Why did a Civil Rights Movement Emerge?

Question 1

List 7 reasons why a civil rights movement emerge in the 1950s?

Answer 1

1. Attitudes in the South
2. Voting rights
3. Effect of 2nd World War
4. Other organisations
5. Church organisations
6. NAACP
7. CORE

Question 2

How did attitudes in the South cause a civil rights movement to emerge?

Answer 2

• KKK beat up black people to make them confess crimes they never did
• Black people misrepresented in court
• Low pay
• Black crimes not investigated (leads to NAACP)

Question 3

How did Voting Rights cause a civil rights movement to emerge?

Answer 3

• Whites stopped blacks from voting in many southern states
• In 1956, only 20% of black people registered to vote.
• If enough black people registered to vote, politicians would need some policies to win their support.

Question 4

How did Civil rights movements cause a civil rights movement to emerge?

Answer 4

• NAACP set up in 1909, campaigned for integration & made more progress in North
• CORE set up in 1942
• Local organisations also fought for rights & had more success in south
• Thought people would face less discrimination if they were separated from whites
• Campaigned for equality & used non-violent methods

Question 5

How did the effect of WW2 cause a civil rights movement to emerge?

Answer 5

• 1 mil+ black people fought in WW2
• Millions worked in factories, making weapons
• Some whites became more open to civil rights
• America seen as leader of ‘free world’ but didn’t let its citizens be free
• Pressure put on government to improve situation of black Americans

Question 6

How did Church organisations cause a civil rights movement to emerge?

Answer 6

• Most were paid by church, so didn’t fear losing job
• Had educated effective speakers
• Church was a target for white violence
• Gained support from black people
• Had network of contacts to organise events
• Could negotiate with white community because of their status

Question 7

How did other organisations cause a civil rights movement to emerge?

Answer 7

• RCNI set up in 1951: campaigned black rights, voter registration & police brutality in Mississippi
• 1952-1955 they held civil frights rallies & had crowds of over 10k people from North
• Provided work, loans & more to help black community.
• Educated black people were more likely to be listened to
• Many met in desegregated uni campuses & protested

Question 8

How did the NAACP cause a civil rights movement to emerge?

Answer 8

• Set up in 1909
• National Association for Advancement of Colored People
• Focused on fighting for civil rights in court
• Set up Legal Defence Fund (LDF) in 1940 to help wrongly convicted black people appeal
• South focused on appeals against wrong convictions / prosecuting whites who murdered blacks
• Enforced voter registration
• Wanted to fight segregation in law courts but not work within it
• LDF lawyers didn’t fight cases for equal (but separate) facilities in South

Question 9

How did CORE cause a civil rights movement to emerge?

Answer 9

• Set up in 1942
• Stands for Congress of Racial Equality
• Targeted segregation
• Used non-violent methods of direct action
• Didn’t react to being spat / sworn at
• Trained members in local groups
• Had small membership but influenced many local groups across the country
• Held boycotts, pickets & sit-ins in segregated places