Racial Tension And Civil Rights Flashcards
What were the Jim Crow laws? (3 - when, what, quote)
Put in place 1950s
Segregated use of every day facilities e.g. buses, parks + schools
‘Separate but equal’
Statistics on racial prejudice: voting, employment + education (4)
Threatened with violence if tried to vote
- only 5% A.American population in Mississippi were registered to vote
In south, white teachers earned 30% more
Best unis closed to blacks
Brown vs Topeka Case (2 - what, effect)
The Browns (black family) campaigned for their daughter to be able to go to the nearer neighbourhood school (for whites) May 1954 - Supreme Court declares every education board has to end segregation
Effects of Brown vs Topeka case? (4 - 2 positive, 2 negative)
1956 - all schools in Topeka organised by area not race
By 1957 - 300,000+ black kids attended previously segregated schools
1955 - KKK membership rose significantly because of ‘threats’ to white children
Southern States passed 450 laws + resolutions to prevent the Brown decision being enforced
Little Rock Nine (4 - where, when, what, how it was resolved)
Little Rock, Arkansas
1957
9 a.american pupils tried to attend Central High School but were refused entry + met by soldiers + hostile crowd
Eisenhower had to send federal troops to make the governor back down + they had to accompany the 9 for 6 weeks
When was Rosa Parks arrested?
1 December 1955
Why was Rosa Parks arrested?
She refused to give up her seat in ‘whites only’ section of bus
What is decided after Rosa Parks in arrested? (Local community will do what?)
They local black community will boycott the city’s buses
What happens one year after the start of the bus boycott? (2)
Bus companies financially crippled
21 Dec 1956 - Supreme Court rules segregated buses = illegal
Murder of Emmett Till (3 - when, age, whatx2)
August 1955
14 years old
Kidnapped, brutally beaten, shot + dumped in tallahatchie river for allegedly whistling at white woman
Two white men acquitted by all white jury + then boast about committing murder in a magazine
SCLC (3)
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Created by MLK
Ran conferences + trained civil rights activists in non-violent techniques + how to handle police, law + media
SNCC (2)
Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee
Set up by students (both black + white) who were deeply moved by the movement
CORE (2)
Congress of Racial Equality
Formed by another civil rights activist, James Farmer
Sit-ins (5)
First used in Greensboro, N. Carolina, in 1960 at a Woolworth’s food counter
Four a.american members of SNCC sat on white only seats + denied service + refused to move
Within 1 week, 400 students organising sit-ins at other lunch counters
End of 1960 - lunch counters desegregated in 126 cities
The tactic spread
Freedom Rides (4)
May 1961 - CORE began this form of protest
SNCC also participated
Activists travelled around in whites only sections of buses in still segregated areas
Faced some of worst violence in whole campaign but attracted publicity
March on Washington (7)
28 August 1963
Over 200,000 + 50,000 marched together to the federal capital Washington
aim = to pressure JFK to introduce civil rights bill
Gathered at Lincoln memorial + MLK made his ‘I have a dream’ speech
Very peaceful - no trouble
Largest demonstration in country’s history
Had a huge impact on American public opinion
March on Birmingham (5)
May 1963
30000 marched, many = teens + children
Chief of police orders police attacks on protesters using dogs, water cannons, tear gas etc
Many arrested incl 900 children
Images of brutality shown on TV, which gained significant amount of support and sympathy for the movement
Which year and how was JFK killed?
Shot dead in Dallas, Texas in 1963
How many marches + demonstrations were there in 1963?
Over 900 in over 100 cities
March from Selma to Birmingham
March 1965
Protesters brutally attacked by local police - ‘Bloody Sunday’
Black Power
Political idea that black Americans should take responsibility for their own lives and reject white help
Nation of Islam (5)
Black power group
Founded 1930s
Argued for separationism (keeping races apart)
Rejected Christianity (‘white man’s religion’)
Malcolm X = a member
Black Panther Party (5)
Black power Formed 1966 5000 members by 1968 Extreme militant group Violent
Malcolm X (5)
Became Muslim in prison
Believed violence was necessary to bring about change
Member of Nation of Islam until 1964
Then left + set up OAAU to promote non-violent tactics + ties between Africans and a.americans
Assassinated on stage in 1965 by 3 members of Nation of Islam
Black power decline (3)
Late 1960s
Poor organisation + little funding
Government preferred MLK’s peaceful methods
Impact of black power (4)
- brought anger of a.americans to national attention
- mainly negative media coverage
- put off white supporters
- responsible for race riots
Race riots (3)
Cause = poor relations between police + a.americans - blacks distrusted this predominantly white police force
Watts area of LA August 1965 - 30000 rioters, 34 deaths
Detroit July 1967
When was the first Civil Rights Act introduced?
2nd July 1964
Civil Rights Act 1964
Signed by LBJ
Made it illegal for local government to discriminate in areas such as housing and employment
When was Voting Rights Act introduced?
6 August 1965
Voting Rights Act 1965
Allowed government agents to inspect voting procedures to make sure they were taking place properly
Ended literacy testing that discriminated against poor a.americans in particular
When was second civil rights act introduced?
1968
Civil Rights Act 1968
Housing could not be sold or rented on the basis of race, religion, national origin or sex
MLK’s death: When? How? Where? Who? Results of it?
4 April 1968
Assassinated in Memphis Tennessee while standing on hotel balcony
By James Earl Ray, white racist
Riots broke out over USA
LBJ called for a national day of mourning
