'I have a dream' Pt.2 Flashcards
What did JFK do for the civil rights movement?
- 1963 June Broadcast before his assassination and proclaimed he would attempt to end segregation and discrimination
- Set up the PCEEO which was chaired by Johnson and made sure the government only supported integrated and inclusive businesses
- Programme of affirmative action to promote more ethnic minorities joining the government
- His death gave momentum and sympathy to the cause as Johnson exploited his legacy to pass legislation
What was the civil rights act of 1964 and what was its impact?
Johnson halted the 57 day filibuster and the bill was signed on the 2nd of July 1964
- Brought an end to all legal segregation in the USA, especially within governments who lost federal funding if they refused
- Forbade all discrimination in employment so also gave more rights to women
- Set up the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC)
- Led to Watts riot and 239 other outbreaks between 11-15 August 1965 because of social disadvantage that black Americans still faced. 30 people killed and 1000 arrested
How did the Voting rights act come about and what effect did it have on Black Americans?
- Especially in the South, Black Americans faced great difficulty in representation and registration to vote - Poll taxes, literacy tests and property tests
- 1964 SNCC launched a campaign to increase black voter registration which ended in 3 murdered and considerable white resistance
- Only 6.4% of Black Mississippians were registered to vote
- SNCC launched the MFDP (Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party) as an inclusive alternative to the white Southern dominated democrats but the Democratic party left while attending a conference at which they were present - pressuring Johnson to deal with the bad relations
- MLK organised a civil rights march from Selma to Alabama in March 1965 - attacked by State troopers and white supremacists and 2 were activists were murdered - National guard were deployed to protect the 25,000 protesters - allowed Johnson sufficient national publicity to introduce the voting rights act
- Signed in August 1965
- Outlawed literacy tests and provided federal examiners to replace state ones
- Guaranteed all adult male Americans the right to vote
- Poll taxes previously abolished
- By the end of 1965 250,000 new black voters had been registered in the South
What was the civil rights act of 1968 and how did it affect Black Americans?
- 10th of April 1968, 6 days after MLK was assassinated
- Outlawed discrimination within the sale/rent of housing and jury selection
- Made it a federal crime to interfere with voting, work, schooling and participation in federally assisted programs on the basis of discrimination
- Protected civil rights workers out of state
- Limited impact on segregated housing arrangements due to the rise from 6.1 million to 15.3 million Black Americans living in cities between 1950-80 and the accompanying white flight
- White flight had caused the exodus of businesses from cities also
- Inner city ghettos had major problems with crime, poverty and lack of opportunity
What was the impact of LBJ?
- United the American cause after Kennedy’s assassination
- appointed the first black US Supreme Court Justice in Thurgood Marshall and first cabinet member in Robert Weaver
- Passes many civil rights acts
- Alienated many civil rights groups and leaders through his involvements in Vietnam
What were the changes occurring in Civil Rights groups such as CORE and SNCC and why did they come about?
Black power became a growing slogan in civil rights communities, tending towards radicalism, nationalism and more extreme measures
Could also embody the new spirit and representation of African culture within America and Kwanza
-
SNCC had traditionally been a mixed group
After the freedom summer of 1964 many resented white involvement in the group
Summer of 1965 the party grew disillusioned with the democrat party and shifted toward black nationalism
In 1966 Carmichael became SNCC’s leader and supported the expulsion of all white activists and created support for Black Power
-
At the end of legal segregation CORE focused on more small scale aspects such as employment, dealing with police brutality and opportunity
Radicalism meant that by 1964 80% if the group were Black Americans, with a continually shrinking white membership
Murder of 3 during the voter registration campaign and limited success of the MFDP caused uproar and continuation of the rise of radicalism in the group - while continuing to work with MLK the group tended more towards separatism and violent protest
Who was and what was the role of Malcolm X?
- Born in Nebraska and his father was a Black bishop murdered by white supremacists
- Convicted as a drug dealer and then converted to Islam in prison, following the nation of Islam
- Supported Black separatism and a black republic within the USA or a return to Africa. Muhammed Ali was also a follower
- Talented public speaker and ran a ministry within Harlem
- Rejected Non-violent approach of MLK
- Eventually assassinated by Nation of Islam gunmen - showing the rising splits and tensions in civil rights groups
- Angered at how Black Americans were still second class citizens - unemployment being double at 7.8% and 40% living in poverty. Even 10 years after the ordered integration of schools the majority of schools remained segregated
Who were the Black Panther party?
- Formed by 2 Black college students in 1966
- Had a 10 point programme that included full Black employment, Good standards of living, more realistic education that displays the reality of slavery, Black Men to be exempt in military involvement such as Vietnam, end to police brutality
- Carried firearms and advocated violent protest
- Had a black shadow government
- party never exceeded 5000 people
- Aimed at reform over revolution - such as providing food/medical care for the disadvantaged and monitoring levels of police brutality
- 1968 became more radical adopting Marxist socialism and seeking to establish links overseas in Africa etc
- 1969 27 were shot and 750 arrested by the FBI and a year later the party disintegrated due to infiltration
How did MLK decline in influence?
- Chicago 1966 failed protest of de facto segregation, led to white violence and MLK was accused of inciting violence while no progress was made
- 4th April 1967 MLK gave a speech that sympathised w Vietnamese communists, expressed support for other left wing revolutionary movements around the world and compared the US to the Nazis
- Deliberate attempt to align himself with the younger more radical civil rights groups such as CORE and Muhammed Ali however it isolated Johnson’s administration and removed MLK from influence in the political process.
- Switched back to his previous moderate, non-violent protest ideals and put forward the Poor Peoples campaign
