Issue 6: An assessment of the effectiveness of civil rights movement in meeting the needs of Black Americans, up to 1968 Flashcards
Introduction
Background:
- Before 1960, the Brown vs Board of education case took place, a young black girl named linda brown was denied from an all white school and her father took the board of education to court and with the help of the NAACP, they won the case and segregation in education was deemed unethical. (B1)
- The Montgomery Bus Boycott also took place, a middle aged black woman called Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat for a white man and was arrested, which stated the boycott when 95% of black americans refused to ride the bus in montgomery, this lasted a year which caused the bus company to lose money, which led to the bus company desegregating the buses.
Outline your factors:
- Roles of NAACP, CORE and SCLC
- The role of Martin Luther King
- Changes in federal policy
- Social and Economic changes
- Rise in Black Radical Movements
outline your argument
Factor 1- Roles of NAACP, CORE and SCLC
KU- The southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) arranged for the “March on Washington” as well as the campaign in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963.
Analysis- The SCLC improved the lives of black Americans by ensuring that JFK banned segregation in Birmingham.
Analysis+- However, the SCLC did not improve the lives of many black americans because many were jailed/beaten and attacked and segregation was only banned in Birmingham, not across America.
KU- The NAACP was involved in the court case “Brown vs Topeka Board of education”.
Analysis- The NAACP improved the lives of Black Americans by helping the case that led to schools being desegregated.
Analysis+- However, the NAACP did not improve the lives of many Black Americans as they only ended segregation in schools, not in everyday life.
Factor 2- The role of Martin Luther King
KU- In 1965, Martin Luther King and the SCLC staged a demonstration in Birmingham, Alabama, where the demonstrators, including children and students, were subjected to extreme police violence.
Analysis- This led to bad publicity and hostility from White Americans forcing President Kennedy to order an end to segregation in Birmingham.
Analysis+- However, King had less of an influence on the Northern cities, and leaders such as Malcolm X were credited with easing the self esteem of Black Americans and reconnecting them with their African heritage, effectively improving the Civil Rights movement by giving African Americans confidence.
KU- King led a march from Selma to Birmingham in 1965 to protest the lack of voting rights for black Americans.
Analysis- This protest improved the lives of Black Americans because it forced congress to pass the voting rights act in 1965 which banned the practice of barring black americans from voting.
Factor 3- Changes in federal policy (The role of the president)
KU- John F Kennedy signed an 1962 executive order outlawing racial discrimination in Public housing and also used a similar order to send troops to Oxford, Mississippi to protect black students, James Meredith.
Analysis- This showed that presidential action was very important in overruling state inaction, and that their power was very effective in helping the CRM.
KU- In January 1964 after JFK’s assassination, Lyndon Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act, this banner segregation in all public places- in hotels, cafes, petrol stations, cinemas and more. The act outlawed racial discrimination in employment, this meant that it was illegal to discriminate against a black by giving a job to a white rather than a black just because of his race.
Analysis- This was a massive step in the CRM as it ended all segregation which showed that black americans were equal to whites.
Analysis+- However, this act did not end all prejudice and discrimination against black americans so they were still being targeted in some parts of america.
Factor 4- Social and Economic changes
KU- In 1964, there had been terrible riots in Harlem (an areas in NYC with a majority of black population.) This was followed by riots in other Northern inner city areas. Things were mad even worse the following year was Malcolm X was shot dead by members of a rival civil rights movement.
Analysis- This led to a lot of violence towards black americans and showed all the prejudice white people had towards black people.
KU-MLK attempted to help with the problems of Chicago. In 1966, King and the SCLC proposed the Chicago plan, a non-violent action plan to improve the Chicago areas. MLK’s methods turned out to be ineffective and irrelevant to black americans in the late 1960s.
Analysis- This led to King being criticised, which didn’t help the needs of black people as the CRM was criticised, especially MLK.
Factor 5- Rise in black radical movements
KU- Civil rights leaders such as Stokely Carmichael condemned violence but many young black people refused to listen to them any longer. They were fed up with seeing pictures of innocent black people being pushed around by whites they wanted change and they wanted it fast.
Analysis- The movement was “fragmented”during the 1960s as different groups emerged with different priorities and different tactics.
KU- One of a number of organisations that sought to empower black people was the nation of Islam. A version of Islam was embraced by Malcolm X while in jail , although he split with nation of Islam and was murdered in 1965 , his ideas of
resistance and defiance grew.
Analysis- Arguments between groups took away from the effectiveness of the wider movement as a whole
Conclusion
- ATQ “In conclusion…”
- Provide relative judgements of at least 2 factors. Give a balanced assessment (A/A+)
- Give your judgement “overall”
