2.4 - The Civil Rights Movement, 1965-75

Question 1

What were the characteristics of Riots between 1964-68?

Answer 1

Number of riots: 329
Fatalities: 220
First Riot: New York city - July 1964
Arrests: 52,629
Trigger: Policeman shot a young black man
Worst riots 1964: New York City
Worst riots 1965: Los Angeles
Worst riots 1966: Chicago and Cleaveland
Worst riots 1967: Newark and Detroit
Why summer? Ghetto conditions were at their worst, and the heat made tempers

Question 2

What are possible long term causes of the riots?

Answer 2

Police Discrimination - Policed more concerned with harassing young black men than keeping the ghettos safe.

Discrimination by white officials - City officials did not respond to complaints about issues

Unemployment - Workers mostly had unskilled, low paid Jobs 2x likely to be unemployed

Poverty - Landlords, most white people, crowded them into cramped, badly repaired ,over-priced housing

Poor education - Schools were run down, under-equipped and lacked funding

Question 3

What was the Kerner Report 1968?

Answer 3

Results of an enquiry into the riots set up by President Johnson

Question 4

What did the Kerner Report 1968 say?

Answer 4

Main causes of riots: Ghetto conditions, segregation and discrimination

Criticism of white officials: Fail to fix problems

Criticism of police: Unfair and brutal treatment of black Americans

Criticism of treatment of ghettos: more protections needed

Criticism of use of federal money: should be used to improve conditions rather than on a police response

Criticism of media coverage of riots: often sensationalised the riots

Question 5

What was unfair about the provision of housing in northern cities like Chicago?

Answer 5

Rents - unfairly high rents charged by white landlords
Overcrowding - residential building were heavily overcrowded
Public services - poor facilities and services, e.g. rubbish never collected

Question 6

How did MLK react to what he saw in Watts?

Answer 6

MLK was shocked by what he saw in Watts and so agreed to the request of the CCCO
(Chicago-based civil rights group) for the SCLC to help organise a campaign

Question 7

What was the role of James Bevel in MLK’s Campaign in the North 1966?

Answer 7

SCLC helped the (CCCO) to organise tenants associations to fight the Chicago Real Estate Board’s segregated housing and unfairly high rents

Question 8

What was the role of Jesse Jackson in MLK’s Campaign in the North 1966?

Answer 8

From the SCLC helped to organise Operation Breadbasket : boy cotts to pressurise white busineses to employ more black people

Question 9

When was MLK’s Campaign in the North?

Answer 9

7th Of January 1966

Question 10

What was the level of support in MLK’s Campaign in the North 1966?

Answer 10

King and the SLCC but not really complete support but some black politicians opposed it

Question 11

What were problems encountered in MLK’s campaign?

Answer 11

Problems connecting with ghetto gangs

Question 12

What was the response of Chicago Mayor in MLK’s campaign?

Answer 12

Richard Daly was not very supportive

Question 13

How was MLK’s Campaign in the North 1966 a success?

Answer 13

• Agreements on fairer housing made
• Operation Breadbasket had some success

Question 14

How was MLK’s Campaign in the North 1966 a failure?

Answer 14

• Marred by violence
• Agreements made by Dally about housing did little
• Other leaders had little power once King and the SCLC left

Question 15

What happened on the 4th April 1968?

Answer 15

MLK assassinated

Question 16

What was the short term impact of MLK’s assassination?

Answer 16

Riots - In 172 towns and cities, 32 black people dead, 3500 seriously injured, 27000 arrested

Poor People’s Campaign Went ahead - integrate group of poor marchers went to Washington and set up camp. Not successful - arguments and poor weather meant that it broke up after only a few weeks

Civil Rights Act 1968 - Was passed quickly in response to MLK’s death. Included a section on fair housing and federal housing protect to Civil Rights workers but introduced more severe punishment for rioting

Question 17

What was the long term impact of MLK’s assassination?

Answer 17

Civil rights groups - Lost membership funding and support from whites. Many whites thought that the ‘battle was won after the Acts of the mid 1960s. Northern riots lost support for Civil Rights and King’s death meant that the person that white supporters of Civil Rights most related to was gone

Black Americans - More radical after King’s death.SNCC change N to ‘National’ which lost most of its original members As blacks became more militant and white support dwindled there was increasing conflict rather than agreement on civil rights

Question 18

What was evidence of progress in the Civil Rights Campaign up to 1975?

Answer 18

• In 1970, the voting rights act swas revised to ban state literacy tests. In 1975, it was revised to include Hispanic, American Indian - and other races
• In 1954, the federal govemment and civil rights campaigners had enforced changes
• Many more black Americans are registered to vote
• Black Americans have becone senators, members of congress, jovenors, mayors and police chiefs

Question 19

What was evidence of continued discrimination in the Civil Rights Campaign up to 1975?

Answer 19

• School integration, enforced or otherwise, was not necessarily benefiting black students as much as they had thought
• If a black person did the same job as a white person they are paid less for it
• Black Americans still lived in poverty
• Assassination of MLK
• Problems persisted even after the acts of 1960s
• Vietnam War recruitment
• Many people lost focus on Civil Rigits after mid - 60s
• Police treatment
• Riots of late 1960s