civil rights

• Despite the amendments, how were Black people treated in the USA?

  They faced racial discrimination socially, politically, and economically
• What did Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) establish?

  Legal segregation was allowed if "separate but equal"
• What were "Jim Crow" laws used for in the southern states?

  To prevent Black people from voting
• What was the percentage of Black people in Mississippi in the 1950s?

  45% of the population
• What was the purpose of literacy tests for Black voters?

  To make voter registration nearly impossible
• What was the impact of poll taxes on Black voters?

  Many could not afford to vote
• Compare the job opportunities for Black people in the north and south in the early 1950s.

  North:

  • Low-paid factory jobs
  • Service jobs in hotels/cafes

  
  

  South:

  • Sharecroppers
  • Domestic servants
  • Tenant farmers
• What percentage of eligible Black people were registered to vote in Mississippi by 1964?


  6.7%
• Describe the access to public facilities for Black people in the north and south.

  North:

  • Access was not segregated

  
  

  South:

  • Segregated access to schools, parks, and restaurants
  • Prevented from attending universities
• What were the living conditions for Black people in the north and south?

  North:

  • Mostly in inner-city ghettoes

  
  

  South:

  • Poor-quality houses on rural edges
  • Blocked from moving to white areas
• What civil rights organizations were established by Black people?

  NAACP and CORE
• When was the NAACP founded?

  1909
• What tactics did the NAACP use?

  Court cases against segregation
• What was the membership composition of the NAACP?

  Black people and middle-class white people
• When was CORE founded?

  1942
• What was the outcome of Brown v. Topeka in 1954?

  Segregation in educational facilities declared unconstitutional
• What tactics did CORE employ?

  Non-violent direct action like marches
• Why did Black students argue against segregation in schools?

  It made their schooling unequal
• Who were the typical members of CORE?

  Black people and younger white people
• What was a short-term consequence of the Brown v. Topeka ruling?

  723 school districts desegregated by summer 1955
• What long-term consequence arose from the Brown v. Topeka ruling?

  Other Jim Crow laws could be challenged
• What social changes contributed to civil rights progress in the 1950s and 1960s?

  • Over a million Black Americans fought in WWII
  • 90% of US households had a television by 1962
  • Newspaper sales grew by over 10 million from 1940 to 1950
• What happened at Little Rock High School in 1957?

  Nine Black students were denied entry
• Who opposed the integration at Little Rock High School?

  The Governor of Arkansas
• What role did media play during the events at Little Rock High School?

  It brought international awareness to racism
• What was President Eisenhower's response to the events at Little Rock?

  He defended the Supreme Court decision
• What was a consequence of the Governor closing Little Rock High School?

  50% of Black students missed schooling
• What lessons emerged from the events at Little Rock?

  • Supreme Court victories alone were insufficient
  • Media attention was crucial for success
  • White northerners were powerful allies
  • The President was initially reluctant to act
  • Many white southerners supported segregation
  • Delaying tactics prolonged integration
• What was the Montgomery Bus Boycott's starting date?

  1 December 1955
• Who was Rosa Parks and what did she do?

  She refused to give up her bus seat
• What was the response of the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) to the bus segregation?

  They launched a bus boycott
• What was a significant outcome of the Montgomery Bus Boycott?

  Supreme Court ruled segregation unconstitutional
• Why was the Montgomery Bus Boycott successful?

  • Social reasons: Organization, persistence, leadership, publicity
  • Economic reasons: Loss of fares, impact on businesses
  • Political reasons: Supreme Court support, media coverage
• What did the Montgomery Bus Boycott demonstrate about non-violent action?

  It was effective in achieving goals
• When was the Civil Rights Act introduced by President Eisenhower?

  9 September 1957
• What violence did Black people face in the South?

  Horrendous violence and intimidation
• What were lynchings?

  Violent killings of Black people
• What was the main focus of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s?

  Voting rights
• What was the name of the extremist white supremacist group that opposed the Civil Rights Movement?

  Ku Klux Klan
• What was the name of the 14-year-old Black boy who was brutally murdered in Mississippi in 1955 for allegedly flirting with a white woman?

  Emmett Till