Unit-5-1960-1992

Question 1

Who was Malcolm X and what was his impact?

Answer 1

• Was a black leader who emerged in 1960
• Was from the north
• Member of NOI
• When he heard about the idea of black superiority, which was the idea that Black people possessed inherent qualities such as more intellectual that made them superior to white people, and that white people were created as a test from God to test Humanity, this made Malcolm X proud of his black roots
• believed black must not beg for favour from the whites as he felt the NAACP and SCLC were doing
• was against MLK approaches and rejected the idea of integration with the white community and believed that they were inherently racist, and he saw AA as Africans rather than Americans
• Rejected Non violence
• promoted black pride and a sense of culture
• stressed the importance of African Americans achieving economic self-sufficiency by establishing and supporting Black-owned businesses. (ECONOMIC)
• His pilgrimage to Mecca changed his opinion as he saw muslims were also white
• Limited impact as he was killed by NOI in 1965

Question 2

How did Black power ideas develop?

Answer 2

• Malcolm X’s ideas became more and more popular
• Black power movement members such as Stokely Carmichael rejected help from whites and even dismissed blacks who believed in working with whites

Question 3

Who were black panthers and what was their impact on African American Civil rights?

Answer 3

• Founded in 1966, Huey Newton and Bobby Seal
• Wanted to end white control in general
• Influenced by Malcolm X
• developed a ten point programme which were a list of demands they wanted, some being freedom, full employment and education
• BPP famously advocated for armed self-defense against police brutality and the systemic violence African Americans faced,
• They monitored police activity and engaged in “police patrols” to ensure that African Americans’ civil rights were respected
• best known for their Free Breakfast for Children Program, which served thousands of children and became one of the most well-known community service projects in American history , seen as social justice ( SOCIAL) directly aimed at social inequality
• BPP’s 10-Point Program called for economic reforms, such as full employment, decent housing, and the release of African Americans from prison, all of which were designed to alleviate economic oppression.

Question 4

What was Nixons actions?

Answer 4

• Took action against black panthers
• encouraged a policy of Affirmative Action which affirmed the rights of AA to have equal opportunities in areas where because of discrimination in past they might still be seen as disadvantaged
• was a significant shift in the federal government’s approach to addressing racial inequality
• Increase employment opportunities for African Americans and other minorities by requiring companies that did business with the federal government to take “affirmative steps” to hire minorities and ensure nondiscrimination.
• Significant Developments in education, Bussing was the mandatory transporting of children to areas outside their locality to achieve better race mix in schools, this was a radical way to force racial integration, by 1972 southern schools were better integrated than many other areas of the US
• African Americans gained access to jobs in sectors where they had been underrepresented, such as government jobs, skilled trades, and higher-paying private sector jobs.

Question 5

Who was Jesse Jackson and what was his impact on AA civil rights?

Answer 5

• Was a SCLC official
• had a growing reputation in the 1980s where he could aspire to leadership of the civil rights movement
• worked directly alongside Dr. King and was involved in pivotal campaigns such as the March on Washington
• Had 2 serious attempts at US presidency
• He wanted AA to have faith in the political system
• founded Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity), an organization aimed at fighting for economic empowerment and civil rights. PUSH was created to provide African Americans with a platform for economic self-sufficiency, business development, and educational opportunities and included people from all backgrounds
• He hoped to attract all types of blacks to support him
• His campaign for Presidency in 1988 had even more success, capturing a significant portion of the Black vote and winning several states
• Rainbow/PUSH Coalition were instrumental in registering voters, organizing grassroots political campaigns, and advocating for African American political participation. He worked to increase Black voter turnout and ensure that African Americans exercised their political rights. (political)