Later Campaigns Flashcards
Birmingham 1963
They knew ‘Bull’ Conner would react violently and they had the worse examples of segregation. Conner obtained a court injunction against demonstrations. Children were used to protest but hoses were used on them and 1300 were arrested. Large department stores were desegregated but KKK later bombed a church killing 4 young girls.
Washington 1963
Group effort from SCLC, SNCC, CORE and NAACP to put pressure on Congress. Approx 20% of the campaigners were white of the 250,000 who attended. MLK made his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. .
Mississippi Freedom Summer 1964
Targeted voter registration as only 6.2% of black adults could vote. 800 volunteers from the North helped to set up 30 Freedom Schools but 30 black homes were firebombed. 17,000 tried to register but only 1,600 were successful.
Selma 1965
Targeted voter registration as only 1% of black adults were registered to vote. Police responded, began a 50 mile march to Montgomery but were attacked with tear gas, on another attempt they were successful 800 marched, with numbers having increased to 25,000 by the time they reached Montgomery.
Moynihan Report 1965
Reported high levels of crime and poor living standards in black communities however it blamed black people for their own economic problems.
1966 Chicago Freedom Movement
King’s 1st Northern Campaign, a riot erupted as authorities turned off fire hydrants in black communities as they used them to cool down. King tried to make it a peaceful protest against segregated housing. They were bombarded with rocks and encountered the most violent crowd that they ever had.
Poor People’s Campaign 1968
Campaign for better living standards and the end of ghettos. Occupied govt buildings, boycotted buildings and marched on Washington. Taught King that more radical methods were needed to ensure real change.
Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike 1968
Memphis City authorities refused to recognise the strike and used tear gas on the marchers. Peaceful march lasted less than an hour before marchers began attacking shops. Papers branded MLK as a chicken as he left and he was assassinated.
