Early Civil Rights Grass Roots Campaigning Flashcards
What were causes of Montgomery 1955?
In 1955 Claudette Colvin demonstrated support in Montgomery to desegregate buses. On 1 Dec 1955 Rosa Parks was fined $14 and arrested for refusal to give her seat to a white man so the black community began direct action while the NAACP mounted a legal case. ED Nixon, local NAACP leader, held a meeting the night of the boycott and MIA was established led by MLK.
What were King’s inspirations for Montgomery and what were main events?
King was inspired by nonviolent Mohandas Gandhi and advocated civil disobedience and direct action. The boycott lasted over a year with 85% of black citizens carpooling and the bus companies losing 65% of their revenue. King and 156 protesters were arrested and he was fined $500 and sentenced a year but only served two weeks with media attention on campaign.
What were results of Montgomery?
Browder v Gale 1956 – Aurelia Browder was arrested in April 1955 for refusal to give up her seat on a bus to a white person, with the NAACP’s support this was brought to Supreme Court and on 20 Dec 1956 the Supreme Court banned bus segregation.
What did Montgomery show?
; showed black economic power; rise of MLK; media importance; showed reluctance of white authorities to desegregate; Supreme Court went back on Plessy v Ferguson; SCLC formed.
How did Eisenhower get students to enrol at Little Rock?
1957 Little Rock Campaign attempted to enrol 9 black students to Little Rock Central High School. Orval Faubus, Governor of Arkansas, employed National Guard backed by white mob preventing entrance on 3 Sept. US Department of Justice court injunction forced withdrawal of Guard but racists prevented student entrance so Eisenhower gained control of National Guard to protect students. On 25 Sept they enrolled.
What happened when Faubus closed schools after Little Rock?
Faubus closed schools, with 4000 students black or white made to go elsewhere. In 1958 Cooper v Aaron led Supreme Court to rule it was illegal to prevent desegregation and in June 1959 schools were re-opened.
How did Greensboro 1960 protests erupt?
Feb 1960 4 black students entered Woolworths in Greensboro, North Carolina and sat on whites only seats, refusing to leave until served. 27 students came on second day, 300 by fourth, and store closed by end of week. By end of week similar protests were spread over 6 towns, and by the end of the month sit-ins occurred in six more states.
What was significance of Greensboro?
Significance; SNCC was set up, demonstrated quick spread of campaigns and media covered persecution faced by protesters, six months after campaign started the Greensboro counter finally served black people; by the end of 1961 810 towns desegregated. 70,000 black and white citizens demonstrating in 1961.
What did 1961 Freedom Rides set out to do?
Would test Morgan v Virginia and Boynton v Virginia 1960 (banned segregation of interstate bus services).
Outline main events of Freedom Rides?
May 4 1961, 7 black members and 6 white members of CORE set out on Greyhound and Trailways buses. In Anniston police didn’t intervene when a white mob firebombed the bus, at Birmingham Bull Connor turned a blind eye and in Montgomery police let white mobs beat riders with baseball bats. Attorney General Robert Kennedy made to enforce desegregation.
What was significance of Freedom Rides?
Significance – showed SCLC, CORE, and SNCC worked together, Kennedy administration’s sympathy to civil rights
What was the 1961-2 Albany Movement?
Targeted Albany, Georgia, with SNCC wanting protests. Police Chief Laurie Pritchett did not use police violence to reduce media attention and made vague promises of concession. King was arrested and Pritchett allegedly asked for his release to prevent publicity. This led to SNCC radicals wanting to use violence to challenge segregation. King acknowledged limits of nonviolence.
What happened to James Meredith in 1962?
James Meredith in 1962 attempted to be first black president at University of Mississippi. Governor Ross Barnett refused his enrolment so President Kennedy placed pressure. Barnett didn’t protect him and he faced violent white protesters on campus. Kennedy then sent federal troops leading to riots killing two people. Nonetheless he successfully enrolled and graduated with a Political Science degree in 1963.
