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
How did CRM events change the position of black Americans (1961-68) (10)
- Southern segregation was shattered
-Black people had increased representation in political processes
-Johnsons great society decreased black unemployment by 34%
-During Johnson’s tenure, % of black Americans below the poverty line fell 25%
-Civil rights act legally ended discrimination
-However the CRA did nothing for poverty, race relations and voting, and the enforcement of it was patchy
-The voting rights act was a gamechanger both in black Americans voting and black Americans elected
-Black power movements increased black morale
-However, the black power movements decreased white sympathy for the movement
-Black Americans, however, still experienced poor housing, health and education
What were the aims and methods of the native American civil rights movement (4,5)
-They wanted the restoration of treaty rights and the return of their homelands/sacred sites
-They wanted a shakeup of BIA personell (Bureau of Indian Affairs)
-They wanted a respect for their organisations and their way of life
-They wanted increased opportunities if they chose to assimilate (NA unemployment ranged from 20%-80%)
-Older Native Americans emulated the NAACP, focusing on legal methods
-Younger native Americans used non-violent direct action as a means of gaining publicity
-In 1964, a ‘fish-in’ was held in Washington to remind citizens of treaty rights
-Red power groups aimed to monitor police brutality and recapture lost territory
-600 native Americans capturing Alcatraz island in 1969 led to heavy media coverage
What were Hispanic Americans trying to achieve, and what methods did they use (1961-68) (4,6)
-They wanted an end to economic discrimination
-They wanted greater language assistance and their land back
-They wanted an end to deportation and social discrimination (from 1953-65 = 3.8mill deported)
-Farm workers wanted greater conditions
-the League of United Latin American Citizens was set up, in order to gain legal victories in local courts
-In 1968 the Mexican American Legal Defence and Education Fund were set up, to fight for civil rights in the courts
-Cesar Chavez and his workers set up the United Farm Workers, to strike for better conditions
-The Brown berets were an organisation which monitored police activity, founded in 1967
-Chicanos aimed to increase political representation, creating a party in 1969 (La Roza Unida Party)
-Student organisations (Mexican-American Youth Organisation) held walkouts to get better assistance in schooling
Who were the CORE and SNCC, and some of their key actions (1961-68) (5,5)
-The Congress Of Racial Equality was set up in 1942 by students
-They aimed to create a non-violent interracial group in order to end segregation
-They organised the freedom rides, and co-sponsored the march on Washington
-Key leaders include James Farmer
-Following the VRA, they became a black power organisation, increasingly violent and decreasingly interracial
-The Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee was set up in 1960, during the sit-ins
-They aimed to organise sit ins and other non-violent direct action
-Organised by veteran Ella Baker, led by people such as Diane Nash
-Helped organise sit ins, freedom rides and voter registration drives
-In the late 60s, they focused on Mississippi, freedom schools than black power
How similar were black and NA civil rights campaigns (1961-68) (5,5)
-Both groups wanted an end to economic discrimination
-Both groups wanted increased political representation
-Both groups used legal action and suing the government
-Both groups had non-violent direct action, to increase publicity (sit ins and fish ins)
-Both groups had power movements
-Black civil rights a lot more successful and widespread than NA civil rights
-Black civil rights was able to utilise the media a lot more than NA civil rights
-Black movement had a figurehead (MLKJR), NA’s were divided between individual tribes
-NA’s had the issues of land rights and treaty arrangements
-Black people wanted integration, NA’s (mostly) wanted separation
Who were the NAACP, and what were some of their key actions (1961-68) (3,5)
-The NAACP were founded in 1909 in Springfield, following a deadly race riot
-Their aims were to ensure the economic, educational and political equality of all minorities, whilst democratically and peacefully ending discrimination
-Some key leaders include W. E. B DuBois, and Ida B Wells
-Over 10,000 attended a NYC 1917 silent march
-Following the 1926 sweet trial, the NAACP set up a legal defence fund
-Thurgood Marshall became the first black supreme court judge in 1967
-1954 Brown Vs Board of education
-Organised the march on Washington and lobbied the CRA
What was the march on Washington (1961-68) (3,3,3)
-The march on Washington for rights, jobs and freedoms was in August 1963, led by MLKJR and others
-This was a march where over 250,000 people peacefully protested for their rights in front of the Lincoln memorial
-There were musical performances, rallies, and Martin Luther Kings famous I have a dream speech
-Over 250,000 people attended peacefully, both black and white
-3,000 media personnel were at the movement, and captured the events of the day
-Following the march, Martin Luther King and many others were able to put pressure on the government for a civil rights bill
-Many opposed the march, such as Malcom X and his nation of Islam
-2 weeks later, a bombing on a 16th street church in Alabama led to 4 girls dying, showing there was still problems
-JFK, fearing violence, didn’t want the march to go ahead
Why did the civil rights act come about, and what was the civil rights act (1961-68) (3,3,3)
-Protestors brought sympathy for the movement whilst highlighting the issues they faced
-Media brought nationwide attention to black peoples problems, than put pressure on the government to do something
-Liberal presidents encouraged the creation of such legislation
-The 1964 civil rights act banned segregation based on race, religion, gender etc in any public spaces
-Banned discrimination in the workplace
-Forbade the use of federal funds for any discriminatory practices
-The act did nothing to solve voting problems, as well as end housing and economic discrimination
-Enforcement, especially in the south, was patchy
-Vietnam war led to the act being underfunded
What were reasons for increasing sympathy for the civil rights movement (1961-68) (3,3,3)
-Bravery and determination of the protestors brought sympathy to the movement
-Non-violent protests were popular with the public, easy to latch on by the media, and highlighted the abuse they got
-250,000 attended a civilised march in 1963
-Media brought nationwide attention to the movement, showing the violence protestors faced and increasing sympathy
-Media pressured the government into the action it took
-3,000 media personnel at the march on Washington portrayed black protestors peacefully
-JFK and LBJ were both progressive presidents who wanted increased civil rights
-Without them, the CRA and VRA would likely not have occurred
-Following the march on Washington, JFK called for legislation, something LBJ picked up on
