Civil Rights Movement - 1965-75 Flashcards
When were the Watts riots in Los Angeles?
August 1965
How many were killed in the Watts riots?
34
How many were arrested in the Watts riots?
4000
What was the value of property destroyed in the Watts riots?
$40 million
What was the name of the report published in 1968 which blamed white racism for the riots?
Kerner report
When did MLK turn his attention the North of America?
1965
What was the main issue facing black people in Northern cities?
Poverty/ housing
Which northern city did MLK try campaign to address economic issues in employment and housing?
Chicago
What was the name of the mayor of Chicago?
Richard Daley
What did the mayor of Chicago do that led to major riots in 1966 during the summer heatwave?
Turned of water supplies that were used to cool down in ghettos.
How did the Chicago campaign end?
Daley agreed to provide fairer housing for black residents.
What did Daley do once the SLCC had left?
Ignored the agrrement.
2 reasons why the Chicago campaign was a failure.
- Chicago was 10x bigger than Southern cities.
- Church attendance lower - MLK Christian message did not reach target audience.
What was the difference in the cost to solve the northern issues and southern issues?
Southern issues much cheaper - changing laws
Northern issues much harder and more expensive to solve.
Where and when was MLK assassinated?
Memphis, April 1968
Two consequences of MLK assassination.
Riots across 29 states.
Sped up passing of the Civil Rights Act 1968
3 things Nixon did for Civil Rights.
- Tax-cuts for white owned businesses that set up branches in black neighbourhoods.
- Pressed for affirmative action.
- Made sure more black officials in the White House.
What is affirmative action?
Deliberately choosing a black person for a job over a white person to increase representation.
Who is an example of a black White House official given the job by Nixon?
James Farmer - CORE official, given a high-level job in the Department of Health, Welfare and Education.
Give a statistic showing the progress that had been made on integration by 1974.
Only 8% of black children in the South attended segregated schools.
How many major riots had there been between 1964-68?
329
What was Operation Bread basket?
It increased black employment in white businesses in Chicago.
Who started operation breadbasket?
SCLC
Why did MLK campaign in the North?
Shocked by the Watts Riots - wanted to prove that non-violent action still worked.
Why did the federal government not do anything about Daley’s back tracking?
Because MLK had publicly disagreed with Johnson’s involvement in Vietnam.
Why did MLK struggle in Chicago?
Many black politicians opposed SCLC’s campaigns
SCLC didn’t connect with black ghetto gangs.
Who killed MLK?
James Ray in April 1968
What were the consequences of MLK assassination?
Riots in 172 cities - $45 million cost in damage
Lost some white support - white people opposed the more radical vIEws without MLK.
What was the 1968 CRA?
Increased punishment for rioting.
Making housing prices fairer.
Why did the number of recruits in the Vietnam war go down?
People didn’t want to fight for a racist government.
When did MLK go to Chicago?
1966
Why did MLK go to Chicago?
For fairer housing.
What happened with the Voting Rights Act in 1970 and 75?
1970 - Banned literacy tests
1975 - Expanded to include other races
