Martin Luther King

Question 1

What is the Civil Rights Movement

Answer 1

Pre-1960 Black Protest against segregation viz. Garveyism, “Return to Africa”, the Rosa Parks incident 1954, resulted in Montgomery Bus Boycott 1955-56 led by Martin Luther King, which inspired thee modern civil rights struggle for equality and freedom in the 1960’s
This period also became known as the integrationist phase, as the focus fell on removing segregation in the South through court action
For e.g. in 1953, in the “Brown vs Topeka Board of Education” case, the US court banned segregation in public schools
The socio-economic status quo of Afro-American by 1960, remained disastrous, viz high unemployment; poverty-stricken ghetto life, etc

Question 2

Aims of the CRM

Answer 2

Constitutional rights for Afro-Americans and the abolition of segregation (“Jim Crows”) Laws
King became the main leader of the CRM, because of his leadership qualities: oratory ability i.e. his writing and speechless inspired civil rights activists
His concepts of justice and non-racialism/ non-violent philosophy (Gandhi’s passive resistance)/ and his deeply convictions (Baptist Christianity)
He was awarded 5 honorary degrees and named Time Magazine’s Man of the Year in 1963

Question 3

Methods of protest

Answer 3

Non-Violent direct confrontation, viz: ‘sit-ins’ - in 1960 Black students in Greensboro, under auspices of the SNCC, deliberately sat in places reserved for whites
This resulted in a massive non-violent strategy to desegregate such facilities all over the Southern states
Followed by ‘Kneel-ins’ in Churches, ‘read-ins’ in public libraries, ‘play-ins’ in city parks, wade-ins, etc
‘Freedom Rides’ (1961) - were organized by CORE
Interracial teams travelled together on busses through the south in order to challenge segregation
‘Freedom Summer’ 1964- Black and White activists went to Mississippi to open ‘Freedom School’ and to encourage blacks to register as voters, literacy tests and other blacks from voting
Demonstrations (‘I have a Dream’ Speech, Washington 1963- Luther stressed the importance of reconciliation as expressed in the Bible)
He also criticized the large the large income gap between rich and poor and called for the ‘radical changes in our society’ in order to redistribute wealth and power
in 1967 he criticized USA involvement in Vietnam as a waste of taxpayer’s money, as money was rather to be spent on the poor
However, his politics remained reformist, integrationist, and middle class, in a sense that he continued to rely on White liberals and the USA government legislation to abolish segregation, and that his call to abolish segregation little advantage to poverty-stricken and uneducated Blacks
His assassination in 1968, left a gap in the civil rights movement and led to rioting in many USA cities

Question 4

Reactions of the White

Answer 4

Reactions of the White right - KKK e.g. burning of black churches and homes, murdering, beating, intimidating and insulting white liberal civil rights activists,
Police bias against activists e.g. the police was accused of freeing activists into the hands of the KKK
The white right and the sheriffs in places such as Little Rock Arkansas also tried to prevent integration of schools by force

Question 5

The intervention of the state:

Answer 5

Violence against Civil Rights activists gained enormous media coverage and increased people’s awareness about civil rights, but also forced the federal government to uphold the law and justice for all. E.g. protection was given to protestors at segregated schools and on segregated busses, legislation was passed to abolish segregation, viz: 1965 Civil Rights Act- made racial discrimination in employment illegal
1964 Voting Rights Act- stopped racial discrimination with respect to the right to vote
1968 the supreme court ruled that state laws forbidding inter-racial marriage were unconstitutional
1968 the Fair Housing Act - made racial discrimination in housing illegal