Black Power Movement P.3 Flashcards

1
Q

What was MLK Jr reaction to the Los Angeles Watts ghetto riots? When?

A
  1. King was asked by local churchmen to calm the riots. King agreed and was shocked by the reality of the ghettos.

Based on this King now defined freedom as economic equality and no longer political equality

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2
Q

What was MLK’s primary aim starting 1966?

A

King focused on the north and its increasing tendency towards violence and radicalism amongst some black groups.

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3
Q

Which ghetto in the north did MLK choose for him and the SCLC to focus on and why?

A

Chicago.
Chicago was the second largest city, so the ghetto was massively overpopulated with severe employment, housing and education problems.

Other cities were not welcoming of MLK, such as New York, whose Harlem congressman told him to keep out.

Chicago had a history of protests such as “wade-ins”, protests against the segregation of south side beach in 1961. 1963 half a million black students boycotted the segregation of schools (not successful)

Chicago’s influential religious community supported the civil rights movement.

Chicago’s mayor Daley relied on black votes and was not racist.

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4
Q

What methods did King and the SCLC use to help the ghettos in Chicago and how successful were they?

A

King toured reports through rat infested and unheated ghetto dwelling. SCLC dressed up as workers and repaired buildings they “dramatically” seized and collected the tenants’ rents to finance this. Press was not impressed by King dismissing the illegality of his methods.

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5
Q

How were the riots in Chicago and their impact?

A

500 black marchers rioted in a white neighbourhood of Chicago to protest the fact that they could not live there yet.
This was not welcomed by the residents who threw rocks and bottles and hurled degrading insults at the marches.

The police was very hesitant to protect the marchers, due to the intimidation.
Several of these incidents occurred, until King was hit by a rock which calmed both the press and the protests.

On one occasion 800 policemen were found protecting 700 marchers.

Riots caused 2 million worth of damage. Whites blamed King and King blamed Daley. Daley agreed to promote integrated housing in Chicago but that was merely theoretical.

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6
Q

When did MLK leave Chicago and who did he leave in charge?

A

1966, Jesse Jackson

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7
Q

How impactful was the SCLC in Chicago?

A

obtained a 4 million dollar federal grant to improve Chicago in housing
Left a legacy of community action
Local black community however was hopeless and felt the SCLC had “sold out”.

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8
Q

Why was MLK and the SCLC unsuccessful in Chicago?

A

SCLC ill-prepared
Meredith march 1966 distracted SCLC
Could not effect a social and economic revolution in Chicago, did not educate and organise local population
Population of Chicago was too large to mobilise
NAACP and some black churches were unhelpful + radical black Muslims disagreed with MLK
SCLC never called outside help like it did in Selma
Daley was smart. His police did protect the marchers but he threatened the SCLC with fines they could not afford.

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9
Q

How did the Vietnam war impact MLK and the civil rights movement

A

MLK views o the Vietnam war (anti) alienated him with president Johnson
The anti-Vietnam War movement was taking funds and energies away from the civil rights movement.

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10
Q

What and when was the Meredith March?

A
  1. First black student, James Meredith, started a 350 km walk from Memphis to Mississippi to encourage black people to vote. He was shot on the second day and temporarily immobilised. Black organisations, including King and 20 others, continued James’s walk.
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11
Q

Was the Meredith March successful? Explain why

A

No

Black Division
NAACP wanted to focus on new civil rights bill

Leader of SNCC critiqued the bill, as they had become militant due to the lack of federal protection during freedom summer

NAACP leaves march.

Carmichael (leader of SNCC) urged for black power upon his release after his arrest, which MLK did not agree with, as it would alienate white supporters and bring the focus of the march on debating black power.

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12
Q

What caused a decrease in progress in the civil rights movement after the Meredith March, from MLK’s perspective?

A

white opposition
Black Extremists
White liberals distracted by the Vietnam War.

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13
Q

What was MLK’s solution to improving the living conditions in ghettos?

A

Giving blacks the vote did not cost any money but improving the living conditions of the ghettos would (no one wanted to be taxed higher).

MLK proposed “affirmative action” meaning that since African Americans have been oppressed under the US government, it is now their duty to equip them to compete in society on a just and equal basis.

MLK also urged black peoples to bring in Hispanics, native Americans and poor whites into the war on poverty.

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14
Q

What was the Poor People’s Campaign?

Was it succesful?
When

A

1967
MLK’s idea was to bring all poor people together to camp out in Washington DC in a Poor People’s campaign.

No. It was for its time unwise and unrealistic.

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15
Q

When and what happened in Memphis?

A

March 1968.
King was asked to join a protest march to support black sanitation workers faced with discrimination. The march turned violent due to a radical black power minority.

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16
Q

When and what was the aftermath of the murder MLK?

A

1968
triggered ghetto riots
Day of national mourning declared by president Johnson
Mixed reactions, some grieving some joyful
After death MLK was idolised and his faults like his womanising were forgotten.

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17
Q

What were Malcom X’s beliefs?

A

Malcom strictly adhered to the teachings of Muhammad, but derived from them later on to follow the more orthodox approach of Islam.

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18
Q

What was Malcom X’s role in the NOI and what were his methods?

A

appointed as minister and national spokesman for the NOI
Responsible for establishing new mosques in cities such as Detroit, Michigan and Harlem, New York.

Utilised newspaper columns, radio and television to communicate NOI’s messages across the US.
His use of charisma, drive and conviction attracted large numbers of new members.

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19
Q

What were the negative achievements of Malcom X

A

Many considered him to be irresponsible and negative.

critiqued him for staying in safer places like Harlem, whereas MLK was actively putting his life on the line in the south.

Did not ever establish organisations as effective and long-lasting as the NAACP or SCLC

Time magazine described Malcom X as, “unashamed demagogue whose gospel was hatred and who in life and in death was a disaster to the Civil Rights Movement.”

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20
Q

What were the positive achievements of Malcom X?

A

drew attention to dreadful conditions in the USA’s ghettos and brought black Americans closer to other oppressed blacks internationally.

Became an iconic role model for black youths, through his search of identity and exploration of feelings, seen in his book “Autobiography of Malcolm X” (1965)

Made black nationalism appealing to angry black youths.
Inspired new generation of black leaders such as SNCC’s Stokely Carmichael and the Black Power Movement in general

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21
Q

When was the nation of islam created?

A

1930 by Wallace Fard (Wallace randomly disappeared in 34) so leadership passed on to Elijah Muhammad. He led till 1975.

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22
Q

What were the beliefs of the NOI?

A

Rejected philosophy of “Turning the other cheek” prominent in Christianity.
NOI fought for a state of their own, separate from the inhibition of white people

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23
Q

Who was credited with the growth of the NOI?

A

Malcom X was largely credited with increasing membership in the NOI from 500 (1952) to 30’000 (1963)

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24
Q

What were the negative achievements of the NOI?

A

unrealistic goals (separate black state in south or return to Africa)
Poor relations with groups such as NAACP, who promoted black interpretation into white society. King described NOI as a “hate group”.

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25
Q

What were the positive achievements of the NOI

A

1960; 100 ‘000 members and quarter million by 1969.

Newspaper “Muhammad Speaks” featuring comforting messages of separatism and self-defence, had an audience of 600’000 by mid 1970s

Attracted and inspired ghetto-dwellers because of self-confidence and emphasis on racial pride and economic self- help

Muhammad and his son created many businesses showing black success and offering rare job opportunities in ghettos.

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26
Q

What was the relationship between the NOI and the Black Power Movement?

A

Relations were ambivalent. Both groups promoted separatism, cultural revival and self help. However, Muhammad did not support non-Muslim African culture, which alienated some Black Power activists. -> 1972: “I am already civilised and I am ready to civilise Africa.”
Nevertheless most black power advocates revered Muhammad and the NOI as forerunners of the new black nationalism.

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27
Q

When did Malcolm convert to NOI?

A

1952 In prison.

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28
Q

When did Malcolm adopt the x to his name?

A

Once he was released from prison in 1952. (X replaced the african name that had been taken from his slave ancestors.)

29
Q

What did Malcom X think of the March on Washington?

A

Critical of non-violence + christened it the Farce on Washington + mocking the dream of integration.

30
Q

What did Malcom X think of christianity?

A

He mocked christianity : a religion “designed to fill [black] hearts with the desire to be white…A white jesus. A white virgin. WHite angels, White everything. But a black Devil of course.”

31
Q

When and why was Malcom X suspended from NOI?

A

In late 1963 for making unpopular remarks about the assaintion of President kennedy.

32
Q

When did Malcom X leave NOI and why?

A

In 1964 -> disappointed by Muhammad’s expensive lifestyle, romantic affairs, and refusal to allow him to join those risking their lives in Birmingham in 1963.

33
Q

What did Malcom X establish in the following month of his pilgrimage to Mecca?

A

The Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU)

34
Q

What were the aims of OAAU?

A

Aimed to unite all people of african descent and to promote political, social and economic independence for blacks.

35
Q

How do King’s and Malcom’s views compare now? (In 1964)

A

Like KIng, Malcom moved towards socialism, propelled by economic inequality in the USA.

36
Q

When was Malcom X assassinated and by who?

A

February 1965, by NOI gunmen.

37
Q

How did Malcom X’s and KiNG’S FAMILY BACKGROUND DIFFER?

A

Malcolm Little was born in midwest Nebraska to a widowed mother who could not cope with the poverty of those years and was committed to an insane asylum when Malcolm was 14 years old.

King was a southerner born in Georgia to a slowly growing black middle class, to a stable family headed by his father who, as a church minister, was shielded from the worst traumas of the great depression.

38
Q

How did King’s and Malcom’s youth and education compare?

A

To simplify: “While King graduated from an inferior southern college but a good northern university, Malcolm graduated from the school of drug dealing, pimping, burgling and jail.”

39
Q

How did their philosophies differ?

A

King’s dad supported the NAACP and he and Martin believed in the American dream and sought integration into it. King’s focus was the segregated south

Malcolm’s father supported UNIA and according to Malcolm “what is looked upon as the American dream for white people has long been an American nightmare for black people” because of this Malcolm sought separatism. His focus was always the ghettos.

40
Q

What were the similarities between Malcom and King?

A

Both aimed to improve the black situation and had many followers
Both were religious
Both were very charismatic
Both had belief in the power of organisations, preaching and print; both were involved with influential organisations
Both had philosophies that changed, developed and made them more similar in the later years, when King became increasingly socialist and Malcolm less antagonistic towards whites.
Both were controversial and assassinated.

41
Q

How many other riots were there from 64 to 68?

A

238 riots in over 200 US cities. The riots led to over 250 deaths mostly from police shooting rioters, 10’000 seriously injured, 60’000 arrested and a great deal of damage to ghetto businesses.

42
Q

What was the most famous National Advisory commission on Civil disorder.
When?
What was an issue concerning it?

A

set up by Johnson in 1968,
it emphasised the social and economic deprivation in the ghettos which have poor schools, housing and high unemployment.

Report also noted that violence was frequently triggered by black reaction to what were perceived as oppressive police policies and indifferent white political machines.

Issue:
It recommended increased expenditure on the ghettos but most whites were unwilling to finance improvements.

43
Q

How did the NAACP aim to improve the situation in the ghettos?

How did A. Phillip Randolph aim to solve this issue?

A

NAACP: Worked for integrated education hoping it would provide better quality education for blacks and enable them to leave the ghettos.

RANDOLPH: By encouraging unionisation and pressure on the federal government as the way towards equal pay and employment opportunities.

MLK: Drew attention to ghetto problems in the chicago freedom movement.

44
Q

Why were whites unwilling to help?

A

US Cold war anti- communism ensured the sympathy for the poor was equated with sympathy for communist doctrines of economic equality.

White american unwillingness motivated by self-interest
Black entry into white neighbourhoods would cause property prices to plummet

black school children from deprived backgrounds might damage the educational and employment prospects of white children.

White voters did not want to pay for extra taxes particularly after the vietnam war.

Neither the federal government nor state nor city authority wanted to bear the expensive burden of improving the ghettos.

45
Q

How did black Americans perceive this unwillingness?

A

As uninterested and unsympathetic -> not surprisingly then the black power movement emerged out of the impoverished ghettos
By the late 1960s a new generation of black radicals were demanding improvements.

46
Q

Name a few examples of responses from civil rights organisations to the ghetto frustration

A

Poor People’s Campaign in 1967- SCLC

Freedom Houses starting 1964 which provided information and advice on education, employment, health and housing- CORE

National Urban League (NUL) launched a programme to develop economic self help strategies in the ghettos in 1968 and received 28 million from the Nixon administration in 1971.

47
Q

Were these campaigns for the ghettos effective?

A

No they were not enough.
Many ghetto inhabitants felt that these organisations knew little about ghetto life and were not much help in improving matters.

48
Q

How did the youth in the ghetto’s perceive these civil rights organisations and in particular MLK?

A

Rejected MLK’s emphasis on the south, “ the white man’s christian religion” and non violence which did not seem to contribute to the ghettos.

They did recognize that civil rights activism that led to improvement and were inspired to be active themselves but looking to new leaders such as Malcom X and Stokely Carmiacheal whose philosophies were more appealing.

49
Q

How did the SNCC become more militant in 1966?

Why

A

Impatient with slow progress toward equality
Disillusioned by the lack of federal protection in the mississippi freedom summer
SNCC turned to a more militant leader: Carmichael

50
Q

When were whites removed from the sncc

A

In 1966, Stokelely voted to expel whites from SNCC.

51
Q

When was Carmichael replaced?

A

1967 by even more militant Henry Rap Brown, who advocated for armed self defence

52
Q

What was significant about 1968 for the SNCC?

A

At a rally in oakland california the SNCC merged with the Black Panthers, the most radical of all organisations.

53
Q

When did CORE’s leader JAmes Farmer resign? Who was he replaced by?

A

December 1965. He was replaced by the radical Floyd McKissick.

54
Q

What resulted from the 1966 annual CORE convention?

67? And 68?

A

66: Black power was endorsed and they declared non-violence inappropriate if black people needed to defend themselves.
67: Excised the word muliracial from CORE’s constitution.

68> Whites were excluded from CORE’s membership.

55
Q

What were the different interpretations of black power?

A

Black supremacy; 1968: Muhammad siad “Black power means the black people will rule the white people on earth as the white people have ruled the black people for the past six thousand years.

1968-9: black car workers though black power meant a black working class revolution. (they united in a black power union, the league of revolutionary workers which had 80 activists and contributed to the militancy of black car workers + to the employment of more black foramen before it broke down in 1971.)

56
Q

How did the older generation view Black power?

A

NAACP leader Roy Wilkins felt that black power supporters were racist and no better than the KKK.

MLK called black power a slogan without a program. However when people kept using the phrase he attempted to give it more positive connotations “Black power means instilling with the N*** a sense of belonging and appreciation of heritage, a racial pride…”

Floyd McKissick also attempted a positive definition: Black Power is not hatred and “ did not mean black supremacy, did not mean exclusion of whites from the N*** Revolution […] but political, economic power and a new self image.

57
Q

What did Richard Nixon perceive black power as?

A
  1. “Meant more black ownership, for from this can flow the rest- black pride, black jobs, black opportunities and yes, black power,”
58
Q

When and by whom was the Black Panther Party for Self-Defence created?

A

1966, in California, by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale.

59
Q

What were the aims of the black panthers?

A

Influenced by communist revolutionaries such as Mao and Geuvara.
Aimed to become involved in the global non white working class struggle
Aimed to expose police brutality and harassment -> citing the second amendment to the US constitution (which said US citizens had the right to bear arms.) -> armed black panthers followed police cars in ghettos to expose police brutality.

60
Q

What were the demands of the Black panthers?

A

Payment of compensation for slavery to black americans by federal government
Freedom for incarcerated black who should be jailed only if tried by a black jury
Exemption of blacks from military service
A UN supervised referendum of black americans for the purpose of determining the will of black people as to their national destiny
Less police brutality
improvements in ghetto living conditions.

61
Q

Outline an aggressive assault by the black panthers?

A

May 1967: black panthers surrounded and entered the California State capitol building accusing the legislature of considering repressive legislation. Some plotted to blow up major department stores in New York city.

62
Q

Outline the achievements of the black panthers?

A

Never boasted above more than 5000 members
However they won a great deal of respect for their emphasis on self-help.
They set up ghetto clinics to advise on health, welfare, and legal rights
1970: southern California chapter of the Free Breakfast programma served up to 1700 meals weekly to the ghetto poor.
armed black panthers followed police cars in ghettos to expose police brutality which led to some violent shootouts

63
Q

Outline the 4 reasons for why the black power movement declined?

A

Divisions + disorganisation, sexism, financial problems, the nixon administration

64
Q

Outline how divisions in the movement led to its decline`?

A

Black power movement was ill defined and poorly organised
The movement never really produced a persuasive and effective blueprint for change.
Black panthers talk of violence brought down the wrath of the federal government on their head and the talk of socialism was ill suited for the US at that time.

65
Q

Outline how sexism in the black power movement led to its decline`?

A

Feminism became popular in the 60s + appealed to many black women. Male black power leaders were often sexist which alienated women from the movement.

66
Q

Outline how financial problems in the movement led to its decline`?

A

When CORE and the SNCC expelled all white members they also rid themselves of their financial support as white liberals financed the major civil rights organisations. In 1973 SNCC ceased to exist because of this.

67
Q

Outline how the Nixon administration led to the black power movement’s decline?

A

Sustained + effective pursuit of black power leaders
Black panthers routinely engaged in petty crime, sought confrontation with and advocated the killing of police.
They therefore suffered from police attention or persecution.
They were tagged and destroyed by the police and FBI from 1967- 69. By 170 most of the black panthers leadership was killed, imprisoned or in enforced exile.

68
Q

The successes of the black power movement?

A

Black Panthers gave useful practical help to ghetto dwellers and kept the ghetto problems on the political agenda.
Ghetto riots were popular movements, as they brought attention to the living conditions in the ghettos. Although many casualties and destroyed properties were often consequences of these riots.
won great deal of respect from their emphasis on self-help.

69
Q

The failures of the black power movement?

A

black power contributed to the downfall of what had been an effective civil rights movement. Ex. CORE, James farmer had participated in many of the non-violent sit-ins, which were impactful. However once he was replaced by militant leader McKissick, CORE achieved little. SNCC follows a similar trend-line.
However, it can be argued that without Black Power, the civil rights movement would have lost momentum and left the ghetto problems as fully insoluble.
Yet, Black Power, also failed to find an answer to the northern ghetto problems and rioters, and armed Black panthers helped decreased the white sympathy, which had been a key to progress for non-violent civil rights activists.