civil rights 1954-60 Flashcards
what laws made it so that black and white Americans were to be segregated
Jim Crow laws
what did Jim Crow laws state
its legal to segregate as long as its separate but equal
what was segregated under the Jim Crow laws
public facilities and services ( cinemas, toilets, schools and transport)
what was the reality of the Jim Crow laws and separate but equal
the services for black people were limited and inferior to the white facilities
name two type of violence and discrimination were black people faced with in the southern state
racists white officials, police and judges would often be members of the KKK, which lead to the frequent assaults and murders of black people were not properly investigated or prosecuted
black people were not allowed to sit on juries in the court of law
name three types of violence and discrimination were black people faced during voting
white gangs physically stopped black people voting and attacked them when they tried to register to vote
some Southern state passed laws to make it harder for black people to vote, e.g. literacy test that were virtually impossible
some southern states introduced the ‘grandfather clause’ which made everyone prove their forefathers had the voted. for descendants of slaves this was impossible
name two civil rights organisations
NAACP, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People,
CORE, Congress Of Racial Equality
What did NAACP do
set up 1909, fought for civil rights using legal means
defended black people who were unfairly convicted of crime
focused on overturning ‘separate but equal’ ruling
what did CORE do
set up in 1942, similar membership to NAACP
used non-violent direct actions, trained local activists in these
mostly in northern states
during earlier times most members were white and middle class
what did the Plessey vs Ferguson case allow
in 1896 allowed the segregation of public services, including schools
what began Brown vs Topeka case
1952, NAACP took school segregation to court for breaking the 14th amendment( citizenship and equal protection) making black children feel inferior
why did the Brown vs Topeka case have little impact at first
may 1954, segregation in schools was ruled unconstitutional and schools were to be desegregated but the court set not time limit
may 1955 a second ruling was set to be done ‘with all deliberate speed’
when were schools finally desegregated and how many
1957, 723 schools
what is meant by the term ‘Little rock nine’
1957, 75 black students applied to the newly desegregated Little rock high, Arkansas, 25 were accepted, however their parents were threatened
at the start of the 1957 school year, nine students showed despite the death threats to register, they were called the little rock nine
who opposed the integration of schools
Governor Faubus
1958, closed all schools in Little rock to avoid integration
it lasted from a year but pressure from parents forced him to reopen
name two kinds of oppositions that the ‘little rock nine’ faced trying to get into school
Faubus sent 250 state troops to ‘ keep the peace’ and block the black students entering the school
mobs of angry white people
Why was Elizabeth Eckford significant
She wasn’t notified about arriving with the rest of the group and NAACP and was targeted by crowds and racially abused which showed media that a peaceful student trying to get education was attacked and threatened for simply going to school
When and how were the students finally able to safely attend school
24th September when President Eisenhower sent in federal troops, to ensure the black students safety
Why did the president get involved
Worldwide media coverage was ruining the USA’s image abroad
What was President Eisenhower concerned about and what did he want
He was concerned about white opposition to integration and he wanted to improve black civil rights while avoiding potential violent unrest about racial integration in the deep south
Why was Little rock significant
Give two reasons
Hundred of reporters from local and international news stations reported the event and people were shocked by what was happening
There was continuity in resistance to school integration after 1957, Faubus shut down schools in order to not integrate, however after reopening the first black student graduate from little rock in 1958
What led to the Montgomery bus boycotts
1st December 1955 Rosa parks refused to give up her seat to a white person and was arrested and fined for breaking segregation laws
Who focused on bus discrimination and when
1950 Women’s political council
When did the bus boycott begin
5th December 1955 when MIA was set up to coordinate the boycotts, Martin Luther King was elected chairman
What was the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Black people in Montgomery wouldn’t ride any bus service until the situation changed, MIA organised car pooling, which began 12th December involved 300 cars
What else helped with the Bus boycott
MIA negotiated with taxi companies to reduce cab fares with black drivers to enable boy otters to travel
What kind of violence increased media coverage of the boycotts and whne
30th January 1956, MLK’s House was fire bombed and King responded peacefully, which gained sympathy to the movement
What was set up to coordinate church based protests and when
January 1957, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Who led SCLC
Martin Luther King and ralph Abernathy
What was the 1957 civil rights act
The act aimed to increase black voter registration and allow federal to prosecute states which didn’t guarantee citizens voting rights
When was the KKK set up and what does it stand for and why was it set up
1865 Ku Klu Klan, after the slaves won their freedomb
Who was Emmet Till and why was it significant
He wolf-whistled at a white lady and a few days later was kidnapped, Beat up severely, shot and thrown in a river with a cotton mill tied around his neck with barbed wire
His mother held an open casket funeral, which led to extensive media coverage and fuelled widespread shock and outrage, especially in the North where they weren’t aware how bad it was.
The trial was reported nationwide but they men were found not guilty and later got their story published in a magazine admitting to the murder
What did the NAACP do for Tills murder
1955 published a booklet called M is for Mississipi and for Murder, highlighting all the murders of black people in Mississipi on that year that went unpunished
What was the sit in movement
1st February 1960, four black students waited to be served at a segregated lunch counter, when told to leave and held a sit-in and remained in store still closing time, this was to gain publicity to make the department store change its policies
Why was the greensboro sit in significant
The next dqy they had 25 more students, then the 4th 300 students both black and white worked in shifts to continue the protests, after a week the sit uns spread to towns in North Carolina
