The Quest for Civil Rights Flashcards
How did WW2/Truman not change/negatively change the position of black Americans (1945-61) (8)
-1943 saw violent race riots in many northern cities
-Enforcement of executive order 8802 was patchy
-Soldiers coming back led to increased tensions
-Many white Americans still racist and segregationist
-Black Americans didn’t really gain from the post war boom, due to being poorer and less skilled
-Truman’s cold war focus limited civil rights progression
-In 1954 Truman proposed anti-lynching, anti-segregation and employment laws, but none got through congress
-Earlier cooperation between black people and communists led to suspicions arising
What were some NAACP legal cases (1945-61) (2,2,3)
-The 1926 Sweet trial was when all the men in Dr Sweet’s house were put up for murder following one person shooting a member of a white mob, and they won the case
-This led to the NAACP setting up a legal defence fund to fight segregation
-1948 Shelley vs Kramer banned regulation which barred black Americans from buying a house in any part of a state
-This would decrease the amount of black Americans forced to live in poverty, and therefore could improve opportunities
-The 1954 Brown vs Board of education desegregated schools
-Provided the first form of evidence that ‘separate but equal’ was not equal
-Provided evidence that segregation was psychologically harmful for black children
What was the Montgomery bus boycott (1945-61) (7)
-The Montgomery bus boycott was when African-Americans refused to ride the segregated buses in Montgomery, Alabama
-This lasted from December 5th, 1955 to December 1956
-In June 1956 it was ruled that segregated seating violated the 14th amendment
-This protest led to the emergence of Martin Luther King as a civil rights activist
-This was the first large scale anti-segregation protest, and brought massive publicity
-Integration of buses was met with violence and resistance
-Enforcement of the integration was initially patchy
What was Little rock (5) (1945-61)
-In May 1954, Brown vs Board ruled school segregation was unconstitutional
-9 black children attempted to enroll in a previous all white school in little rock, Arkansas
-These children were met with abuse from the crowds, Governor Faubus tried to block their entry with the Arkansas national guard, and Eisenhower employed federal troops to aid their entry
-This showed an example of direct federal intervention in order to aid segregation, bringing awareness to the movement
-However, the 9 were harassed and bullied in the school, and Faubus closed schools for a year in 1957, to prevent further segregation
How did WW2 and Truman positively change things for black Americans (1945-61) (5)
-Following Phillip Randolph threatening a 100,000 all black march, FDR passed executive order 8802, banning discrimination in the defense industry
-% of defence workers who were black rose from 3% in 1942 to 8% by 1945
-Shortage of worker allowed black people into skilled labour
-In 1948 Truman issued executive orders desegregating the military
-Truman supported the NAACP litigation which led to the Brown ruling
What happened with Emmett Till’s death (1945-61) (5)
-In August 1955, 14yr old Emmett Till was brutally murdered for allegedly flirting with a white woman
-The 2 men were put on trial, and even though witnesses positively identified them, they were declared not guilty by an all white jury
-People were outraged by this result, and also how they didn’t get tried for kidnapping
-This death created a large surge in resistance and civil rights activism
-Upon seeing the body, his mum decided to have an open casket funeral, so all could see what they had done
What was some white backlash to the 50s progression of civil rights (1945-61) (4)
-The white citizens council was set up in 1954, to campaign against integration
-They grew to almost 250,000 members by 1956, showing how many still opposed black integration
-Black people still were heavily discriminated and intimidated against
-Many schools deliberated desegregating schools, especially in the south, as 10 years after Brown vs Board, only 1% of black children were in integrated schools
What was the impact of Eisenhower’s civil rights legislation? (1945-61) (4)
-Eisenhower frequently called for an end to racial discrimination, but did not want federal intervention to force the matter
-In 1956, only 20% of black southerners could vote
-Civil rights acts were passed in 1957 and 1960, although southern democrats weakened the influence of these bills
-However, these bills signalled acceptance of federal intervention for the promotion of racial equality
What did the gay civil rights campaign aim to achieve, and what methods did they use (1961-68) (4,5)
-They wanted being gay to be more societally acceptable
-They wanted the full legalisation of homosexuality (Homosexuality illegal in all states until 1962)
-they didn’t want to lose jobs like the lavender scare
-they wanted an end to police brutality
-In 1969, gay men in New York fought back against police at stonewall
-Annual pride marches held, 10,000 attended the 1970 NYC one
-Gay communities sprung up in san Francisco and New York, aiming to influence public and political opinion
-Groups such as the gay liberation front encouraged people to come out proudly
-Lesbian assertiveness within the women’s movement
How similar were Hispanic American and black American civil rights movements (1961-68) (5,5)
-Both wanted an end to socioeconomic discrimination
-Both wanted/fought for increased political representation
-Both had groups which monitored police brutality (black panthers and brown berets)
-Both had legal action, non violent direct action and consciousness movements
-Both wanted increased voting rights, and
-Black people didn’t have language issues
-Hispanic Americans found greatest success in legal action, NVDA for black Americans
-Black Americans had greater media support
-Black American movement more widespread and united
-Hispanic Americans had the issues of land and deportation
What were the successes and failures of the Hispanic civil rights movement (1961-68) (6,4)
-1975 Voting rights act provided language assistance at voting booths
-1973 supreme court case identified that Hispanics were an ‘identifiable ethnic minority with a past pattern of discrimination’ (Cioneros vs CCISD)
-17 million got involved in a UFW grape boycott
-1974 Equal opportunities act provided language assistance at schools
-In 1968, 10,000 students held a walk out across schools in east LA
-Hispanic congressmen in the 70s doubled from 5 to 10
-Anti immigration sentiment grew in the 1980s, due to people like Schafer campaigning
-UFW declined in the 1980s due to mechanisation and opposition
-Hispanic Americans still twice as likely to be in poverty as white Americans
-Many disagreed with Chicano militancy
What were the successes and failures of the gay rights movement (1961-68) (6,4)
-In 1958 the supreme court made its first pro-gay ruling, that gay magazines could not be blocked by the post office
-Employment discrimination on sexuality banned in 1972 in san Francisco, 1979 New York followed suit
-In 1977 Harvey Milk was elected to be California’s first openly gay official
-In 1974 the American psychiatric association removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders
-In 1979, 100,000 attended the national march on Washington for lesbian and gay rights
-In 1980 the democrat party endorsed equality for all, regardless of sexual orientation
-Harvey milk assassinated in 1978 showing the conservative backlash
-Save Our Children set up in 1977 by Anita Bryant to campaign against ending housing discrimination
-Rise of the religious right led to significant opposition
-Homosexuality was still illegal in many places, millions still hiding in the closet
What was the black panther party (1961-68) (2,2,5)
-The Black panthers were set up in 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale
-They aimed to end police brutality by monitoring police activity, as well as end discrimination in employment and housing
-By 1968, membership grew to 2,000
-They also set up free school meal programmes and health clinics in 13 communities
-However the violent approach of the party polarised many
-This violent approach made it hard to gain mass/media support
-In 1969, the FBI declraed the party an enemy of the US government, and started fighting to detroy them
-Monitoring police battles led to frequent clashes, and therefore deaths
-The black panther party offically disbanded in 1982
What was the Greensboro sit in and freedom rides (1961-68) (5,4)
-In February 1960, 4 black students went to a segregated lunch counter, and refused to get up
-The sit in movement spread to 55 southern cities, as many challenged the segregationist rules
-Eventually, places such as Woolworths and others had to change these segregationist policies
-This was the first major nationwide non-violent direct action, bringing attention to the movement
-However, the protestors were faced with violence, intimidation and arresting for trespassing
-The freedom rides were in 1960, when black northerners would travel to the south, in which they would use segregated lunch counters, buses and restrooms
-These freedom riders brought attention to the movement, and the media picked up on the violence they faced
-Resulted in the prohibition of segregation in interstate travel
-However, the protestors were treated with violence, with bombs thrown into their buses
What was the freedom summer and voting rights act (1961-68) (5,4)
-The freedom summer was a 1964 voter registration drive in Mississippi, aiming to increase the number of black voters
-40 schools were set up, teaching 3,000 people on how to get the vote
-Following the violence and intimidation felt, the government was pressured into passing the 1965 voting rights act
-However, the volunteers were treated with violence, 3 of whom (Chaney, Schwerner, Goodman ) abducted by the KKK
-However, only 1,200 of the 17,000 black Mississippians actually got the vote that summer
-The 1965 Voting rights act banned the use of literacy tests, and provided federal oversight for any area where <50% of the non-white population voted
-In 1966, poll taxes were abolished
-Voter turnout of Black Americans rose from 6% in 1964 to 59% by 1969
-However, enforcement of the changes was weak, especially in the south
