Lesson 16+17: The Role Of Martin Luther King Flashcards
When was the first March on Washington?
1957
Which civil rights group was behind the march?
SCLC
How many people attended the march?
Only 20,000
Which NAACP leader disliked King?
Roy Wilkins
He favoured litigation while King preferred mass action
Which civil rights group was competition for King and SCLC?
SNCC
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Commitee
Formed for more direct action
What started the 1960s Sit-ins?
In 1960, 4 black students entered an all-white cafe in North Carolina.
Refused to leave and caused lunch counter to close
What was the effect of the first sit in?
Inspired 70,000 students to take part across the North
What did the sit-ins show about King when he assured the SNCC they had the full support of the SCLC?
He was willing to be led by others
What was the outcome of the sit-ins?
Helped get rid of some Jim Crow laws
The loss of business made Woolworth (North Carolina) desegregate all lunch counters by the end of 1961
How many cities desegregated their lunch counters following North Carolina?
150 cities
When was the march on Birmingham, Alabama?
1963
Who led the 1963 March on Birmingham, Alabama?
Martin Luther King and the SCLC
Why did King target Birmingham?
It was the worst city for racism
White extremists had recently castrated a black man
Eugene ‘Bull’ Connor was police commissioner
What did King do when the SCLC failed to recruit enough local demonstrators/black community to take part?
He used crowded areas to give the impression of mass action and encourage onlookers to take apart
What did King do to elevate the protest further?
He used black school children, as young as six
Which black activist opposed king for using school children?
Malcolm X
“Real men don’t put their children on the firing line.”
How many black protesters were arrested and sent to jail?
500
What were Bull Connors tactics against the black protestors?
He used high-pressure water hoses to tear clothes off students backs
What was the outcome of the March on Birmingham?
Segregation ended in Birmingham
How did the March affect the campaign for civil rights?
Kennedy admitted that the police’s violent response in Birmingham persuaded him to push the bill that became the 1964 civil rights act
When was the second March on Washington?
August 1963
What was the aim of the 1963 Washington March?
To encourage the passage of the civil rights bill and promote black employment opportunities
Which civil rights groups took part in organizing the March?
The NAACP, CORE, SNCC, SCLC
How many people attended the March?
250,000
What percentage of the 250,000 were white?
25%
What was significant about the 1963 Washington protest?
Martin Luther King made his ‘I have a dream’ speech and it was televised worldwide
What was the outcome of the 1963 March and Washington?
The civil rights act was passed in 1964
What was the negatives of the 1963 March and Washington and the 1964 civil rights act?
It didn’t change the fact that black Americans had poor housing, the same land and the majority couldn’t vote?
When was the March and Selma?
1965
What was the problem in Selma?
Out of Selma‘s 29,000 black population, there were only 23 registered black voters due to Black codes
What happened during the protest? In Selma
A police officer shot a black youth shielding his mother from a beating
Racist whites threw venomous snakes at blacks trying to register to vote
King was arrested
What did King tell the media when he was arrested?
“There are more Negroes in jail with me [3400 in feb 1965] than there are on the voting rolls”
Where did the march on Selma begin and end?
From Selma to Montgomery
What was the purpose of March?
Publicise the need for a Voting Rights Act
What happened during the march?
Television viewers saw police officers attack ma with clubs and tear gas
What is the march on selma known as?
“Bloody Sunday”
How did the federal government get involved?
Over-rode Alabama’s authourity and allowed the march to Montgomery after 2 attempts
How many were involved in the March on Montgomery?
30,000
What was a failure of the March?
Bitter relations were caused between SCLC and SNCC when King didnt inform them (SNCC) of his tactics to confront and then retreat from police
