the importance of organisations in the development of civil rights Flashcards
describe the national association for the advancement of coloured people (NAACP)
- 1st major organisation
- only one that remains today (long-lasting = significant)
- originated from concerns about race riots & lynching expressed in niagra movement
- included AA campaigners (eg. w.e.b dubois, ida wells) & liberal white social reformers/campaigners
- initial founding 1909 (name chosen 1910)
- du bois = only senior AA committee member
- an organisation more for AA rather than by them
- initially dominated by jewish white liberals
aims of the NAACP
suffrage rights, equal justice, better education, equality before the law & employment opportunities according to ability
targets of NAACP
- challenge jim crow laws
- campaigned in restrained (mostly) against president wilson’s policy of segregating federal employment & in favour of AA serving in armed forces
describe the set up of the NAACP
- established 50 local branches & a journal
- set up marches to protest against film ‘the birth of a nation’ (led to revival of KKK) & against race riots in st louis (1917)
membership of NAACP
did not recruit a mass following:
- only 6000 members in 1915
what did the NAACP use its membership to do
- legal challenges against voting restrictions in the south
- effectively blocked moves to make segregation of AA into distinct districts illegal in 1917
- defended AA sentenced to death in arkansas after rioting
- publicised evils of lynching
waht led to an increase in membership of the NAACP in the 1920s
more dynamic recruitment policy
achievements of the NAACP
- achieved SC ruling in 1944 that iiit was illegal to deny AA right to vote in primary elections
- long & steady legal campaigns increased role & reputation of black lawyer thurgood marshall
- steady attack on segregation which culminated in brown v. board of education 1954 (however, actual enforcement of policy was beyond resources of NAAPC)
- local activists spearheaded one of most significant developments of post-war period, when rosa parks challenged segregated bus regulations in montgomery alabama
–> after she was arrested, 52,000 leaflets printed after calling for a bus boycott = changed nature of NAACP’s work (introduced idea of organisation, public pressure & exploiting publicity of celebrated case)
–> indicated limitations of NAACP - instrumental in campaign in 1959 to integrate schools in little rock
when did NAACP’s influence cease
- most famous incidents of 1950s were work of NAACP
- but after participation in march of washington 1963, it’s influence seemed to be over
role of rosa parks
- 1955
- refused to give up her bus seat for a white person
- she was arrested & fined
- led to montgomery bus boycott
when was CORE (congress of national expertise) founded
1942
what strengths did organisations such as the NAACP & CORE share
- united white liberal opinion/expertise
- specific targets which resulted in tangible progress
how many initial members of CORE were white
2/3
main impacts of CORE
- began freedom rides in 1947, when 8 white activists challenged segregation on buses in south
- repeated more effectively in 1961 = opposition more pronounced along with publicity
- provoked mob voilence in anniston & birmingham, as well as ill-treatment of AA freedom riders in jackson, mississippi
- as president kennedy was led to authorise interstate commerce commission to desegregate interstate transport, it had immediate effect
- campaign to desegregate schools in chicago
later developments of civil rights organisations
- NAACP youth council (1958) organised sit-ins to challenge desegregated lunch counters (eg. greensboro, north carolina 1960)
- montgomery bus boycott showed effectiveness of local organisations (eg. local NAACP, montgomery women’s political council)
- montgomery approve ent association created by martin luther king jr & his allies to sustain bus boycott = influential SLCL came from this
describe the SLCL
- guiding political philosophy
- highly articulate figurehead in martin luther king jr
- one of its founders was influential in creating the student nonviolent coordinating committee (SNCC) in 1960
describe the council of federated organisations
- created february 1962
- different elements came together (including CORE, NAACP, SLCL, & SNCC)
- strategy of increasing voter registration in deep south
what did the emphasis of campaigning move to
from carefully planned campaigns/legal challenges to more mass demonstrations & broader appeal for change
what indicated a greater opportunity for change in 1960
kennedy’s election as president
SLCL & king’s actions in 1960
- acknowledged philosophy was non-voilence
- campaigns looked for white liberal support
- won support from organised religion in south
- wanted to demonstrate mass feeling
- looked to invoke constitutional right of freedom of expression over local state laws which prevented demonstrations
results of mass demonstrations (by SLCL & king) in 1960s
- first demonstration in albany, georgia (1961) was prevented by careful preparation by local police chief (laurie pritchett) who restrained his men & ensured king was released after initial arrest = did not enable demonstration to have significant impact
- however, in birmingham, police chief connor unintentionally helped cause of protestors by using force & most of protesters were students
- king gained maximum publicity from arrest & time in birmingham jail
what was the greatest expression of a non-violent, multiracial protest
march on washington 1963
- kings rhetoric, numbers, publicity & support from presidency came together to create event viewed as historic & watched throughout the world
- scale was greater than anything attempted since 1865
key element of mass demonstrations during 1960s
gathering of white support
- strongest since reconstruction
what were triumphs of effective mass organisation
civil rights acts of 1964 & 1965
key element of many AA organisations
separatism & black nationalism
describe the universal negro improvement association (UNIA)
- short-lived but spectacular
- created by marcus garvey
- newspaper had large circulation
- parades in new york in 1920 were among largest ever witnessed in city
- membership may have reached 1 million
- nationalist black-based organisation
- didn’t pursue aims of white americans, but instead used the economic power of modern capitalism to generate enterprises & major shipping line
- inspired activism (eg. malcolm X’s father, forerunner to black power)
how was the UNIA the high point of organisation by, and for, AA
- didn’t focus on highlighting black viticms & showing harsh treatment, but celebrated african values/strengths
- stressed economic improvement & enterprise from beginning
- international support
- used religious-type passion & had dynamic/charismatic leader who foreshadowed king
limitations of UNIA
- little chance of alliance with white liberal americans
- even though garvey had private army, didn’t protect him from arrest & imprisonement
- goals were difficult to define & achieve in short-term (unlike NAACP & CORE)
describe the nation of islam (NOI)
- kept radicalism & separatism alive
- expanded considerably in 1950s with help of malcolm x
- came after UNIA but shared common features
what did the UNIA & NOI share
- both saw struggle in USA of AA in broader context
- both relied on vibrant newspaper & clear ideas of black superiority
- radicalism & separatism
impact of NOI
- links with islamic religion increased emotional appeal, & belief that AA were chosen people of Allah gave movement a religious strength similar to the power of southern baptism behind the SCLC & distinct from more rational NAACP/CORE
- ideology much stronger than civil rights organisation & so was it’s separation from support from white america/alignment with its values
- in the more spiritually intense atmosphere of UNIA & NOI, matters of voter registration & equal political rights were not the priorities
- for members of the NOI, the efforts of king & demeaning spectacles of police hoses on peaceful black resisters were objects of hatred
–> achievements of civil rights act seemed irrelevant when superiority & power of black race wasn’t accepted
changes in the civil rights movement by 1964
- more critical outlook of NOI passed into black power movement
- by 1964, civil rights movement was losing unity & many viewed king/his organisations as dependent on white support
- mood changed from cooperation with white american to isolation & confrontation
- SNCC & CORE groups began to exclude white peoples & celebrate african culture, music, food & hair, as well as make more radical political demands
when were the limitations of kings achievements shown
- when james meredith (1st AA to attend university of mississippi in 1962) was shot & wounded on civil rights march in 1966
- years between civil rights act (1964) & this event had seen increasing racial tension/slow implementation of reform & change
who founded the black panther movement
huey newton & bobby seale
describe the black panther movement
- weapons carried openly & defence groups formed against police brutality
- black panther salute made by 2 AA athletes in 1968 olympics
- 1972 black power convention excluded white people
- did not attract huge membership (like garvey’s organisation)
- heavily influenced by NOI
- gave rise to new confidence/pride in being black & sense that white values could be challenged not accepted
aims of black panther movement
- economic equality
- end to capitalist exploitation
- compensation in form of land & housing
- separate juries for black people & protection from police intimidation
brief summary of civil rights movement up until 1992 (from 1960s)
- voilence in US cities in 1965 & rise of militant AA disappointed moderate supporters
- local/state authorities often reluctant to implement change
- widespread rioting in ghetto cities (resulting in 250 deaths, 10,000 serious injuries & 60,000 arrests) disillusioned many supporters
- movement split & kings later campaign against poverty (poor people’s campaign of 1967) & vietnam war were less successful
