50s Civil rights Flashcards
Before ww2 how many black soldiers served in the armed forces and what work did they do?
4000- supporting roles rather than combat roles - referred to as ‘mules’
After 1941 how many black soldiers served in the armed forces?
1 million
In which two battles did black units distinguish themselves?
Battle of the Bulge (1944)
Battle of Iwo Jima (1945)
How many black Americans moved over to the USA’s industrial centres to help with the war effort?
Over 400,000
By the end of the war how many black soldiers had risen to officer rank in the US Navy?
58
By 1945, what was the membership like of the National Association of coloured people?
Risen to 45,000 members
What laws were enforced in many southern and border states?
Jim Crow laws
What were the Jim Crow laws ?
Laws that segregated everyday facilities such as schools buses ships cinemas and even public water fountains
What was teachers pay like?
White teachers earned 30% more than black teachers
Which black teacher famously applied to The University of Mississippi ? What happened to him?
Clemson King- he was committed to a mental asylum
What is discouraged many blacks from voting?
Introduction of a literacy test
Threats of violence
What percentage of black population are registered to vote in Mississippi?
Only 5%
In the late 1945 how many black members of Congress were there?
Only two
Name 4 things that President Truman did for the black Civil rights
1) in his re-election campaign in 1942 he made a very radical speech saying that the blacks should have equality before the law
2) he consistently supported legislation to abolish the poll-tax and stop lynching
3) in September 1946 he established a liberal civil rights committee to investigate increasing violence against blacks
4) on the steps of Washington DC’s Lincoln Memorial and before 10,000 people, he made the first presidential speech to the National Association for the advancement of coloured people saying all Americans are entitled to full civil rights and freedom
Why was Trumans work often forgotten?
3 reasons
1) his main achievements were trying to raise awareness and change peoples attitudes rather than making national improvements or changing laws
2) he was privately racist and still made a lot of derogatory comments
3) he didn’t make that much of an influence-his own party turned against him
What happened in the Board vs Topeka case?
Case involved Oliver Brown of Topeka, Kansas, who sued the city school board for forbidding his daughter Linda brown from attending a nearby white school. The case was brought to the Supreme Court by the NAACP and Thurmond Marshall presented the case and won
What happened in May 1954 following the Brown vs board of Topeka case?
In may 1954, Chief Justice Earl Warren ruled that all school segregation was unconstitutional. However opposition to the Supreme Court decision was evident- President Eisenhower refuswd to endorse the ruling fearing that school integration would cause civil unrest. Eisenhower’s stance encouraged the southern states to evade compliance.
By 1956, how many school boards representing 9 southern states had desegregated ?
350
How many black children had the desegregation at the start of 1956 allowed to attend formally all white schools ?
300,000
In 1956 how many black children in the south was still taught in segregated schools?
2.4 million
What happened at Little Rock, Arkansas?
In 1957, 9 Black pupils had been stopped from joining the all White school in Little Rock. Federal government ordered the state Governor Orval Faubus to let the children enrol. He refused, claiming he did not want them to be bullied. So Eisenhower sent in 10,000 Guardsmen and 1,000 paratroopers to make sure the 9 children joined.
What was the importance of Little Rock in terms of Civil Rights?
It revealed the lengths that hostile whites would go to to prevent integration
What was the situation of public transport for black Americans in the 1950s?
Blacks were prohibited from sitting with our in front of white passengers. They have to follow instructions of the white drivers. The front part of the bus was reserved for White at all times, black Americans had to fill the bus from the back. If a white person boarded the bus and all white seats were taken blacks have to give up their seats.
What happened in March 1955 before the Rosa Parks incident?
Claudette Colvin, a young black girl had been arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white person
