Why did the campaign for civil rights change in the 1960s? Flashcards
What did Malcolm X believe?
He believed that black people should fight violence with violence.
He also believed that the US government were responsible for all of the bad treatment of black people and therefore would not work with them.
What did the Nation of Islam believe?
They believed that black people should live separately but equally to white people.
What was the Black Power Movement?
This was the movement where black people began to move away from non-violent methods of protests as they believed that they were not working quick enough and began to use more violent methods.
Changed people’s opinions on protests which made white people less welcome.
Who were the Black Panthers?
A group which was set up represent the new attitudes to protest. They had a 10-point plan which aimed to improve living and working conditions for black people.
They wore uniforms and carried guns.
They were seen as a more effective community police force and organised free healthcare for poor black people.
What effect did the Black Panthers have?
People began to feel more threatened by the black people and this changed their image in the eyes of many.
Showed that black people were willing to act more decisively to see changes being made to their lives.
Why did the race riots happen in the 1960s?
They were often set off by an act of police brutality.
However they were a reaction to the long-term frustration black people felt about the way they had been treated.
Some riots also happened because of the anger at the fact that Martin Luther King had been assassinated by a white gunman.
Describe what happened during the race riots.
There were riots in major cities all over the USA including New York and Los Angeles.
During the riots in the Watts disctrict of Los Angeles almost 4,000 people were arrested, hundreds of shops were looted and damaged and 34 people died. The police issued a 45 mile curfew zone.
What were the effects of the race riots?
Over 55,000 soldiers were needed to stop the riots. They caused $45 million worth of damage. 46 people were killed and many more were injured and arrested.
The Civil Rights Movement lost a lot of support. Many people who had previously supported it now stopped as the image of innocent black people was replaced by violent rioters.
What effect did the assassination of Martin Luther King have on the Civil Rights Movement?
When he was killed, many protestors believed that the fight for civil rights was over. They saw King as their leader and did not want to continue fighting without him.
Ralph Abernathy tried to continue the movement by organising a protest in Washington however the weather was horrific and the protest was badly organised which confirmed many people’s fears that the Civil Rights Movement was over.
