Topic 3 Flashcards
When black Americans enlisted, what was their army called
Jim Crow army
How was there racial discrimination in the army in WW2
The units were segregated
Black Americans couldn’t be pilots and getting promotion was difficult. They mainly had to do menial tasks
Where in the army was racial discrimination worst
In the navy - black sailors were often given the most dangerous jobs
Why was the racism in the army hypocritical
Because they were fighting against a racist regime(The Nazis) and they were racist anyway
How many black pilots had been trained by 1945
600
How much change was made in terms of segregation in the army by 1955
It went from being one of the most segregated organisations in the USA to one of the most intergrated
How much did the number of black Americans employed in government service increase to after the war
200000
What percentage of defence-industry jobs did black Americans account for
8%
What does CORE stand for
Congress of Racial Equality
When was CORE founded and who by
By James Farmer in 1942
What was the Brown v Topeka case
Linda Browns parents wanted her to go to a neighbourhood school rather than the nearest school for black American children, which was very far away. NAACP lawyers proved to the court that segregated education was psychologically harmful. They won
What percentage of black people were registered to vote in 1947
12%
How many children started to attend schools previously segregated?
300000
How many students did the Little Rock High School allow to enrol
9
What happened in the events at Little Rock High
The state governor Orval Faubus ordered National guardsmen to block the black students from entering. The next day he removed it
What happened after Orval Faubus removed the guards blocking the students entering Little Rock High
There was a vicious white crowd the next day but they were able to enter. Press and TV coverage of this showed as a serious embarrassment for the USA as the rest of the world saw how racist it was
What did President Eisenhower do in the events of Little Rock High
After the mob on Sept 4th , he sent 1000 federal troops the next day to escort the black students and protect them. Each black student had a personal guard
What did Faubus do despite Eisenhower’s efforts
Closed all Arkansas schools the following year to prevent intergration
What caused the Arkansas schools to reopen again in 1959
A Supreme Court ruling was passed that schools must intergrate
What was the James Meredith case
Mississippi University was forced to accept James Meredith after preventing him from registering
How was Kennedy involved in the James Meredith case
He sent 320 federal marshals to escort Meredith to campus
What happened as a result of James Meredith getting into the university
Riots. 2 killed, 166 marshals and 210 demonstrators wounded
What did Kennedy do to stop the riots at Mississippi University
Sent 2000 troops to restore order.
What happened as a result of Rosa Parks brave actions
The Montgomery Bus Boycott
What organisation did Martin Luther King Jr help set up and lead
The Montgomery Improvement Association
How many people were thought to have been involved in the first Monday boycott
Around 20000 people
What happened after the boycott
Violence was used against its leaders, King was sentenced to jail but instead paid a $1000 fine. This was covered closely by the press and helped raise awareness to the world about racism in the southern states
Why was the bus boycott important
It showed that togetherness could win victory
Highlighted the benefits of a peaceful approach
Encouraged King to consider further action
The federal court accepted that segregation was unconstitutional
What were the events of the Sit-Ins
Four black students sat at a whites - only lunch counter and remained seated until the shop closed. The next day they were accompanied by 27 more, 80 the next day
How many students were taking part in sit ins by the fifth day
300
What was the result of the Sit - Ins
Segregation in shops ended
What was crucial for the students not to do for the sit ins to work
Not retaliate to the terrible violence they endured during the sit ins
How many volunteers in total took part in the sit ins
Over 70000
When did the first of the Freedom Rides begin?
May 1961
What were the Freedom Rides
James Farmer and 12 volunteers travelled by bus from Washington DC to New Orleans. On the way they deliberately used whites only facilities. More and more riders joined in
When was there trouble on the Freedom Riders journey
In Montgomery white racists attacked several of them. 27 of the freedom riders were arrested for sitting in the ‘whites only’ area of the bus. Attacks on them by the Ku Klux Klan increased .
When was racial segregation ended on buses
22 September 1961
What was the SCLC
Southern Christian Leadership Conference - King founded it
Why (partly) was there still a massive civil rights issue in 1963
Public facilities were still segregated
King hoped to mobilise a large part of how many black citizens in Alabama for the demonstrations
150000
When did demonstrations begin and what happened
April 1963 - King was arrested
What did King do in jail
He wrote his famous ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ which became one of the most famous documents of civil rights history
What did King say in his Letter from Birmingham Jail
He pointed out how backward America was compared to other countries, how the police did nothing and sometimes were violent themselves, and mentioned how many black Americans were still living in poverty in a prosperous country
How many took part in the Washington March
Around 250000
What happened on the day of Martin Luther King’s assassination
4 April 1968 - He was visiting Memphis to support black refuse collectors striking for equal treatment. He was shot by James Earl Ray, a white racist.
Who was Malcolm X
He believed in violent tactics to end racism. His father was killed by a white supremacist. Was the most famous member of the Nation of Islam group, which openly sought separatism.
How did Malcolm X die
He was murdered by 3 black Muslims
What movements did Malcolm Xs ideas inspire
The Black Panther movement and Black Power
When was the Civil Rights Act passed
1964
When was the Voter Education Project set up and what was it
1962 - it showed eligible votes how to register and overcome barriers placed in front of them
What were the successes and issues with the Voter Education Project
It resulted in more than 650000 new voter registrations.
Many workers were harassed and many were still refused the right to vote
When was the Voting Rights Act passed
1965
What did the Voting Rights Act entail
Ended literacy tests
Ensured federal agents could monitor registration and step in if there was discrimination
What was the Black Power Movement
Movement with the aim to increase the independence and power of black people in American life. For some, this meant separation. It was led by Stokely Carmichael
When did the Black Power Movement gain lots of publicity
At the 1968 Mexico City Olympics
Who were the Black Panthers founded by
Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in October 1966
What were the Black Panthers aims
To end capitalism. They wore uniforms and were prepared to use weapons
When was the Black Panthers disbanded and why
1982 - many were injured in confrontations with the police and they were constantly targeted by the FBI
What were the achievements of the Black Panthers
They established the ‘Free Breakfast for Children Program’, provided clothing distribution centres and gave guidance on drugs rehabilitation
