Right to riot

• Who became president after the assassination of President Kennedy on 22 November 1963?


  Lyndon Johnson
• What was Lyndon Johnson's political background before becoming president?


  He was an experienced southern politician with a career in Congress since 1937.
• How did Johnson's support for the New Deal influence his presidency?


  It was reflected in his ‘Great Society’ programme of social reform introduced after 1964.
• What strategy did Johnson use to push Kennedy's Civil Rights Bill through Congress?


  He ruthlessly used the post-assassination atmosphere to push the bill through Congress.
• What was the Civil Rights Act of 1957 described as?


  Admittedly modest
• What tactic did southern senators use to oppose the Civil Rights Bill?


  They organized a filibuster.
• When was the Civil Rights Act signed into law?


  July 1964
• What were the main provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?


  • New controls over state voting laws
  • Segregation in public facilities made illegal
  • Federal assistance for desegregation of public schools
  • Discrimination in employment made illegal
  • Racial discrimination in federally assisted programs made illegal
  • Establishment of the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC)
• What issue did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 not address?


  The disenfranchisement of African Americans (AAs)
• What obstacles did local registrars impose on African Americans trying to register to vote?


  They posed obscure questions and used minor mistakes to disqualify applicants.
• What event occurred during ‘Freedom Summer’ in 1964?


  Three activists were brutally murdered in Mississippi.
• Why was Selma chosen for protests by MLK and the SCLC?


  Only 353 out of 15,000 AAs in Selma were registered to vote.
• What was the outcome of the march from Selma to Montgomery on 7 March 1965?


  The march met fierce resistance and violence from police and state troopers.
• What did Johnson do on 15 March 1965 regarding voting rights?


  He demanded legislation in an inspirational speech to Congress.
• What were the key outcomes of the Voting Rights Act of 1965?


  • End to disenfranchisement of AAs
  • Banned literacy tests for voting registration
  • Appointed federal examiners for voting registration
  • 250,000 new AA voters registered by end of 1965
  • Significant increase in AA elected officials by 1976
• How did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 affect state rights?


  It undermined state government authority by protecting individual rights through federal government.
• What divisions emerged within the civil rights movement after Selma?


  The SCLC and SNCC were barely cooperating due to differing strategies.
• What was the response of the Kerner Commission to the urban riots?


  It blamed the riots on persistent discrimination and recommended federal investment to improve ghettos.
• What significant legislation did Johnson support in 1968 following the Kerner Commission's findings?


  The Fair Housing Act
• How did the Vietnam War impact the needs of African Americans during the 1960s?


  It diverted resources and attention away from addressing their needs.
• How did the public perceive the urban riots of 1965-67?


  Many viewed them as a law and order problem rather than a need for federal legislation.