Racial equality Flashcards
What was the impact of King’s Christian beliefs on the civil rights movement?
Informed his strategy of non-violent resistance to discrimination
What inspired King to create the Southern Christian Leadership Conference?
The small victory of the Montgomery Bus Boycott leading the authorities to cave and desegregate the buses, after civil rights activists refused to use them
What did King use the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to do?
Lecture around the US, which allowed the civil rights movement to gather momentum
Why is King’s view on pacifism often oversimplified?
He actually applied for a permit to carry a concealed firearm after his home was attacked in 1956. It was only after studying Gandhi’s theory of passive resistance on a trip to India that he committed to a wholesale personal philosophy of non-violence. However, even then he accepted that violence may be acceptable as a form of self-defence for others
When did the US government pass the civil rights act?
In 1964, a year after the March on Washington
What did the Civil Rights Act do?
Brought to an end the era of legally sanctioned racial segregation
What did King receive as a reward for his efforts?
The Nobel Peace Prize
When was King assassinated?
1968
How did the civil rights movement become unruly in the years leading up to King’s death?
Particularly among young, urban African-Americans, King’s philosophy of passive resistance and prayer was being questioned, with a new, far more radical, movement emerging in its place
How did Malcolm X differ from King in how they approached the fight for racial equality?
He rejected King’s philosophy of non-violent resistance and argued that armed struggle may be required if black Americans were to ever be truly liberated from racism
What was X’s early life dominated by?
Petty crime and run ins with the law
What two things did X do while in prison?
- Converted to Islam
- Abandoned his last name of Little and replaced it with X to represent the unknown names of his African ancestors
What black nationalist movement did X become a key figure in?
The Nation of Islam, the membership surge it enjoyed in the 1950s and 60s can largely be attributed to X
Why was it politically expedient for Malcolm X to criticise King’s strategy and vision?
It allowed him to capitalise on the growing anger amongst African-Americans who were impatient with the perceived conservatism of the mainstream civil rights movement
How did X believe that injustices against black people should be fought?
‘By any means necessary’
Explain how Malcolm X’s political views led to his downfall?
He thought that because a government of white people could not be trusted to act in the best interests of African-Americans, that black community should govern itself. His views began to increasingly diverge from those of the Nation of Islam, and he left the group in 1964 to found the Organisation of Afro-American unity. He was assassinated by three members of the group a year later
What was X’s short term legacy?
The founding of the Black Panther Party, which fused Black Nationalism with revolutionary Marxism
What has been the long term impact of X on subsequent campaigns for racial equality?
His message of empowerment has provided strength and confidence
When did the Black Lives Matter movement begin?
2013
Define intersectionality
The idea that different forms of discrimination and prejudice are socially linked. As a result, depending on the exact nature of their identity, individuals may not all have the same experience of inequality
Give an example of intersectionality
A black disabled woman may face different issues to a black able bodied male
When did post colonialism emerge?
In the latter half of the 20th century
Define post-colonialism
A field of academic study that explores the nature of colonial power and its cultural legacy
What is Black Lives Matter most commonly associated with?
Campaigns for racial equality in the US justice system and an end to police brutality
How does BLM take an intersectional approach?
Because it also raises awareness of how discrimination on the basis of gender, sexuality and disability can further disadvantage black people
How did BLM come to be?
Neighbourhood watch captain in Florida, George Zimmerman, shot dead a black teenager, Travyon Martin, and he was subsequently acquitted of murder. The founding members of the movement posted a tweet condemning the movement with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter
