USA: Civil Rights Protests, 1960-74 Flashcards
Who led the first major civil rights protests of the 1960s?
College students who adopted this new approach of non-violent direct action protests
The response towards the sit-ins?
- Partakers faced abuse from segregationists
- Extreme violent provocations but the protesters did not respond with violence
- Arrests; tactic: “jail not bail”
- Widespread media attention helped sit-ins to spread: inspired more people and support grew
How did civil rights organizations support the sit-ins?
NAACP, CORE, and SCLC organized a boycott of shops with segregated lunch counters
SCLC helped train students to become effective protestors
Forming the SNCC and given a grant from the SCLC to help establish them
Significance of sit-ins:
- Successful. Businesses suffered two-fold
- Received more publicity and media coverage than boycotts. The idea of young blacks taking part without retaliating created sympathy
- Gained a lot of support and huge numbers took part (a significant number of white people)
- Start of student protests
- Indicated a slight change in direction of the tactics of protests; more confrontational
Link Freedom rides to Montgomery Bus Boycott
While the December 1956 ruling desegregated state transport, interstate transport was still segregated
In December 1960, the Supreme Court confirmed a 1946 ruling that interstate transport and transport facilities should be desegregated
Purpose of “Freedom rides”:
To show that these rulings weren’t always followed and to provoke a violent reaction that would generate publicity, forcing the Federal govt. to act
President during 1961:
John F. Kennedy
Did the freedom riders achieve their aims?
The Federal govt. was embarrassed by what the world was seeing. They threatened to send in US marshalls to enforce desegregation of interstate transport and bus facilities if states did not obey. So, states did begin integration
How did Mississippi’s governor prevent James Meredith’s admission?
In September 1962, the state legislature passed a law that denied admission to a person who had committed a felony offense.
*False voter registration
Significance of the Meredith case:
Federal intervention, the president could enforce Supreme Court rulings.
Blacks were rarely prevented from attending integrated unis by state or uni authorities
MLK’s methods:
- Non-violent direct action
- Active approach: marches and boycotts
- Publicity
- Speeches
What was Project C (1963)?
Organized by SNCC, SCLC, and ACMHR to bring a rigid end to segregation in Birmingham by co-ordinating sit-ins, marches, and boycotts
Reasons for choosing Birmingham for Project C:
- Not all desegregated
- ACMHR
- Potential for supporters
- Active KKK + Bull Connor
- Violence
- Publicity
Impact of the Birmingham march:
- White community agreed to concessions and agreed to some disintegrations
- Most shops and lunch counters were desegrated
- Blacks were allowed to apply to jobs
- Many facilities remained segregated
- Violence continued
- Inspired similar protests across the USA and more cities began to disintegrate
- The Federal govt. gave more importance to a civil rights bill
Purpose of the March on Washington:
To show their support for the civil rights bill that was being debated
Importance of the March on Washington:
- Huge number of people took part in a peaceful protest
- Huge publicity to the cause due to the size of the protests and the presence of many celebs
- Put further pressure on politicians
- Fixed MLK’s place as leader of the civil rights movement
The aftermath of the Freedom Summer Murders:
- Deaths attracted publicity and support for civil rights
- Divisions within the civil rights group: looking for radical solutions
- Largely unsuccessful
- Some successes with setting up MFDP and the 30 Freedom Schools improved literacy rates
- Publicity increased support and brought about attention to the issue of voter registration
How did the March on Selma proceed?
7th March ➡ met by police ➡ tear gas, clubs, electric cattle sticks ➡ March 2 days later was canceled ➡ bill submitted ➡ finally took place ➡ Voting Rights Act (August)
The major impact of March on Selma:
- Voting Rights Act
- Civil rights movement began to split: began questioning non-violence as a strategy
- Lead to militant protests in years ahead
Importance of the Voting Rights Act:
- Increase in voter registration in Southern states
- Blacks elected as representatives at local, state, and national levels
- Issues affecting African American had to be considered to win votes
Factors due to which civil rights legislation were approved:
- Attitudes of the presidents and the hard work of LBJ
- More people in Congress wanted to ‘do the right thing’
- The threat of violent protests from emerging more radical activists if legislation was not passed
Malcolm X’s influence:
- Black pride
- Violence in self-defense
- Rejection of the civil rights movement
- Highlighted the economic and social problems faced by blacks
Reasons for the growth of black power:
- Slow progress
- Black power expressed anger about the lack of employment and bad conditions in ghettos
- Publicity (1968 Olympics)
- Black pride and self-defense
Positive and Negative impacts of the Black Power:
– VEs:
- Worried moderate black supporters and terrified the white.
- Blamed for race riots and an increase in police actions against civil rights activists
++VEs:
- Legacy of Malcolm X
- Black pride, self-confidence
- Inspired projects aimed at improving living conditions
