Peaceful Protests And Their Impact , 1963- 65 Flashcards
By 1963 civil rights campaigners were seeking new ways to get much needed media attention in order
To put pressure on authorities in Southern states to improve the situation for black Americans
Why did Martin Luther king and the SCLC choose Birmingham to to campaign in ?
It was completely segregated.
The police chief “Bull” Connor had a reputation as someone who could be provoked into violence.
Black Americans had been regularly attacked there
Events of the Birmingham campaign in 1963
There were many forms of protests such as peaceful marches, sit ins, boycotts and public meetings.Hundreds of arrests took place even those of young children.Even the jails were full
What did Connor do when the jails were full ?
He ordered water cannons and police dogs to deal with the protestors.This led to loads of criticism as the response to the peaceful protets were harsh and violent.It gained supportive news coverage for the civil rights campaign.
In August 1963 after the campaign in Birmingham civil rights leaders including Martin Luther King organised a march of protestors across the country. It was called the
“March on Washington “ for “ Jobs of Freedom”
Facts about the “ March on Washington”
More than 250,000 people took part in the march.
Of these 40,000 were white.
The march was peaceful and was broadcasted on television around the world.
King made his famous “ i have a dream speech”
In 1964 in Mississipi CORE and SNCC set up the
“Freedom Summer”
A thousand volunteers went to Mississipi to help
Boost voter registration
Facts about the Freedom Summer 1964
Most volunteers were white college students from respectable families.Their social status would make violence more newsworthy.
They ran voter registration classes to teach black locals about passing the test to register to vote.
17,000 people attended these classes but only 1600 were successful.
In retaliation, the ku kulx klan burned crosses and set fire to black people’s homes and churches
Mississipi murders.On 21 June 1964
Three activists were killed by a Klan lynch mob near Mississipi.CORE and the SNCC members tried to look for the bodies.The bodies were eventually discovered and during the search the bodies of a further eight victims of the Klan were also discovered.
What did the “Mississipi murders” show
It showed the levels of hatred and violence Klan members used to stop civil rights
