance of the protests in Birmingham in 1963?


  They aimed to force an end to segregation in the most segregated city
• How did Bull Connor's response to the Birmingham protests differ from expectations?


  He minimized violence and focused on arrests instead
• What was the impact of King's 'Letter from Birmingham Jail'?


  It became a powerful defense of nonviolent civil action
• Who intervened to secure King's release from jail?

  President Kennedy
• Why did the SCLC enlist school children in the Birmingham protests?


  To improve chances of success and media attention
• What was the immediate reaction to the influx of school children protesting in Birmingham?

  It provoked a harsh response from Bull Connor
• What did President Kennedy do in response to the Birmingham protests?


  He asked Congress to pass a strong Civil Rights Bill
• How many people attended the March on Washington?

  250,000 people
• What was the significance of Martin Luther King's 'I have a dream' speech?


  It made a powerful impression on a mass audience
• What was the impact of the bombing in Birmingham shortly after the March on Washington?


  It killed four young African American girls and highlighted racial violence
• What were the reasons for the pressure for change in civil rights by 1963?


  1. International situation: Cold War pressures
  2. Local pressures: Growing protests in the South
  3. Growth of AA activism: New organizations like SCLC, SNCC, CORE
  4. Martin Luther King: Charismatic leadership and oratory
  5. Supreme Court actions: Legal support for desegregation
  6. Growth of TV coverage: Publicizing protests and violence
  7. Federal Government intervention: Responses to protests
  8. Actions of white Southern officials: Negative portrayal of racism
• How did John F. Kennedy's election impact civil rights?


  His election was seen as promising by some civil rights campaigners
• What was the significance of Robert Kennedy's role as Attorney General?


  He confronted legal issues related to civil rights and changed his attitude
• What was the effect of Kennedy's televised address on June 11, 1963?


  It demonstrated his commitment to civil rights reform
• What legacy did Kennedy's assassination create for civil rights legislation?


  It created a climate for passing the stalled Civil Rights Bill