Civil Rights Movement Flashcards
What was the civil right movement?
A struggle by African Americans in the mid 1950s to late 1960s to achieve equal civil rights to this of whit Americans.
This includes equal opportunity in employment, housing, education and the right to vote, equal access to public facilities and the right to be free of discrimination.
Give an example of a civil right event during the 1950s that worked towards equal rights.
Rosa Parks refused to give her seat up to a white man on December 1st 1955 even thought the Montgomery’s bus law stated she had too. SHE WAS ARRESTED.
This lead to a boycott of all city buses until November 1956 when the the Supreme Court ruled segregation of Montgomery buses was illegal.
Give examples of 3 civil right groups formed.
King formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). It ran conferences and civil right activists (such as MLK) devised techniques of non violent protests and how to handle police, laws and media.
Many white American students where deeply moved by Civil Right movement and set up the Student Non Violent Coordinating Committee. (SNCC).
Another Civil rights activist called James Farmer set up the Congress Of Racial Equality. (CORE).
What happened at the Greensborough sit-in in 1960
Students staged the first sit-in in North Carolina on 1st February. Black people were denied service at Woolworths. They called the police but they didn’t take action due to lack of provocation. Kept returning with more and more students by the weekend there were 1400 students including whites. White men harassed protestors by spitting and throwing eggs on them. Woolworths removed their segregation policy.
What happened in May 1961?
The first freedom ride was on May 4 1961. Freedom riders were African Americans who rode through the South on buses and trains challenging segregation laws from Supreme Court. They encountered violence from white males who beat them with base ball bats.They gained national and international attention form media and in September 1961 segregation of interstate travel became legal.
What was the Birmingham Campaign in Spring 1963?
People boycotted downtown merchants. Martin Luther King gave speeches and there were marches around city hall.
Whites reacted by bombing a church that killed 4 girls and used high pressure fire hoses on men women and children.
It ended in May 1963 and resulted in desegregation of public toilets drinking fountains and lunch counters. They deployed a ‘negro job improvement plan’ and released jailed demonstrators.
However even after campaign Birmingham was not completely desegregated.
What happened in August 1963?
The March of Washington. 250,000 African American people gathered in front of Lincoln memorial. 50,000 of these were white. Martin Luther Kings ‘I have a Dream’ speech was presented there.
Some whites were now supporting African Americans even though only 33% of the US population liked MLK.
The March was successful because Kennedy finally took notice. King met with Kennedy and after his assassination the civil rights of 1964 and voting rights were passed by court.
Give examples of some positive progress to equal civil rights.
- May 1954 Supreme Court ruled in favour of Brown vs Topeka board of education. Segregation in schools were to end.
- In 1963 Kennedy showed his support for a new civil rights act that aimed to give African Americans same rights as whites.
- President Eisenhower supported The Little Rock 9 in 1957 and 1000 paratroopers were to protect them for a year as they attended school.
- In 1964 King was awards Noble Peace Prize in recognition of non violent approach to eliminate racism.
Examples of actions/situations that detract from equal civil rights.
-May 1963 Kennedy send in troops to Birmingham after chief of police. police ordered peaceful protesters to be attacked by dogs and hoses.
-In May 1961 200 freedom riders were arrested and spend 40 days in jail.
By 1956 there were still 6 Southern states which refused to desegregate schools.
Who was Malcom X?
He was born as Malcom Little and was and Islamic believer who believed in violent protests.
What did Malcom X do?
Malcom X was critical MLK methods and believed that the Vivil right movement held back black people. He wanted to see black Americans rise up and create a black state in the USA by force. He was assassinated in 1965. He was part of the Nation of Islam that fought for separation using violent approaches.
What is black separatism?
A political movement aimed at creating separate white and black economic and cultural systems within the USA.
What were black panthers?
Formed in 1966 it had around 5000 members by 1968. This was an extreme militant group which argued African Americans needed to protect themselves from white racists using violence if necessary.
What is Black Power/Black Nationalism?
The political idea that black Americans should take responsibility for their own lives and reject white help.
What is the Nation of Islam?
An American Islamic religious movement founded in 1930. Its goals were to improve the spiritual, mental, social and economic conditions of black Americans. It also called for the separation of black and white Americans.
