a DIVIDED UNION - impact of civil rights protest 1960-74 Flashcards
what were the ‘sit in’s”
a new type of protest where people refused to leave until their demands were met
what happened during a sit in at Woolworths in feb 1960
at Woolworths restaurant at Greensboro North Carolina four African Americans staged a sit in. after 5 days 300 students involved.
Martin Luther K visited Greensboro and delivered a speech. People were surprised at resilience of students
what abuse did the protesters at Greensboro face?
The protesters Jospeh McNeil
frank Mccain
ezell Blair jar and David Richmond had food thrown at them and spat at by white segregationists who also physically attacked. protesters did not react as they were peaceful activists. Thousands were arrested which led to a new tactic called jail not bail which attracted media attention
NAME THREE CIVIL RIGHTS ORGS
CORE=congress of racial equality
SCLC= southern christian leadership conference
NAACP=National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
What was another consequence for the actual Woolworths store during the sit ins?
sales dropped so they decided to desegregate
How were the sit ins successful
they spread to other cafes and restaurants across Greensboro and other southern cities
by 1961 70,000 people participated and 810 towns were forced to desegregate
What else did the sits ins inspire?
The creation of another civil rights org called Student non violent co-ordinating committee (SNCC) OR SNICK
How were the sit ins received in the media
They benefited from publicity on tv and showed non violent protesters in the face of violence
How did it change the nature of protest
non violent
blacks and whites protesting together
non violent but still confrontational - inspiring other protests such as FREEDOM RIDES
WHAT WERE THE FREEDOM RIDES
in 1961 members of CORE planned freedom rides to expose interstate segregation across America on pub transport
black and white students took to buses
first ones set of f4 may 1961 from Washington
14 may they arrive in Alabama and attacked by KKK
bus firebombed even though police escorted
second bus people were dragged off and beaten
local police chief Eugene Bull Connor did nothing
why were the freedom riders arrested
police said they were starting riots when it was the KKK who attacked them
by 1961 how many freedom rides had there been?
60
how many freedom riders were imprisoned in Jackson Mississippi
300
what was the aim of the freedom riders
to highlight segregation
bring media attention to segregation on public transport
what did the Brown case and Little Rock 9 case establish
that segregation of schools was unconstitutional
Why was the freedom summer a failure
Freedom Summer, or the Mississippi Summer Project, was a 1964 voter registration drive aimed at increasing the number of registered Black voters in Mississippi. Over 700 mostly white volunteers joined African Americans in Mississippi to fight against voter intimidation and discrimination at the polls.
The movement was organized by civil rights organizations like the Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) and the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and run by the local Council of Federated Organizations (COFO). Freedom Summer volunteers were met with violent resistance from the Ku Klux Klan and members of state and local law enforcement. News coverage of beatings, false arrests and even murder drew international attention to the civil rights movement. The increased awareness it brought to voter discrimination helped lead to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
What was the significance of the Meredith case
James Meredith applied for university in may 1961 uni Mississippi
he was rejected
he and NAACP sued uni
Supreme Court ordered uni admit Meredith. They refused. gov Mississippi said ‘no school will be integrated in Mississippi while I am your governor’
29 sept 61 President Kennedy ordered those who obstruct the law DESIST
riots
Kennedy sent 2000 federal troops
300 state troops ordered to protect Meredith whilst he attended uni 1 year
the case showed Kennedy unafraid to intervene- prevents other schools and uni from segregation
What were Martin Luther Kings aims
To end racial discrimination
To achieve racial equality
to bring about justice including the poor
What were some of the methods used by Martin Luther King
Civil disobedience
Lobbying politicians
No violent direct action
Peaceful protest
