U.S. History - Organizing to Demand Rights

Montgomery, Alabama

- became center of civil rights movement - public facilities were segregated - African Americans were forced to sit in back of bus On December 1st, 1955, an African American woman named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man. (if a white person wanted to sit, a black person was required to move)

Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)

- first gained national recognition as the bus boycott's leader, age 26, new to Montgomery - served as pastor at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church and as the leader in the NAACP - formed the Montgomery Improvement Association, coordinated bus boycott (382 days) - was arrested and home was attacked - started work in Mississippi - emerged as national civil rights spokesperson

Montgomery Improvement Association

- formed within days of Rosa Park's arrest - purpose was to oversee the boycott of Montgomery buses - played a leading role in the fight against segregation in Alabama - produced leaders of the civil rights movement (Martin Luther King & Ralph Abernathy) - was founded of the principle of nonviolent resistance - the idea that change can be achieved through peaceful protest

Malcolm X (1925-1965)

- important leader for the nation in the 1950's/60's - born in Malcolm Little - went to jail as a young man, drug dealing & theft - spent 6 years in jail - joined the Nation of Islam & changed his name to Malcolm X is prison - brought many people into the Nation of Islam movement - became Elijah's second-in-command - preached African American superiority and independence in charismatic speeches - criticized the civil rights movement's goal of integration and use of nonviolence - supported the use of self-defense, even though he did not condone in violence himself - split from Nation of Islam in 1964, views began to shift - began to preach that traditional Islam was the answer to race problems in the US - was assassinated on February 1, 1965 by members of Nation of Islam

The Montgomery Bus Boycott

After Rosa Park's arrest, African American leaders organized a bus boycott. - The Women's Political Council (WPC) of Montgomery helped initiate the boycott (gave out leaflets announcing boycott) - Forty thousand African American individuals refused to use the public bus system (almost entire African American Montgomery population) - boycott was success, almost nobody on bus - young church leader, Martin Luther King Jr. was asked to lead the boycott and keep it going In Alabama in 1956, Martin Luther King Jr. was found guilty of leading the Montgomery bus boycott. Circuit Judge Eugene Carter suspended the fine of $500 pending on appeal.

Civil Rights in the Early 1950's

Changes were beginning at the national level. - integration of military (President Truman 1948) - Brown v. Board of Education (1954) At the local level, cities were still segregated. (Montgomery, Alabama) - massive grassroots resistance efforts were about to begin

How the Boycott Worked

During the boycott, African Americans used other means of transportation. - walked - carpooled (organized pick-up and drop-off points/found volunteers who owned cars) - taxis (10 cents a ride) The boycott lasted more than a year.

Black Nationalism

Elijah Muhammad promoted black nationalism, the idea that black people should establish a separate black nation of black ancestry. - believed that African Americans should assert themselves against white power - sought to gain economic power for African Americans - promoted self-determination A man named Malcolm X worked closely with Elijah and became a very important figure of black nationalism.

The End of the Boycott

In December 1956, the US Supreme Court ruled that Alabama's segregation laws were unconstitutional. - the protesters had won, after a year it was over African Americans successfully challenged and changed unfair treatment.

Freedom Rides

In Spring and Summer of 1961, groups of African Americans and young whites traveled by bus through the South. Called freedom rides, these were : - organized by CORE and SNCC - meant to test a new anti-segregation law - met with violence in some places

Compare and Contrast

Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam did not share the beliefs of the SCLC and Martin Luther King Jr. King & SCLC - believed in integration, or living together on equal terms with white people - were committed to use of nonviolence resistance Malcolm X and the Nation - believed in independence, not integration - believed in using "any means necessary" for self-defense and defending one's rights (misunderstood since)

The Sit-In Movement

On February 1, 1960, four African American college students began a sit-in in Greensboro, North Carolina. (whites-only lunch counter) - came back day after day with other students refusing to move until they were served (attacked with knuckles, brass fists, burned with cigarettes, and the broken portions of glass sugar containers) - over the next year and a half, more than 70,000 people joined sit-ins in 80 cities in South - most protesters were college students - protesters were often harassed The sit-ins worked. The Greensboro lunch counter where the movement started was finally desegregated in July 1960.

Rosa Parks (1913-2005)

Rosa Parks is considered the "mother of the civil rights movement." - was inspiration for widespread protests - was active member in the NAACP & led chapter's youth group - lost her job because of her actions on the bus, could not find work in Alabama - her & her husband moved to Detroit, she continued to work to improve the lives of African Americans

Parks' Arrest

Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on the bus. - drew attention of community - sparked community protest - led to nationwide attention and new civil rights leaders and organizations After a year, the bus boycott ended. The Montgomery bus boycott brought national attention to the treatment of African Americans in the South.

Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)

The Congress of Racial Equality was founded to improve race relations. - worked to end discrimination policies through direct action - was led by James Farmer - CORE began as an interracial group that used non-violence to fight discrimination in Chicago - used sit-ins in the 1940's to help spur integration - helped fight segregation in the South during 1950's

The Nation of Islam

The Nation of Islam is an African American movement and organization. - was founded in 1930 in Detroit, still exists today - shaped by Elijah Muhammad, 2nd leader - shared ideas with traditional Islam (submission to Allah, not using tobacco, alcohol, or drugs, & refusing to eat pork)

The SCLC's Early Years

The SCLC sought to coordinate civil rights activities across the South. - joined protests by other civil rights groups (Montgomery Improvement Association) (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) - trained volunteers in nonviolent resistance - began launching its own campaigns in the early 1960's - Andrew Young - Ralph Abernathy - Walter Fauntroy

The SCLC

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference was established in 1957. - worked to gain full equality for African Americans in all aspects of life - led by Martin Luther King Jr. - open to people of all races/faiths - wanted to provide a model of cooperation between African Americans and Whites - promoted nonviolence resistance

SNCC

The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was born out of the sit-in movement. - student-led grouped formed by Ella Baker of the SCLC - was known for its demonstrations and organizations of local civil rights groups - helped organize freedom rides and the March on Washington in 1963

Effects of the Boycott

The bus boycott had significant consequences. The bus company : - lost money - closed routes to African American neighborhoods - petitioned city leaders for help The protesters : - lost their jobs (transportation issues/employers didn't support boycott) - faced harassment and violence - inspired similar boycotts in other cities (Birmingham, Alabama & Tallahassee, Florida)