Unit-5-1960-1992 Flashcards
1
Q
What social and economic problems were AA facing in the north in the 1960s?
A
- Housing was a social problem that AA faced in the north. as there there was segregated housing, and many black neighborhoods had high crime rates and had a lack of city investment, and these areas were often referred as ghettos
- There was still high levels of unemployment in the black communities
- With AA living in confined areas, this meant that education was also segregated, and this led to black people being caught in a poverty cycle, as they would leave schools with very few qualifications and thus was ill equipped to compete in the job market where many job opportunities were for skilled workers with formal qualifications
2
Q
Who was Malcolm X and what was his impact?
A
- 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 blacks 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
3
Q
How did Black power ideas develop?
A
- 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
4
Q
Who were Black Panthers ?
A
- Emerged in 1966 and was led by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale
- They wanted to end white capitalist control in general and police brutality
- 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.
5
Q
What was Nixon’s actions?
A
- 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.
- 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.
6
Q
Who was Jesse Jackson?
A
- 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
7
Q
What was the Chicago campaign and how did it impact African American civil rights?
A
- Was the first major civil rights campaign in the North
- It was led by MLK and the SCLC
- Was in 1966
- Was focused on de facto segregation, the kind that was not written in law but was enforced through systems and everyday lives
- Involved non violent marches and protests and targeted housing discrimination
- However the SCLC found less co-operation from fellow African Americans from the south
- They marched through all white neighborhoods like the Marquette Park and this led to violent reactions from white residents, MLK was even hit with a rock during one march
8
Q
How did MLK’s views change?
A
- MLK previously has always been pro non violence and believed in working within the American system to change laws
- However between 1965 and 1968, this changed as he realised that racism was not the only issue, and that northern cities has deep economic and social inequalities
- And MLk realised that unless these problems were dealt with, violence and rioting would continue to undermine his non violence strategy
- MLK saw poverty and economic exploitation as deeply tied with racism
9
Q
What did MLK do when he had a change in view?
A
- He launched the Poor People’s Campaign in 1968, uniting Black, white, Latino and Native American poor people to demand jobs, housing and fair wages
- Argued that true freedom could not be achieved without economic rights
10
Q
What did Nixon do for African American education?
A
- Enforced school desegregation more aggressively, due to this the number of black children attending majority white schools in the south increased significantly
- Introduced Bussing which was a policy that helped in the desegregation of schools by transporting students to schools outside their own neighborhood
- This became a radical way to try and force racial integration
11
Q
What was the southern strategy?
A
- Was a political plan used by Nixon to win over the white voters in the south, who opposed civil rights
-Because Nixon realised many white southerners were leaving the Democratic Party because it supported civil rights - So overall it slowed down federal support for civil right policies and made black voters lose government allies who were able to advocate for them
12
Q
What were Ford’s attitudes to Civil rights and how did he impact them?
A
- 1974-1977
- Supported civil rights, however did not introduce any major civil rights legislations
- However did enjoy better relations with civil rights activists
- Appointed the first black transport secretary to his administration ( William Coleman) this helped to increase black representation in government
- Opposed bussing to integrate schools
13
Q
What were Carters’s attitudes to Civil rights and how did he impact them?
A
- (1977-81)
- Appointed more African Americans to federal position than any president before him
- Supported School integration and bussing
- However he lacked the popular support for further civil rights for the blacks
14
Q
What were Reagan’s attitudes to Civil rights and how did he impact them?
A
- 1981-89
- Often promoted colorblind conservatism which argued that the government should treat everyone equally without considering race
- however he criticised affirmative action and cut federal programs that helped minority communities
- he reluctantly created MLK Day as a federal holiday
15
Q
How did Jesse Jackson impact AA civil rights?
A
- ** Socially** , Advocated for the elimination of racial discrimination in all areas of American life, His Rainbow Coalition which was an effort to bring together marginalised groups such as AA, Latinos, NA and poor white communities to promote social justtice
- ** Economically** , founded Push United to Serve Humanity (PUSH) in 1971 which was an organisation that focused on advocating for economic and political rights for African Americans, it pushed for economic independence for AA and helped AA find secure job opportunities and it also promoted the growth of black owned businesses
- ** Politically **, ran for presidental nomination twice and his campaigns helped to increase AA political participation and highlighted the importance of the black vote
16
Q
What was Bifurcation
A
- Bifurcation was the splitting of a black community into two
17
Q
What does the Rodney King incident tell us about AA rights in 1992?
A
- AA Rodney King was stopped for drunk driving in LA in 1991 and he resisted arrest and was beaten severely by the police
- It was caught on camera , however despite the clear evidence the LAPD officers were freed from their charges
- This sparked outrage and led to a stream of protests and riots in the city
- 55 people died and 2,300 were injured
- This effectively shows the systematic racism and it shows how AA were often denied equal protection under the law
