64-68 Flashcards
Kennedys contributions
Selected black people for high level jobs including thurgood Marshall who argued the Brown v Topeka case and won
Backed the introduction of new civil rights laws and after being reluctant to help he became committed to the cause .
He sent federal troops to guard James Meredith
Sent US marshals to escort the freedom riders and prevent them being attacked
LB Johnsons contributions
Continue to appoint black people to high level jobs including naming patrica harris as US ambassador to Luxembourg in 1965
Urged southern politicians to back the civil rights bill
Supported the civil rights act and the voting rights act
Intervened to escort protestors marching from Selma to Montgomery 1965
1964 Civil rights act
New powers forced school desegregation
No discrimination in voter registration tests
Banned discrimination in public spaces
Banned employment discrimination
Setup equal employment opportunities commission to combat worker discrimination
The 1965 voting rights act
Johnson was heavily influenced by the protesters bravery as they walked to Montgomery from Selma despite huge barrages of abuse .
He jntroduced a standard voting regestration prpcess againwt the USA controlled by the federal government
States could only introduce new voting laws if given federal permission
Federal offices would take over voter registration in states where less than 50 percent of those qualified to vote failed to register
Selma to Montgomery marches
Early in 1965 MLK decided to campaign for voting rights to lend support to Johnsons’ voting rights act .
On 7 march 600 people set out to march 54 miles from selma to Montgomery to publicise the rights of Black Americans to vote .
They were stopped by state troopers using tear gas and cattle prods . The media reported world wide
A second attempt to march from Selma was again a failure as a mob killed a white activist causing outrage . Johnson finally intervenes placing Alabama state national guard under federal control and gave the marchers safe passage . The final march took place between 21-24 march with 25000 protesters joining in . It was finished on the 25th
Riots 64-67
Riots began on July in new york when a policeman shot a young black man .
The riots where a reaction to ghetto conditions and violence during the freedom summer
Kerner report
1968
The findings were :
Riots were the consequence of poor conditions in ghettos
Police did not act on the concerns of the people , they were sick of being ignored
The money that had been promised to improve these conditions were used elsewhere
Assassination of MLK
He was shot on the 4th April 1968 by james early ray
His death causes many black Americans to adopt more radical views .
Lots of white supporters had been lost as they saw king as a moderate and with out him they did not want to continue .
Civil rights groups lost lots of funding and many believed the fight for civil rights was over
