2.4 The Civil Rights Movement 1965-75 Flashcards
What happened between 1964 and 1968?
- 329 major riots in 257 US cities
- 220 deaths and over 50:000 arresrs
When was the first large scale riot in New York city?
1964-2 weeks after civil rights act
Why did the riots happen in the summee
When ghetto conditions were at their worst so tempers were short
What are 5 reasons for the riots
- police discrimination
- disriminztion by white officials
- twixe as likely to be unemployed
- poor wuakity education
- more than twice as likely to be poor
How was discrimination by white officials a reason for the riot?
City officials did not respond to complains about such issues such as badly-repaired roads or landlord harassment
How was police discimination a reason for the riots?
Police seemed more concered with harassing young black men than keeping the ghettos safe
What was the pattern for the riots that were occuring?
Remember 80% timestarted with black men + riots caused more people to join the black power movement
- Trigger incident involving police
- Minor attacks on property e.g brick throwing
- Increased violence and looting
- State troops brought in to stop violence-promises of reform are made and calm is restored
When was the Kerner report?
1968
What was the key points of the Kerner report?
- riots are result of ghetto conditions-produced by segregation and discrimination
- riots occur after white officials fail to fix problems black community point out
- police make situation worse due to violence
- police should provide more protection to ghettos
What caused the Kerner report?
In july 1967, Johnson set up an enquiry into the riots
What caused Kings’s campaign in the North?
-shocked by his visit to Watts and wanted to show that non-violet direct action could still get results
What happened in the Watt riot?
LA in 1965, caused by police violemce when arresting a black man but also was a reactio to ghetto conditions in selma
What was the plan for King’s campagin in the north?
SCLC: operation breadbasket:- boycotts to presure white businesses to employ more black people
SCLC: fight segregated housing and high rents
Why was it harder for the SCLC to connect with people in the north than the south?
Hard to connect with ghetto gangs
How was the opposition different in king’s northern campaign?
Chiacago’s mayor Daley sounded resonable and supportive in negociations but did nothing
What happened before the marches could begin?
A riot broke out, King’s appeals for calm ignored
-state troops break up riot and Daley accuses SCLC of starting the riot
What was the agreement that caused King to leave
Daley has meetings with Chicago freedom movement which led to agreements on fairer housing prices
Why was the campagin seen as a failure?
- King couldn’t prevent the riot
- Daley ignored the agreement and housing prices didn’t change
When is King assasinated?
April 1968
What happened in the weeks after King’s death?
- 172 riots it towns and cities over the USA, 27,000 arrested and 4 billion damage caused
- 1968 civil righrd act passed
What did the 1968 civil rights act include?
-fair houssing, housing sales and rent. Federal protection given to civil rights workers although more severe punishments for rioting
What was the later impact of King’s death!
- loss of support from white people-King was related to and his death accelerated white people’s opposition to black peoples demand for equality
- SNCC changes N from non-violent to national, looses nearly all its original members
Why did the Vietnam war annoy black Americans?
Their demands for equality were not being ,et yet they were expected to fight
(Think Mohammad Ali)
What did Nixon do for civil rights when he became president in 1969
- set up funding and training for black businesses
- tax breaks to white owned businesses that set up branches in black neighbourhoods
- more black officials in the white house
