1945-1965 Civil rights movement Flashcards
How did the experiences of AA in WW2 help the civil rights movement?
- over 1 million AA served, experiencing desegregation in Europe
- inspired demand for equal treatment
- increased activism-post war, leading to Double V campaign
What was the Double V campaign?
- 1942
- urged African Americans to fight for “Victory Abroad” against fascism and “Victory at Home”
- gained awareness about racial inequality of AA civil rights
What civil rights actions did President Truman take?
- ‘To Secure These Rights’ report 1947: recommended anti-lynching laws and voting protections
- Executive order 9981 (1948) desegregated the military
- But faced mass opposition from Southern Democrats, who resisted federal civil rights policies
when was the Fair Employment Practises commission and how did it impact Black workers
- Created by executive order 8802 (1941) to prevent discrimination in defence industries
- helped over 1 million AA secure better jobs
- Disbanded in 1946, meaning discrimination returned without federal oversight
How did the post-war economy affect Black workers?
- increased industrial jobs in the North but these were often low-wage jobs
- AA wages were 50% lower than white wages in 1950’s
How did economic conditions differ between North and South for African Americans?
- In the North: more job opportunities but still faced housing discrimination and racial wage gaps
- In the South: Sharecropping remained dominant, trapping AA farmers in poverty
When was Brown v Board of Education and what was it
- 1954
- declared racial segregation in schools unconstitutional
- overturned Plessy V Ferguson 1896, ruled that ‘separate but equal’ had no place in education
What did the Brown v. Board of Education II declare and when was it?
-1954
- directed schools to desegregate with “all deliberate speed”
Why was Smith v. Allwright important and when was it ?
- 1944
- It ruled that whites-only primaries were unconstitutional
- ensuring AA could participate in primary elections in the South and enhancing their political representation.
What was Little Rock 9 and when was it?
- 1957
- Nine African American students attempted to integrate Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas.
- Faced violent opposition, and Governor Orval Faubus blocked their entry.
- President Eisenhower sent 1,000 federal troops to enforce desegregation.
What was the Montgomery Bus Boycott and when was it?
- 1955-56
- Began after Rosa Parks’ arrest for refusing to give up her seat
- Led by MLK
- 381 day boycott crippled the bus system
- supreme court ruled bus segregation unconstitutional in 1956
What were the Freedom Riders?
- 400 Civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated South in 1961 to challenge the lack of enforcement of desegregation laws.
- The Supreme Court ruled in Boynton v. Virginia (1960) that segregation on interstate buses was illegal, but Southern states ignored this ruling.
- They faced violent opposition: in Anniston, Alabama, a bus was firebombed, and in Birmingham, riders were beaten by white mobs while police failed to intervene.
What was the impact of the Freedom riders?
- gained national attention, forcing Kennedy administration to intervene
- in 1961, the Interstate Commerce Commission officially banned segregation on buses and in stations
How did President Eisenhower approach civil rights?
- Signed the Civil Rights Act 1957: focused on protecting Black voting rights
- Sent federal troops to Little Rock 1957: enforce desegregation after Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus blocked it
- more cautious than Truman, preferring a legal approach rather than direct intervention
How did President Kennedy’s policies impact civil rights?
- slow start due to fears of losing Southern White support
- Sent federal marshals to protect Freedom Riders (1961) when attacked by white mobs
- proposed Civil rights Act 1963 but was assassinated before it passed
When was the Civil Rights Act and how did it impact AA
- 1964
- banned segregation in public places and prohibited job discrimination
- gave federal government power to enforce desegregation
When was the Voting Rights act and what was the significance?
- 1965
- Banned literacy tests and other voting restrictions
- allowed federal oversight in states where AA voter suppression was common
- AA voter registration in the South rose from 6% in 1964, to 60% by 1969
When was the March on Washington and why was it significant?
- 1963
- over 250,000 people gathered at Lincoln Memorial
- MLK’s ‘I have a dream’ speech became a defining moment
- Pressured Congress into passing the Civil Rights Act 1964
What was the famous speech created by Malcom X?
- The Ballot or the Bullet 1964
- expressed the idea that AA should first seek change through the ‘Ballot’ but if it failed they had the right to defend themselves through any means ‘Bullet’
- urged for racial unity: AA to unite no matter there belief
what was the impact of the speech done by Malcom X?
- resonated with many AA who were frustrated with the slow progress of the civil rights movement
- Advocated for AA to actively participate in the political process
How did Southern politicians resist desegregation?
- Created the Southern Manifesto (1956)
- called for states to resist implementing the Brown v Board of education policies
- signed by 101 Congress members
- some states closed public schools rather than integrate
How did the KKK react to civil rights activism?
- membership rose massively in the 1950’s and 1960’s
- rose to 40,000 in the 1960’s
- carried out bombings, murders and violent attacks e.g. 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing killed 4 black girls in birmingham
- Freedom Summer Murders 1964: 3 civil rights activists were murdered while attempting to help AA voter registration
What were the Freedom Summer Murders and when were they?
- 1964
- three civil rights activists, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, were murdered by the Ku Klux Klan
What was the White Citizens’ Council?
- created in response to the Brown v Board
- more middle and upper class than KKK
- used violence, intimidation, socially and economically oppressed AA
- Strongest in Mississippi and Alabama, where they influenced state policies.
Which politician was a member of the WCC and what did he say in regards to the civil rights movement?
- W. A. Gayle, the mayor of Montgomery
- stated “We must make certain that Negroes are not allowed to force their demands on us”
What was the impact of the WCC in opposing civil rights and what actions did they take?
- used economic pressure to punish civil rights activists (job loss, evictions)
- campaigned for “massive resistance”
- In 1966: petition the federal government to investigate whether King and over 100,000 other rights activists had Communist connections
Who was Emmett Till?
- 14 year old AA boy who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955
- Accused of whistling at a white woman
- Kidnapped by the woman’s husband and his step-brother
- tortured, beat and shot before dumping his body in the river
Why was Emmett Till significant to the civil rights movement?
- Mamie Till decided to have an open-casket funeral
- showcased the brutality of racism in the south
- published in Jet magazine which brought mass attention to the nation
- Rosa Parks later cited Emmett Till’s murder as an inspiration
What happened in the trial for the murder of Emmett Till?
- trial was held before an all white jury
- acquitted after 67 minutes
- shocked and angered AA in the south
- later admitted to the murder in 1956 in an interview
Who was Malcom X and what was his early life like?
- born in 1925
- faced racial violence as a child
- father was murdered by white supremacists
What organisation was Malcom X part of and how did he join?
- spent time in prison where he converted to Islam
- joined the Nation of Islam
How did Malcom X’s beliefs evolve after his conversion to Islam?
- Adopted the name Malcom X, rejecting his ‘slave name’ Little
- advocated for Black empowerment, racial separatism and self-reliance
- rejected views of integration from other civil rights leaders such as MLK
How did Malcom X differ from MLK?
- rejected non-violent approach
- stated that AA had the right to use violence in self-defence against racial segregation
What was the impact of Malcom X on the civil rights movement
- inspired younger generations
- contributed to the rise of the Black Power Movement
- influenced groups like the Black Panther Party
How did Malcom X’s views change after his pilgrimage to Mecca?
- after Mecca in 1964 he changed his views
- rejected racial separatism and began advocating for racial unity and solidarity of AA
- began to see Islam as a unifying force, calling for interracial cooperation in the fight for rights
