Black Civil Rights

• What was the black power movement?

  A movement which used violent methods to gain racial equality, they aligned themselves with Malcom X who popularised the 'black power' phrase
• Who were the Black Panthers?

  they were a militant black power group. They urged African-Americans to arm themselves and confront white society in order to force whites to grant them equal rights.
• Who was Malcom X and what did he do?

  African-American leader of the Nation of Islam who favored violence and black separatism
• Was MLK's Northern Strategy successful?

  He failed to prevent violence from both sides and the mayor of Chicago never honoured his agreement in regards to housing costs and mortgages
• What was King's Northern Strategy

  Peaceful protests in the form of boycotts and sit ins (grassroots protests)
• A. Phillip Randolph and the March on Washington

  threatened a march on Washington in protest of discrimination in defense industry jobs. President Roosevelt took this threat seriously and signed executive order that in writing would end this discrimination.
• What was NAACP membership by the end of World War II?

  450,000
• How many black people served in the armed forces during World War II?

  1 million - this provided greater bargaining power for black Americans
• Did FDR help progress civil rights?

  Although Roosevelt's need for Southern white Democrat votes In Congress made him unwilling to promote civil rights legislation.
• Social Security Act 1935 affect on black people

  Massive percentage of black people weren't covered due to their occupation, being farmers, since their work was seasonal and temporary, it was not covered by the act
• Northern Riots in 1967

  43 deaths in Detroit
• Why was the civil rights act expanded in 1968?

  To ban discrimination in housing
• When was the Voting Rights Act passed?

  1965
• When was the Civil Rights Act passed?

  1964
• What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 do?

  ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin and strengthened black voting rights
• Did President Johnson help progress civil rights?

  He signed the civil rights act, he pushed Kennedy's bill through congress and shared the same views of civil rights as Kennedy, His 'war on poverty' assisted black people, America's poorest group
• When was JFK assassinated?

  November 1963
• Did President kennedy help progress civil rights?

  He was committed to civil rights, he supported his brother who was attorney general to desegregate transportation and other facilities, he sent US troops to Mississippi to support peaceful protests e.g. James Meredith, he supported a wide range civil rights bill
• How many desegregation protests were there in the South in 1963?

  Over 1000
• Freedom Riders


  Group of civil rights workers who took bus trips through southern states in 1961 to protest illegal bus segregation
• Did President Eisenhower help progress civil rights?

  He was complacent and didn't do much for civil rights
• What did MLK Jr. encourage African Americans to do?

  encouraged his supporters to accept white people as he felt it would strengthen the movement and urged them to go peacefully if they were to be arrested as it was good publicity, he told them not to be violent during protest as it can tarnish the movement. "Never give the media an image of a violent black American".
• What did MLK Jr. do?

  fought for civil rights and equality for all Americans through non violent means, established the SCLC and met with white officials who might help the cause
• Martin Luther King Jr.


  Leader of the civil rights movement
• What did the SCLC do?

  filed Lawsuits to change segregation and voting laws, organized boycotts, rallies and marches during the Civil Rights Movement, fought for civil rights through non violent means.
• When was the SCLC formed?

  1957
• What is the SCLC?

  Southern Christian Leadership Conference
• Were the Greensboro sit ins successful?

  Yes - dining facilities across the south were being integrated by the summer 1960
• Greensboro Sit-ins


  Series of non violent sit ins in between Feb - July 1960 in Woolworths where policy was to refuse service to anyone but whites. The sit ins were heavily covered on TV. White and black people partook.
• What was the impact of the Montgomery bus boycott?

  after over a year of boycotting, African Americans succeeded in desegregating the bus system, it would've hit the economy and bus companies hard since the majority taking buses were black people.
• What was the MIA?

  Montgomery Improvement Association, led by Martin Luther King Jr. They leafleted and held meetings to publicise the arrest and the boycott, Organised taxis and other transport to get people to work if they couldn't walk in.
• When did the Montgomery Bus Boycott end?

  December 1956
• When did the Montgomery Bus Boycott begin?

  5th December 1955
• Who was Rosa Parks?

  Civil Rights leader in Montgomery whose actions started the Montgomery Bus Boycott as she was arrested on 1st December 1955 for not giving up his seat for a white man.
• Rules of non-violent protest

  Dress well to look respectable; not to be loud or abusive; no fighting back; hosting petitions; demonstrating the evils of segregation and encouraged whites to join and get their support, if they got white support, the govt were more likely to listen
• Growth of direct action

  NAACP encouraged direct action which involves public forms of protest rather than negotiation examples include: sit ins, boycotts and moving into all white areas
• What deterred support for civil right legislation until late 50s?

  Collaboration between civil right groups and communists which meant some civil right groups were on govt lists of suspect organisations - deterred many politicians from supporting civil right legislation
• What was the Impact of Truman on black people?

  He proposed anti-lynching, anti-segregation and fair employment laws but faced opposition from Congress. Conservative Reps held majority in both Houses, they were reluctant to endorse reforms. Truman desegregated the military and prohibited segregation by any employer who worked for the government.
• What did the 'To secure these rights' report call for in order to end segregation?

  anti lynching legislation, abolition of poll tax, voting rights laws, end to discrimination in employment, interstate travel and the armed forces
• President's committee on Civil rights

  Established in 1946 to strengthen and safeguard the rights of African Americans. Published a report in 1947 called: 'To secure these rights