MLK Flashcards
NAACP
Smith vs Allright 1944 which increased black registered votes in US - 2% 1940 to 15% 1947
A few African Americans were elected in state legislatures but none in Deep South
Brown v Board of Education 1954 Supreme Court decision - racial segregation in schools not allowed - didn’t fully desegregate but powerful
Little Rock 1957
Rosa Parks NAACP - Montgomery Alabama
Bus boy cot was a year. US Supreme Court decision of Browder vs Gayle 1956 ordered Montgomery to interstate bus system
March on Washington
MLK jr - what did he stand for
Christian messages
And ghandian non violence
What did MLK form
SCLC after Montogomery
NAACP closely aligned themselves with it
Successes of MLK
Powerful speaker
1963 I have a dream speech
Involved in Bham and the march on Washington which contributed to JFK issuing the 1963 civil rights bill
Birmingham 1963- Conner - violently opposes it
1964 civil rights act
Civil rights act/Voting rights act 1965-following MLK and SCLC making Selma Alabama an example of voting rights needing being addressed. 57% pop black 1/50 registered to vote
Highlighted 64&65 civil rights act didn’t address de facto
Encouraged LBJ to adopt affirmative action - commitment to it 1966. Nixon develops it into a policy called The Philadelphia Plan
LBJ does vomit to the 1968 Housing Act, which is also referred to as a Civil Rights Act. However this had limited success
Highlighter poverty and encouraged great society
Highlighter the many forms of racism that future legislation was needed to address
Failures of MLK
From 1966 onwards MLK took civil rights movement north
He met significant opp from groups that felt he had no place there and from FBI. Hoover disliked him
Kings movement shifted his ideology left. After getting Nobel peace prize and achieving successes in reversing de jure segregation. Leftist ideology promoted a solution to de facto racism. This lost him support and gained him CIA interest
The poor people’s campaign of 1968 was poorly co-ordinated and eventually led to Alvernathy King’s deputy. R Kennedy killed. Nixon cored in and SNCC, Black Panther and CORE radicalised. Movement lost white sympathy
A Protest march turned violent
4 April 1968 assassinated
Alienated many youth groups who thought he controlled the movement
Alienated many northern blacks who could not connect with his southerners and their problems
SCLC- southern Christian
Grassroots activism
Greensboro Sit-ins. SNCC Greensboro Sit in: 1960- 4 black college students sat down and ordered food at whites only food counter
Others joined these 4 students so that the scale of the protest grew rapidly and eventually the store was forced to close
Idea of protest spread quick
student non violent coordinating committee (SNCC) formed out of this. Worked w MLK SCLC to extend movement eg segregated swooping pools
Even when attacked did not retaliate. Televising - reinforced white sympathies
Texas and Tennessee some desegregation of public facilities X Deep South
Protesters were students - critical of Kings attempt to control
SNCC successful in harming profits, tasing publicity but X south
65- SCLC and SNCC .org 50 mile march from Selma to Montgomery. Shortly- marchers attacked by state troopers. Prompted more demo strayers to match
However, split occurred between SCLC and SNCC. Students accused King and SCLC of making compromise w governor Wallace to allow March w out trouble. Whether true or not - more ‘radical’ black Americans starting to turn to black power
Baker ‘the movement made Martin, Martin did not make the movement’
Why was SLCC seen as better then NAACP in some ways
NAACP- dominated by middle class Men
SNCC- lifeleycand bigger impact
Freedom Rides CORE
CORE formed 1942 to challenge defacto in north
Entered Birmingham, Conner failed to provide protection for them and they were subject to viscous attacks
R Kennedy issued INJUNCTIONS against KKK and ordered desegregation of interstate travel
NAACP supported freedom riders and contributed to legal decisions: Morgan v Virginia (1957) Boyton V Virginia (1960)
Large scale tensions between SNCC and SCLC
Many upset 64∧65 civil rights act didn’t help them
Not long after MLK assassination - series of riots broke out - first Watts LA- 35 dead
Cone pointed out black People can ride same bus etc in theory but don’t have enough money to do so
X dead- no role model
LBJ sent investigations in areas and found riots not due to lack of rights but poverty and thus MLK memorial hospital built and Firestone rubber company moved into area and created 100 jobs - after this forgotten again
Freedom summer
March on Washington
SNCC CORE
McKissick replaced Farmers as CORE’s leader
Carmichael joined SNCC and using his eloquence and natural leadership skills
Managed to raise number of blacks not registered to vote.
In 1 year, Carmichael raised number of black voters 70-2600 (300 more than white voters in country)
He formed his own party - Lowndes County Freedom Organisation - logo black panther
SNCC fell victim to internal disputes as decade went on and divisions between black power and traditional movement became apparent
Black panthers
Brown replaced Carmichael as SNCC leader and he organised a conference on Black Poeer 1967
Newton and Seale led Black Panthers who wanted to end police brutality, white capitalism and extend economic opportunities.
Newton was shot 1967, and Seale was inprisoned and Cleaver took over
1969- 30 panthers killed in police shoot outs
At this point membership was 2000 but due to infiltration and splits it later disbanded in the 80s
Considered by FBI to be biggest threat to national secure
Other civil rights groups
NAACP MLK SNCC FREEDOM RIDERS CORE BLACK PANTHERS X
Rivalry among civil rights groups during late 60s- cooperation and mutual support 63 March on Washington
Problem of leadership and 64&65 civil rights act took wind out of the movement
Tried to address issue in north and fought civil rights injustices but were eventually forced in 70s to broader its scope by committing strictly for equal rights across world
Malcom X successes
Successful minister for the Nation of Islam and a prominent speaker
Galvanised blacks in the city who felt King and the grass rotes movement was neglecting them or even doing them disservice- he attracted Muslims and the north
In 60s invited to participate in numerous debates including forums on radio, television and universities like Harvard Law School
1963 let the United Rally in Harlem. It was one of the nations largest civil rights events- NYT said he was the second most sought out speaker in US
Mohammed Ali became member of NOI
1964 split from NOI and formed Muslim mosque
Few months later - organised the OAAU- wanted to heighten political consciousness or black Americans. Freedom summer
King became more militant and socialist. His move to the left and X move out of NOI brought them together
Malcolm X failures
Rejected accomodationalism
‘Who wants to sit on the toilet next to a white’
JFK assisinated ‘chickens had come home to roost’ lost support and white sympathy
Hated king to begin with - criticised king’s march on Washington
Advocated violence
Assassinated 1965
success/failure of the civil rights movement on voting
1966- 6 b members in congress
1973- 16 b members in congress
Gallup poll 1971- 40% black People dissatisfied with community life compared to 8% white
60% of black people registered to vote 1976
50% voted
Success/failure of civil rights movement forming n segregation
Mid 1970s Boston was a major battle ground for equal education in public schools. Boston inner city worse facilities then white neighbourhoods in Boston
ROAR- racist group organised protests racist slogans (thru protests argued against black students being bused from their segregated neighbourhoods to white schools)
From 1950 until 1980 black population in urban cities doubled.
During this period, white Americans moved out of urban to suburbs
Even tho segregation illegal - south still has segregated neighbourhoods - even today
