1.4 - Opposition To The Civil Rights Movement Flashcards
What was the KKK?
A violent white supremacist group, mainly in the South who claimed the Bible supported segregation.
Furthermore, Many Southern white church-goers were members of the KKK, including members of the police and legal system
What did the KKK do in 1955?
In 1955 in Mississippi, the racist killing of two black men (George Lee and Lamar Smith) who attempted to register to vote was written off by authorities as a car accident.Nobody was arrested for the crime
What happened to Emmett Till in 1955?
He was kidnapped,brutally beaten and then killed, for allegedly ‘wolf whistling’ at a white woman in Missisipi
How did Emmett Till’s mum react to the murder?
Had an open casket funeral, contacted media, horrific images of his body seen across the U.S.A → Got a huge amount of attention from media / politicians
What happened in Emmett Till’s court case?
The murderers were acquitted, even though they admitting to kidnapping him
Why was Emitt Till’s murder such a significant event?
- Gave motivation and momentum to the Civil Rights Movement
- Was a horrific example of the evidence faced by Black Americans in the South
How did the KKK react to the civil rights movement?
Gave violent opposition
How did Southern Churches view desegregation in the south?
They clained that the Bible said that integration was a sin, many Southum church-goers were also KKK members
Who were the Dixiecrats?
They were the most significant opponents who formed their own breakaway party rather than support a civil rights bill put together by truman in 1948, they always kept their strong views on segregation and the rights of states
How did Southern State Govenors react to the attempt of desegregation of the South?
Any attempt to produce a civil rights act to enforce the rights of black Americans were constantly blocked by Southern members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in Congress (which passed the laws)
Who were the White Citizens’ Councils and when were they set up?
After Brown v. Topeka in July 1954, White Citizens’ Councils were set up to campaign against desegregation as they did not see black people as equal citizens who should be able to use the same facilities as whites.They threatened black families who tried to attend desegregated schools, and even bombed schools
