ush historych16
TRANSCRIPT
Civil Rights Movement. 1954-1968.
Origins of the movement:
Plessy v. Ferguson-1896.
This ruling confirmed separation. “ but equal.” discrimination.
Most shameful ruling since Dred Scott decision.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People. NAACP.• Court challenges won:
• Norris v. Alabama. Juries.
• Morgan v. Virginia. Interstate buses.
• Sweatt v. Painter. Law schools.
James Farmer-Congress of Racial Equality-CORE/
• Core used “Sit-Ins” to force restaurants to. Desegregate.
• They sat down and refused to leave!
• This worked a lot!
Brown v. Broad of Education-Kansas.1954.
• Overturn Plessy v Ferguson.
• Segregation was unconstitutional.
• It will take 20 years for this decision to fully work it way through out U.S.
Southern Manifesto.
• Massive resistance appeared the halls of Congress.
• 101 senators sign a document that stated the Court had: “…a clear abuse of judicial power…and then pledged “…all lawful means to reverse the decision….”
Montgomery Bus Boycott-1955.
• Rosa Parks refused to go to the back of the bus.
• African Americans, by law, had to sit there.
• She was arrested.
• This started the Boycott of buses.
Martin Luther King.
• MLK was chosen to lead the boycott and negotiate with the city.
• He believed in non violent methods to make social change.
• Court FINALLY ruled that bus segregation was illegal.
Sit In Movement
• Student leaders like Jesse Jackson lead a sit in movement.
• Students at sit ins keep their cool even when severely provoked.
• This put racists in a bad light on T.V.
• Ella Baker became the national coordinator of the sit in movement.
Freedom Riders.
• Groups from the North rode buses down to the South to bring attention to Racism.
• These buses were often met many times by hostile white crowds.
• Ku Klux Klan often worked WITH local law enforcement to attack bus riders.
Kennedy Acts.
• Justice dept. ordered to take action about civil rights violence and Hate Crimes.
• Kennedy then started to “Waffle.”
• Finally the Justice Dept. moved and stopped segregated bus terminals.
Integrating Colleges.
• James Meredith tries to go to University of Mississippi.
• The Governor tried to block him at the door.
• Kennedy sends Federal troops!
Violence in Birmingham, Alabama.
• King planned a march there knowing it would provoke a violent response by local law enforcement.
• He was right.
• The violence was shown all over America.
• The Federal government had to act.
Civil Rights Act of 1964.
• George Wallace governor of Alabama gave gave Kennedy his chance to introduce a civil rights bill.
• Wallace: “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever!
• He also blocked the steps of the University of Alabama to stop desegregation.
March on Washington.
• Over 200,000 people of all races marched on Washington to lobby for the Civil Rights bill.
• Dr. King gave his “I have a dream speech.”
• He moved a nation
• C.R.A. becomes law!
What did the C.R.A. do?
• Segregation illegal in most places like restaurants, hotel, parks, libraries, and theaters.
• Private employers must end discrimination.
Struggle for Voting Rights
• Twenty-Fourth Amendment ended Poll taxes.
• Across the South a wave of black churches were bombed by racists.
• 24 in Miss. alone.
Selma March.1965.
• Dr. King organized this march to win voting rights for African-Americans.
• Marchers were beaten by racists in full view of T.V. Rest of nation shocked.
• Pres. Johnson outraged.
• He proposed a voting bill on national T.V.
Voting Rights Act of 1965.• Allowed Federal examiners to register
qualified voters.• Disallowed literacy or other tests.• By the end of 1965, 250,000 more
African-Americans registered to vote.• 1965-100 African-American elected
officials. 1990-5,000. Obama, 5001?
Problems Facing Urban African-Americans.
• Channeled into low paying jobs.
• Worked in service industry.
• Blue collar jobs.
• 15 percent had professional, managerial, or clerical jobs,
• 44 percent for Whites.
Problems Continued…
• Almost half African-American families lived in poverty.
• Higher levels of illness and infant mortality.
• Higher drop out rates.
Watts Riot.
• Race riots broke out in dozens of American urban cities between 1965 and 1968.
• Watts Riot lasted for six days.
• Rioters burned and looted entire neighborhoods at a cost of $45 million.
Black Power.• More assertive move to make social change.• O.K. to use violence to defend self.• African-Americans needed to control more
social, political, and economic direction.• Stressed Black pride of culture and history.• Stressed racial distinction rather than
assimilation.• Demanded Afro American studies be taught.
Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam.
• Led by Elijah Muhammad.
• Malcolm X became a leader in the Nation of Islam.
• Black Muslims viewed themselves as their own nation.
• They organized their own business, schools, newspapers.
Belief’s Continued…
• They encouraged their members to respect each other.
• Strengthen their families.• Advocated self defense.• Malcolm X was a powerful speaker who
broke with the church over some scandals.
Malcolm X Murdered.
• He continued to criticize the church.
• He was murdered by three church members.
Black Panthers.
• The Black Panthers believed that a revolution was necessary to change racist America.
• They wanted African-Americans to arm themselves and confront white America.
• They wanted African-Americans to have control of their own pivotal institutions.
MLK Assassinated. 1968.
• Dr. King went to Memphis to support a strike by Black sanitation workers.
• While on a balcony he was shoot by James Earl Ray.
• His death was end to very important era in American history.