African American Civil Rights Flashcards
Which events had raised the profile of the civil rights movement?
Montgomery and Little Rock. Raised even further by sit-ins and the freedom riders.
What happened in Greensboro in 1960?
4 students used a sit-in to protest against an all-white café.
What support did the Greensboro sit in acquire?
ML King supported them. By August 1961, the sit-ins had attracted over 70,000 participants and resulted in over 3,000 arrests.
What did the Supreme Court decide about bus stations in 1960?
All bus stations and terminals that served interstate travellers should be integrated.
What was CORE?
The Congress of Racial Equality. They wanted to test the 1960 decision by employing the tactic of the freedom ride.
Who were the freedom riders?
Civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the Southern states where segregation laws were still in operation.
When did the freedom rides begin?
Washington DC May 1961. They continued throughout the summer of 1961, with over 300 of the riders being imprisoned.
What happened on the 22nd September 1961?
The Interstate Commerce Commission issued a regulation that ended racial segregation in bus terminals.
What had ML King become by 1963?
The leading figure in the civil rights movement. He aimed to end segregation and to gain political equality for African Americans in the South.
What was King’s belief in method?
He wanted African Americans to help themselves through peaceful methods such as marches and boycotts, to avoid the unnecessary alienation of white Americans.
How did King tactically play the marches?
He used marches to draw attention to segregation but also to get himself arrested (e.g. SNCC march in Georgia)
Why did King want to get arrested?
To put a spotlight on the civil rights cause, providing national and international publicity.
What were the two most significant marches?
Birmingham and Washington, both in 1963.
Describe the Birmingham march.
King knew the racist police chief Bull O’Connor would act violently - he set dogs on protestors and used fire hoses.
2,000 demonstrators and 1,300 children were arrested . This was televised to the whole world.
Why was the Birmingham march significant?
- This gave King all the publicity he wanted as it showed the violence of the authorities in the face of peaceful demonstrations.
- At this stage, Kennedy became involved and it was agreed that desegregation would take place within 90 days.
What was the Washington march a call for?
Jobs and freedom, but it broadened to cover the aims of the whole civil rights movement.
How many people came to the Washington march?
250,000
Describe the aftermath of the Washington march.
King and other leaders met to discuss civil rights legislation with President Kennedy, who confirmed his commitment to the cause.
Which Bill by Kennedy did Johnson push?
Johnson pushed Kennedy’s Civil Rights Bill through Congress and it became the law in 1964. However, it did not guarantee African Americans the vote.
What encouraged president Johnson to introduce the Voting Rights Act of 1965?
‘Bloody Sunday’ - in 1965 marchers (demanding voting rights) from Alabama to Birmingham were attacked by police and state troopers.
What has historian Kevern Verney questioned?
The ‘King-centric approach’ - believing that it has underestimated the role of other individuals such as Philip Randolph and presidents Kennedy and Johnson.
What was King not directly involved in?
The sit-ins and freedom rides of the early 1960s. Indeed, it was the SNCC that mobilised the sit-ins, the SNCC and the NAACP that worked together on the freedom rides.
What did King admit in his 1967 book ‘where do we go from here?’
He admitted that his campaign ‘just isn’t working. People aren’t responding.’
What did Malcolm X help to set up?
Educational and social programmes aimed at black youths in ghettos.
How was Malcolm X a realistic role model for ghetto african americans?
He had changed himself from pimp, cocaine addict, armed robber and convict, into a national African-American leader.
Why was Malcolm X seen as a failure in comparison to King?
His support for violence let to many enemies and critics. Moreover, his advocacy of separatism was unrealistic and unattainable.
In the south, what had been broken politically?
The old Democratic stranglehold - a new generation of black politicians won elections:
- Julian Bond was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1965
- Maynard Jackson became the first black Mayor of Atlanta in 1974.
