History - Civil Rights

Created by

Chloe Sweetman

Cards (69)

Jim crow laws
Laws that enforced racial segregation, in place in the south
Voting rights
Intimidation - white gangs (KKK) burnt properties and hurt friends/family to discourage black voters.
Literacy tests - an impossible test that black people had to take before registering.
Poll tax - big amount of money that needed to be paid(many black people couldn't afford it)
NAACP
National
Association for the
Advancement of
Coloured
People
Established 1909
Wanted to achieve equality
CORE
Congress
Of
Racial
Equality
Established 1942
Non-violent
Wanted an end to segregation
Brown v Topeka
1954
Linda Brown wanted to attend an all white school (closer to home)
NAACP + Thurgood Marshall (supported)
17th May 1954 (won)
Opposed Plessy v Ferguson (separate but equal)
However
No deadline - schools found loop holes to avoid desegregating
Feuled white backlash KKK grew popular
Little Rock Nine
1957
Nine black students enrolled to LR.
Orval Faubus (Governor) opposed.
Arkansas State National Guard prevented the students from entering the school.
The Nine were met with a white mob.
Press broadcasted the event.
President Eisenhower acted to save America's image.
He got rid of the NG and sent troops to protect the students.
However
Threats continued
Authorities not keen to enforce the BvT
Montgomery Bus Boycott
1955
Rosa Parks refused move for a white man
Broke segregation laws
NAACP +black church leaders organised a boycott
Lasted 381 days
Black taxi drivers reduced fares to enable blacks to travel
A car pool system was organised
Faced Intimidation (violent sometimes)
Arrests
1956 buses were desegregated
(Only in Montgomery)
Reasons
Committed
Well organised
Good publicity
Civil Rights act
1957
Congress passed the act
Allowed all people to vote
Only added 3% more BA voters
SCLC
Southern
Christian
Leadership
Council
1957
Non-violent
KKK
Southern states
Violent
Rarely punished
Some worked in law enforcement
White Citizens Council
White people
Defend segregation
250,000 members
Used violent, political and economical pressure to achieve things
Dixiecrats
White Southern Democrats
Opposed desegregation
Strong views
White supremacy
Significant influence in Congress
Emmett Till
1955
Wolf whistled Carolyn Bryant in a grocery shop
Bryan's husband and his half brother abducted Till, beat and mutilated him before shooting him and throwing him in a river
ET mother had an open funeral to expose the treatment of black people
Court originally didn't accuse them although it was clearly them
(All white men jury)
Eventually they were found guilty
Press coverage was really good and images of ET body was put into papers
Greensboro sit-ins
1960
4 black college students sat jn an all white counter in Woolworth
Asked to leave, faced violence and Intimidation but didn't retaliate
5th day 300 more had joined the original 4
Attracted publicity
Store finally desgregated after drop in business
SNCC
Student
Non-violent
Coordinating
Commitee
1960
Freedom riders
1961
CORE
Wanted to challenge segregation that persisted
13 volunteers
Washington to Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi
Anniston, Alabama a bus was firebombed
Faced violence and Intimidation
James Meridith
1962
Applied to university of Mississippi (rejected for racial reasons) (1961)
Supreme Court ordered the University to accept his offer
Meridian was physically prevented from registering
President Kennedy sent 320 federal marshals to escort Meridith
Troops remained on campus until Meridith graduated three years later
Project C
1963
Birmingham, Alabama
SCLC wanted to end segregation
Birmingham was still completely segregated
Campaign included sit-ins, meetings, protest marches and boycotts
900 children arrested for joining in
Eugene 'Bull' Connor was a violent man
Connor set dogs on the protestors and used water hoses
Images were widely broadcasted, gaining publicity
Talks between king and the Birmingham leaders were successful and desegregation would happen withing the next 90 days
Washington peace march
1963
Wanted to maintain pressure for the Civil Rights Bill
Campaign for jobs and freedom
Organised by the NAACP, CORE, SNCC and SCLC
250,000 demonstrators (white/black)
Peaceful march
Broadcasted live on TV
'I have a dream speech' by King
March was a success
Freedom summer
1964
SNCC and CORE organised it
Established 30 freedom schools
Schools run by volunteers (1000 white)
To boost voter registration and protest against segregation
KKK burnt churches and homes and physically attacked the volunteers
President Kenedy
1961-1963
Appointed black Americans to high level government jobs
Backed the Civil Rights Bill
President Johnson
1963-1969
Appointed black Americans to high level jobs in government
Promoted the vision of 'Great Society'
Believed racial reform would help the economic, political and spiritual integration of the South
Civil Rights Act
1964
Signed 2 July
Banned segregation in public places, job discrimination.
However, failed to address voting registration or poverty of blacks
Selma, Alabama was chosen for civil rights protests in 1965 because 50% of the population was black
Fewer than 1% of the population in Selma were registered to vote
Jim Clark, Selma's chief police, was known for being brutal towards protesters
On 7th March, 600 protesters marched from Selma to Montgomery demanding voting rights
'Bloody Sunday' occurred when marchers crossed the Pettus bridge and were attacked with tear gas, clubs, and forced to return to Selma
President Johnson made the state national guard escort the marchers from Selma to Montgomery on 21-24 March
25,000 people participated in the march from Selma to Montgomery, making it the biggest march ever seen in the south
Voting Rights Act
1965
Johnson signed it
Introduced one voting registration requirement, federal officials made to moniter motor registration
Outlawed literacy tests and poll taxes
Malcolm X
Father was murdered by white supremacists (1931)
When in prison converted to Muslim joined the Nation of Islam
1964, left NOI
Established the Muslim mosque Inc. and the Organisation of Afro American Unity
Rejected beliefs of separatism and worked with other activists to attack the ideas of the NOI
Assassinated 21st Feb 1965
Black Power
Emergence = increasing frustration over the slow progress, growing anger over employment and education discrimination
Emphasised the need to be proud of heritage
Stokely Carmichael
Active participant in the movement
Promoted non-violent actions
1966-chairman of SNCC
Radicalised the organisation, endorsed black power
Mexico Olympics
1968
Tommie Smith and John Carlos
Silent protest
TS raised his right hand = black power
He also wore black socks (no shoes) for poverty and a black scarf for black pride.
JC raised his left hand = black unity
Attracted worldwide attention to the black panthers cause
Black Panther
Established 1966
Heuy Newton and Bobby Searle (creators)
They had a ten point program
Wore a uniform, black beret (hat), trousers and leather jackets and also carried weapons
They exposed police brutality
Worked to support people in ghettos by setting up clinics, health, welfare and legal rights
Their violent tendencies led to diminished support
Riots of 1965-1967
Growing anger erupted in the ghettos
1965 Watts riot occurred in Los Angeles, five days of violence left
34 dead
1032 injured
Nearly 4000 arrested
$40 million property damage
1965-1967 summer riots (Northern cities)
130 killed
$700 million damage
Kerner report
1968
Blamed white racism for sparking the riots
Called for expanded aid for African communities to try prevent more riots
North campaign
Non-violent
King and SCLC
Wanted to secure economic justice for black Americans, aimed to remove segregation
Not successful
Attacked as communists, relieved no support and the mar he's provoked violent responses
Led to unfavoroured publicity
Kings assassination
4th April 1968
Led to an outpouring of anger and major riots in 100 cities