USA: Civil Rights - What and When Flashcards
Murder of Emmett Till
1955
Emmett Till spoke to and wolf-whistled to Carolyn Bryant, a white lady. Allegedly, he grabbed her and made sexual suggestions but this is unlikely. Till was kidnapped, beaten, shot and his body thrown in a river. His murders went free.
Brown v. Topeka Case
1952- The NAACP made a desegregation case in Topeka, arguing that segregation was unequal making black children feel inferior. Taking it to the supreme court.
1954- It was ruled that ‘seperate but equal’ had no place now in education and was unconstitutional. But no timescale was set making change slow.
Desegregation at Little Rock High School
1957 - The Little Rock Nine, 9 students to be first integrated in the school system in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Governor Faubus sent 250 state troops to prevent the black students entering
Many reporters came the next day. Bringing publicity.
President Eisenhower sent federal troops to allow the black students to enter the school.
Montgomery Bus Boycott
1955 - Rosa parks refused to move for a white person on the bus.
The MIA started and continued the boycott as demands were not met. Carpooling was set up for those needing to travel.
1956 - The boycott ended with intergrated bus services running the next day, ruled by the supreme court. (Browder v. Gayle)
Civil Rights Act (1st)
1957 - Under Eisenhower, called for federal intervention over civil/voting rights violations by states.
The Greensboro sit-in
1960 - Black students in Greensboro, Carolina sat at a segregated lunch counter and waited to be served, they were not served and stayed until closing time. Within weeks, sit-ins were spreading nationally.
The Freedom Riders
1961 - In ‘56 buses were desgregated but bus station facilities remained segregated until ‘60. CORE activists rode buses from the north to deep south to test if desegregation was happening. It was not. They aimed to get publicity to force the states to desegregate.
James Meredith case
1962 - James Meredith re-applied to the University of Mississippi that had rejected him. The NAACP had challenged his rejection, arguing it was because he was black. The Uni rejected supreme court rulings and Meredith returned to register with 500 federal officials. Riots ensued and Kennedy sent in federal troops.
Campaign in Birmingham, Alabama
SNCC, SCLC and ACMHR began Campaign C for confrontation. It consisted of sit-ins, mass gatherings, peaceful protests and boycotts. More people got arressted and more marched. The jails filled up and dogs and hoses were used to disperse the crowds.
March on Washington
1963 - 250,000 (40,000 white), marched in Washington DC. The protest was peaceful and was broadcasted all over the world with Civil Rights leaders speaking.
Freedom Summer
1964 - Black people got the vote, but many in the deep south were unregistered. SNCC and CORE sut up ‘Freedom Summer’, 1000 volunteers went to Mississippi to work on the black community and teach locals how to pass voter registration tests.
Selma Protests
1965 - Selma, Alabama had the lowest voting registration and the SCLC and King came to campaign. 600 protestors marched and state troopers fired tear gas and attacked protestors. This became known as ‘Bloody Sunday’
Mexico Olympics
1968 - Black power (an idea of being proud of African heritage, not relying on help from white people and talk of revolution) scared and rejected white people. Smith and Carlos, American olympic athletes gave the black power salute on the podium for the 200m race. They were suspended from the olympic team.
King’s Campaign in the North
1968-
King, shocked by his visit to Watts (riots), he wanted to show that peaceful action could still produce results.
Protests and meeting were held to help black people find jobs in white businesses and get fairer housing prices.
There were violent responses and the ghettos and cities were hard to work with but some results showed.
Assassination of MLK
April 1968 - MLK was shot standing on the balcony of a motel in Tennessee.
