Eisenhower Civil Rights Flashcards
Black federal employment
Ike only had one African American on his staff
African American living in the North
inner cities ethnically homogeneous and dividing lines were often clear like the 8 mile road in Detroit
Rents increased by landlords to stop wealthier black people moving
White Citizens Councils
formed throughout the South to defend desegregation 1956 250,000 members
Linda Brown
3rd grade African American student had a white school 5 block away but had to go to the black school 20 blocks away. Her father took this to court and was supported by NAACP
Why did NAACP support Brown v Board?
Was in Topeka, Kansas
Kansas is a border state
Earl Warren
Appointed to Supreme Court while Brown v Board on hold 1953 and works towards a unanimous decision
Was appointed by Ike
Brown v Board
1953 ruling against the segregation of schools
Brown II
NAACP fought for time frame
‘with all deliberate speed’ was added to the ruling
1955
Outcomes of Brown v Board
remained segregated in deep south, 70% school districts in Washington DC and border state’s desegregated within a year
Ike attitude to Brown v Board
urged Warren not to rule in favour of desegregation
Never acknowledged the ruling
Ike attitude to civil rights
ideologically opposed to large scale federal intervention in states
said his public calls for equality of opportunity didn’t mean black and white had to mix
SCLC
set up by MLK 1957
Cooper V Aaron
1958 any law that sought to keep public schools segregated was unconstitutional
Virginia whites
1956-9 staged a ‘massive resistance’ campaign, closing some schools rather than desegregate
Little Rock 9
September 1957 9 black students attempt to go to Central High School in Little Rock Arkansas
Arkansas Governor and his actions
Orval Faubus
ordered national guard to stop little rock 9
Closed all Little Rock high schools 1958+9 rather than desegregate (was re elected)
Ike action Little Rock 9
Reluctantly sent federal forces to protect students in the name of law and order. Federalised National Guard 23rd Sep and sent 101st airborne army (first army to be desegregated)
Republican attitudes to civil rights
aware of increasing importance of black vote but most black northerners vote Democrat. So hoped to profit from Southern Whites disillusioned by Democrats liberal efforts
Little Rock media
on the spot reporting pioneered
Images of black children being spat on by white adults shocked Americans
Civil Rights Bills
1957 and 1960
Aimed to increase black voter registration
Added only 3% of black voters to electoral rolls
Motivation for first Civil Rights Bill
80% Southern blacks not registered. Ike said he was shocked that only 7000/900,000 of the Mississippi black population were registered
Ike actions towards first Civil Rights Bill
claimed he didn’t know what was in it and didn’t fight to keep it in tact
Emmett Till
14 year old boy brutally murdered 28th August 1955
Forced to carry a 75 pound cotton gin fan to the bank of the Tallahatchie river. He was beat to near death, his eye was gauged out, shot in the head and thrown in the river while tied to the cotton gin with barbed wire
Mamie Till
Emmett Tills mother. Went to the police who told her to leave it, pushed for an investigation until they found his body. Took his body back to Chicago where 50,000 people viewed his corpse
