Chapter 11: African Americans in the North and South Flashcards
How much did Kennedy have influence over the CR Campaign?
Kennedy was not likely to be supported by the south if he was to be supported by the black vote, but he did anyway. He would make significant changes for example he would create 5 black federal judges, this would include Thurgood Marshall and Robert Kennedy would bring 57 suits against the violations of black voting rights, this would be compared to the 6 that would be brought forward by the Eisenhower campaign, he would also use his executive power to create the EEOC this would encourage companies to employ more black people.
in 1961 Andrew Hatcher would become the first black employee in the White House, Kennedy would also promise to abolish racial discrimination, Kennedy would also intervene when King would convicted of prohibition violation, he would make calls to get King out of jail.
the significance of the rise of the CRM?
The previous successes of the Little Rock cases and the bus boycotts would leader to further success. Though there would be further resistance from organisations such as the police and the white citizens council.
the significance of the sit ins?
Jim Crow laws would still be in operation by 1960, AA people would still be discriminated against, young people would go and protest against this, they would go to a restaurant and sit a white only area. The sit ins would start on the 1st February 1960 and this would lead to within a month 50,000 students across 30 venues across 7 states had replicated this protest. This would lead to media attention and there would be violent reactions from local white people. These sit ins would become well established and this would lead to the creation of the SNCC by Ella Baker. Kennedy would allow these sit ins to really take shape when Kennedy would get King released and in October 1960 King could take part.
what was the significance of the freedom rides?
in 1961 CORE would repeat their 1947 journey of reconciliation, these services would remain separated despite two SC rulings in 1964 and 1960, 7 black and 6 white would test the success of the courts decision, the ride would lead to violence and there would be attacked people such as James Peck who would lead to their pictures being published nationally- this would lead to the glee of the USSR. Kennedy would demand that leaders such as the governor of Alabama would would protect the riders and in 1955 Robert Kennedy would demand that the ICC would enforce their own 1955 ruling on the buses. Whilst this was taking place, 60 further rides would take place, 300 riders would be involved, 75% of them were male and everyone was arrested.
what did the ICC rule?
1st November 1961 the ICC would demand that ending the segregation of the buses, the CORE campaign would work and Kennedy would have delivered his promises.
what would be the significance of the Albany campaign?
the success of the sit ins would lead to the people of the SNCC to go to Georgia to challenge the segregation there, though this would lack the focus of the sit ins. The SNCC would focus on too many types of places and the police would realise that inciting violence would lead to media coverage. The police would give instructions to the officers to treat the marches fairly and contact local jails in a 40 mile radius, treat King with care. SNCC campaigners would be annoyed with the events and this would lead them to call on King, he would soon be arrested and would choose to go to jail, he would be soon released with little fuss. Though, within a year Albany would get rid of all segregation laws.
what was the significance of James Meredith and Ole Miss?
He would want to take a place at university, he would serve in The US air force and after much deliberation on 1st October he was able to enrol, this would be because Governor Ross Barnet would defy the federal court rulings. Riots would follow where two people would be killed and 100’s would be injured, Kennedy would also send 500 Marshalls. James would graduate in 1963.
There would also be actions from people like George Wallace who, in June 1963 would not allow two students from entering Alabama University, Kennedy would send the national guard.
what was the significance of the events at Birmingham?
SCLC in Birmingham 1963.
This would be one of the most racist places in the south and the Moderate Boutwell would defeat the segregationist Bull Connor. The SCLC campaign would continue so when King was arrested in 1963 he was not able to leave, King would be able to leave with the help of Kennedy on 20th April 1963.
in Kings absence this would lead to James Bevel to suggest that children be used as they are more media friendly, the plan would work and would indeed gain media attention, there was also beginning to have an economic effect on the city so Robert Kennedy would send his chief civil rights assistant and the places were soon desegregated.
what was the aftermath of Birmingham?
Kings motel would be bombed and Kennedy would be forced to send 3000 troops, there would also be preparation to get the national guard, 4 months later on 15th September KKK members would bomb a church and they would kill 4 girls.
what would be the significance of the march on Washington?
This would take place on 27th August 1963, over 200,000 marchers would descend upon the capital. This would be organised by the “big six” leaders, the goal would be to further increase the pressure that would be placed on Kennedy, there would be the subtitle “for jobs and freedom”. Kennedy would be weary of the march that would take place due to the fear that arrests would take place, there would be no arrests, 19000 troops would be placed on standby. The high point of the march would be when the I have a dream would take place, this would lead King to be named Time Magazines Man of the Year for 1963 and would have the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
what would be the significance of the celebrity factor?
This would mark the time when celebrities would come out on mass to begin to force change, there were people such as James Baldwin in attendance.
what was the significance of the situation in the north?
it would be estimated that 57% of black people would live life of substandard quality and life expectancy would be 7 times less. de facto segregation would remain prominent. the profile of Malcom X would also be growing this would lead him to meet with world leaders.
what were the key opponents of civil rights?
The general population- there would be a number of people that would become manipulated by the press. people like Hazel Massery would be pictured hurling abuse at Elizabeth Eckford.
The White Citizen council- by 1957, this group would have a membership of 60,000, local and state politicians would be more willing to join the councils.
There would also be the their KKK that would be responsible for a number of deaths.
The Dixiecrats- This would include people such as strom Thurmond and they would include methods such as filibustering.
what would Kennedy’s policies be in the wake of the pressure?
Kennedy would draft a Civil Rights Bill, though this bill would be stuck in the committee of Dixiecrat Howard Smiths committee, he would want to delay the bill.
the bill would be passed in 1964 after Kennedy would be shot.
what was the significance of the way that Kennedy would deal with Civil Rights?
There would be the idea of “senatorial courtesy” this would be where there would have to be federal judges appointed to the south that would appeal to the views of the southern senators.
Kennedy would have the idea that he would delay any form of a civil rights bill until his second term. After the confrontation that would take place on June 11 1963, this would be between the governor of Alabama over the integration of university, there would also be the murder of the Medgar Evers the NAACP field director- Kennedy would submit the bill to congress in 1963.
Kennedy would give a speech saying that the grandchildren of the slaves that were freed by Lincoln were not yet “free from the bonds of injustice”.
