Chapter 29 Civil Rights Review Worksheet
Kerner Commission
Commission found "white racism" as the main cause of urban violence
What concerns motivated those who opposed the ERA?
Fear of change and the perceived drastic effects the amendment might have had on traditional family life
Booby Seale
He and Huey P Newton co founded the black panther party in 1966
Describe the even in Selma, Alabama, that helped spur the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Police attacked activists protesting the violence used to prevent African Americans from registering to vote. Public outrage over the attacks help lead to the passage of the Voting Rights Act just five months later.
"Little Rock Nine"
The nine African American students who attempted to enroll at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas
SCLC southern christian leadership conference
its purpose was to carry on nonviolent crusades against the evils of second class citizenship
Roy Wilkins
A member of the big six civil rights leaders president of national association for the advancement of colored people (NAACP)
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Banned most discrimination in employment and in public accommodations. Enlarged federal power to protect voting rights and speed up school desegregation. Established Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to insure fair treatment in employment.
Freedom Riders
CORE, called for a movement (the Freedom Riders) to test racial discrimination in bus stations and terminal she sent 400 US marshals to protest the riders on their trip and (freedom riders led to) banned segregation in all interstate travel facilities, including waiting rooms, restrooms, and lunch counters.
Dred Scott vs. Sanford (1857)
Dred Scott was a slave who sued unsuccessfully for his freedom in the famous lawsuit Dred Scott v. Sanford
NOW national organization for women
Take action to bring women into full participation in the mainstream of american society now assuming all the privileges and responseablities therefore in truly equal partnership with men
What were some of the positive aspects of the Black Power movement?
The Black Power Movement had many positive aspects, including an emphasis on racial pride and an interest in African culture and heritage.
What was the Christian Leadership Conference, and what did it seek to achieve?
The Christian Leadership Conference was an alliance of church-based African American organizations dedicated to ending discrimination through nonviolent resistance in protests
Andrew Goodman
Was a Jewish-American civil rights activist who was murdered by gunshot in 1964 while trying to register voters as part of Freedom Summer.
Declaration of Indian Purpose
Was a bill of rights for Native Americans they was written in 1961 by more than 400 representatives of 67 Native American nations who met in Chicago
White Flight
White flight is a term for the demographic trend of white people, generally but not always upper and middle class, moving away from increasingly and predominantly non-white areas, finding new homes in nearby suburbs; Prior to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, due to racist real-estate covenants and other discriminatory practices, non-white people were almost never afforded the same opportunities to move away from the cities, even when they may have been economically able to do so.
What role did violence and nonviolence play in the struggle for civil rights? How did each help and hurt the movement?
White racist violence against nonviolent protesters and demonstrators outraged many Americans and hastened the political process of change. Some African Americans came to see nonviolent protest as an ineffective tool once a certain level of rights had been achieved. On the other hand, violence by African Americans in the form of urban riots hurt the movement by polarizing society.
James Meredith
With help of Kennedy and federal marshals, he integrated University of Mississippi, later shot
Betty Frieden
Woman feminist who wrote The Feminine Mystique and helped form NOW; she galvanized the movement
Feminists
Women activist
John Lewis
a member of the big six civil rights leader president of the student nonviolent coordinaing committee ( SNCC)
Fourteenth Amendment (1868)
abolished slavery
Nation of Islam (Black Muslims)
led by Elijah Muhammad and appealed to African Americans to embrace the Islamic faith and preached black nationalism ideas were popularized by one of their leaders known as Malcolm X
Literacy test
test that judged the reading of voters to determine if they could vote or not; African Americans were often given more difficult questions than white
Emmett Till Case
visit relatives murdered by Ku Klux Klan mother chose to have the casket open at his funeral, showing the beating picture of his corpse appeared in a magazine.
Malcom X
was a minister and national spokesman for the mation of islam eventually broke ties with the nation islam began to push for integration
"Bloody Sunday"—The Selma Campaign
600 protesters set out on a 50-mile protest march from Selma, Alabama to the state capital of Montgomery state and local lawmen attacked them with billy clubs and tear gas and drove them back into Selma
Montgomery Bus Boycott
A boycott of public transportation in Montgomery in response to Rosa Parks being arrested the boycott lasted for 381 days until the Supreme Court outlawed bus segregation
Southern Manifesto
A document signed by a group of 101 southern members of Congress which called the Court's ruling of Brown v Board of Education "a clear abuse of judicial power" and pledged use of "all lawful means to bring about a reversal of this decision"
Why do you think so many people disliked affirmative action and busing?
Busing made parents angry about having to send their children outside of their own neighborhoods to get schooling. Many people disliked affirmative action because they believed it was a form of reverse discrimination.
What strides did African Americans make in politics in the 1970s?
By the end of the 1970s more than 4,500 African Americans held elected office. The roster of elected black officials in 1978 included 16 members of the House of Representatives.
refer to and study "Civil Rights Movement—Alphabet Soup"
COFO, CORE, FEPC, MFDP, MIA, NAACP, NUL, SCLC, SNCC, NOW, ERA, EEOC, LULAC, AIM
César Estrada Chávez
Founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) that later became the United Farm Workers. In 1965, Chávez and the NFWA led a strike of California grape-pickers In addition to the strike, they encouraged all Americans to boycott table grapes as a show of support. The strike lasted five years and attracted national attention. When the U.S. Senate Subcommittee looked into the situation, Robert Kennedy gave Chávez his total support. In the early 1970s, the UFW organized strikes and boycotts to get higher wages from grape and lettuce growers. During the to demand higher wages. 1980s, Chávez led a boycott to protest the use of toxic pesticides on grapes. He again fasted to draw public attention. These strikes and boycotts generally ended with the signing of bargaining agreements.
What were some of the ways in which the civil rights movement changed between 1960 and 1975?
Gains made through nonviolent protests staged by groups such as the SCLC during the early stages of the civil rights movement, and then contrast the shift toward violence and more radical rhetoric. Students should point out how some African American leaders called for separation from white Americans, whereas earlier activists called for racial equality and integration. Achievements include gaining enforceable voting rights, desegregation of public places and schools, and better economic opportunities. Perhaps the most dramatic achievement of the movement was the large number of African Americans elected to public office.
Brown II
In response to many whites resisted desegregation and in many places the Ku Klux Klan reappeared; ordered school desegregation be implemented "with all deliberate speed"
What impact did the grape boycott have?
It hurt the grower's revenue as well as their public image and forced them to negotiate with the UFWOC; it thus enabled the union to win better wages and working conditions
What did the Civil Rights Act of 1957 do?
It made it a federal crime to prevent qualified persons from voting. It also set up the federal Civil Rights Commission ot investigate violations of the law.
What effects did the civil rights have on many women?
It spurred women to demonstrate for equality by both inspiring them to act and opening their eyes to their unequal treatment
Why did Martin Luther King Jr. move his family into a Chicago slum apartment in 1966?
King hoped to draw attention to the housing problems African Americans faced in the urban North.
What did the experiences of Martin Luther King Jr. in Chicago show?
King's experiences showed that significant obstacles to full equality remained and that the fight against racial discrimination in the North did not draw support from white Americans in the way that demonstrations against southern segregation had done a few years earlier.
Jim Crow Laws
Laws enacted by Southern state and local governments to separate white and black people in public and private facilities;
Why weren't schools in all regions desegregated immediately after the Brown II decision?
Some Southern whites and state officials resisted integration, and neither the president nor Congress forced them to act quickly
Discuss three results of the Brown v. Board of Education decision.
Some border states integrated their schools, but the South remained segregated. The governor of Virginia threatened to close the state's public schools and send white children to private schools. A group of Southern members of Congress signed a "Southern Manifesto," which called the court's ruling "a clear abuse of judicial power" and pledged use of "all lawful means to bring about a reversal of this decision." The decision gave legal support of the African American struggle for civil rights.
Los Angeles riots (LA Riots or the Rodney King riots)
Sparked on April 29, 1992 when a mostly white jury acquitted four police officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King. Thousands of people in Los Angeles, mainly young black and Latino males, joined in what has often been characterized as a race riot, involving mass law-breaking, including looting, arson and murder. In all 50 to 60 people were killed during the riots.
What effect do you think television coverage of the Little Rock incident had on the nation?
Television allowed the people to see the white separatists' cruel treatment of the African American students—this helped them relate and cause sympathy for the cause and anger towards the segregation list
What was the Montgomery Improvement Association
The MIA was a group of local civil rights leaders working for fair conditions for minorities in Montgomery and around the nation. It was formed to organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
What effect do you think the March on Washington had on the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
The March on Washington provided civil rights leaders with the chance to deliver their message to a national audience. After hearing moving and eloquent speeches such as the "I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King Jr., members of Congress my have been more compelled to pass the Civil rights Act more quickly than they might have otherwise.
Michael Schwerner
Was a Jewish-American civil rights activist who was murdered by gunshot in 1964 while trying to register voters as part of Freedom Summer.
Affirmative Action
involve making special efforts to hire or enroll groups that have suffered discrimination some criticize action programs as "reverse discrimination" that set minority hiring or enrollment quotas and deprived whites of opportunities.
Black Panthers
militant Black Power groups used guns and violence to confront police and law, and to give more power to blacks, preached ideas of Mao Zedong and provided social services to the ghettos and won popular support because of this
James Chaney
was a civil rights worker who was murdered by gunshot in 1964 while trying to register voters as part of Freedom Summer
James Farmer
A member of the big six civil rights leader president of congress of racial equality (CORE) which he left in the late 60,S when it became to miliant organized the freedom riders and freedom summer
A Phillip Randolph
A member of the big six civil rights leader president of the negro american labor council(NALC)
What tactics did AIM use in its attempts to gain reforms?
AIM used confrontational and sometimes violent tactics, such as occupying the Bureau of Indian Affairs and taking hostages during a protest at Wounded Knee
Bilingualism
Ability to speak two languages; the LULAC pushed to have schools taught in Spanish as well as in English
What strategies made the Montgomery Bus Boycott a success?
African Americans used nonviolence and economic strategies such as the bus boycott to war down opposition and inspirational, charismatic leadership to keep the community from losing heart
Why did organizers have such a difficult time registering African American voters during the early stages of the civil rights movement?
Activists who attempted to register voters continually faced from white racists. Many African Americans refused to register because they were threatened with the loss of their jobs or physical harm if they did so.
Explain the primary reason whey the Equal Rights Amendment was not ratified.
As a result of a viogurs campaign by STOP ERA and other groups, the Eual Rights Amendment failed to obtain the votes needed for ratification.
What were some of the actions taken by President Truman as a result of the Committee on Civil Rights?
Based on the committee's findings, Truman urged Confess to pass an anti-lynching law and an anti-poll-tax measure to end discrimination in federal agencies and the military. He issued executive orders banning racial discrimination in the military and in federal hiring. He also took steps to end employment discrimination by companies holding government contracts.
Why did young people in SNCC and the MFDP feel betrayed by some civil rights leaders?
Because the leaders agreed to compromise with the Johnson administration that kept most MFDP delegates from the Democratic convention
Violence in Birmingham
Birmingham , Alabama was a city known for its strict enforcement of total segregation in public life; Martin Luther King Jr. and the SCLC went to Birmingham to desegregate it but after days of protesting, Martin Luther King arrested, writes "Letter from Birmingham Jail"; More than a thousand African-American children took to the streets in protest, police commissioner Eugene "Bull" Connor's men arrested 959 of them and a day later attacked them with fire hoses, dogs, and clubs—TV cameras captured all of it, and millions of viewers heard the children screaming; Continued protests, economic boycott, bad press end segregation
The Feminine Mystique
Book written by Betty Friedan that rejected the notion that the destiny of women was only to be wives and mothers; book was a bestseller and helped galvanize women across country
Sit-ins
Form of protest where protesters would sit down at segregated lunch counters and refuse to leave until they were served
NAACP national association for the advancement of colored people
Formed in 1909 by a number of african americans to acheieve through peaceful and lawful means equal citizenship rights for all american citizens by eliminating segragation and discrimination in housing employment voting schools the courts transportaion and recreation
Integrating University of Alabama
Governor George Wallace made his infamous "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door" in an attempt to prevent racial integration of Alabama school, Kennedy ordered the troops to make sure African Americans were allowed to enter
Shirley Chisholm
In 1968, she became the first African-American woman in the United States House of Representatives
Gloria Steinem
Is a Jewish American feminist and journalist and a spokeswoman for women's rights. She is the founder and original publisher of Ms. magazine. In 1971 Steinem founded the National Women's Political Caucus and the Women's Action Alliance. In 1972 she founded the feminist magazine Ms. and wrote for the magazine until it was sold in 1987. In 1974 Steinem founded the Coalition of Labor Union Women.
Russell Means
Is one of contemporary America's best-known and prolific activists for the rights of American Indians. He argues that, "Indian people are dying of sympathy. What we want is respect." Means has also pursued careers in politics, acting, and music; he joined the American Indian Movement and quickly became one of its most prominent leaders. He was appointed the group's first national director in 1970. Later that year, Means was one of the leaders of AIM's takeover of Mount Rushmore. In 1972, he participated in AIM's takeover of the Bureau of Indian Affairs office in Washington, DC, and in 1973 he led AIM's occupation of Wounded Knee, which became the group's most celebrated action.
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Linda Brown's parents sued the school board Warren Court handed down a unanimous 9-0 decision which stated, in no uncertain terms, that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." This ruling eliminated the doctrine of "separate but equal".
Malcolm X
Malcolm X (dropping what he called his "slave name") was a minister and national spokesman for the Nation of Islam; but eventually broke ties with the Nation of Islam
How did the message of Malcolm X differ from that of other civil rights leaders in the early 1960s?
Malcolm X advocated African American separatism and called for freedom to be brought about "by any means possible." This philosophy differed greatly from other leaders, who strove to achieve racial integration through peaceful means.
Explain why Malcolm X was not a supporter of the March on Washington.
Malcolm X criticized King's decision to allow this as he believed that Kennedy was attempting to take over and orchestrate the march. Malcolm X was to nick-name the march "The Farce on Washington".
Little Rock Crisis
Nine black students ("The Little Rock Nine") seeking to enter Little Rock Central High School were stopped by Governor Orval Faubus, the National Guard, and angry white segregationists. These actions forced President Eisenhower to intervene
Civil Rights Act of 1968
Prohibited discrimination in the sale or rental of most housing Made it a crime to harm civil rights workers Strengthened anti-lynching laws
Rosa Parks
Protested segregation through everyday acts all her life; through planning with NAACP, she refused to give up her seat to white passenger and ignited the Civil Rights Movement.
Non-violent Protest
Protests where demonstrators did not used any kind of force or violence no matter what was said or done to them
Stokely Carmichael
SNCC pushed the group towards more miliant ways of demonstrating and showing their frustration he popularized the slogan Black Power
De jure segregation
Segregation required by law; problem in South
Phyllis Schlafly
She founded STOP ERA to fight ERA believing it would force women to give up their traditional roles as wives and mother, and that they would lose certain legal protections in the family and in the workplace
Why did Native Americans resist assimilation?
Some viewed white culture as shallow and meaningless
What were the goals of the Black Panther Party? What were the methods they advocated in their attempt to achieve these goals?
The Black Panther Party wanted "land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice, and peace" as well as the freedom to determine their own destiny. The group believed that it should arm itself in order to defend the black community from "racist police oppression."
Civil Rights Act of 1991
The Civil Rights Act of 1991 is a United States statute that was passed in response to a series of United States Supreme Court decisions limiting the rights of employees who had sued their employers for discrimination. The 1991 Act combined elements from two different civil rights acts of the past: the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
What prompted women to establish NOW?
Their dissatisfaction with the EEOC and the need for a more organized effort to combat sexism
Sexism
Treating people different because of their gender
SNCC student nonviolent coordinating committee
Was formed to help students protest SNCC later became much more miliant and the new leader was stokely carmicheal
NUL national urban league
Was founded in 1911 improved job oppurtunities and housing for urban african americans
Fannie Lou Hamer
Was the daughter of a Mississippi sharecropper and became the voice of the SNCC organized Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP)
Explain some of the most important factors that led to the development of the civil rights movement in 1950s and 1960s. (Think About: economic gains made by African Americans during World War II, participation of African Americans in the war, early efforts by civil rights organizations, early success in the courts)
World War II created opportunities for African Americans that they were unwilling to give up after the war ended. Many African-American soldiers returned from World War II determined to fight for their won freedom. The groundwork for a civil rights movement was laid by organizations that, during the war, fought against Jim Crow laws and voting restrictions. The NAACP adopted a successful strategy for fight civil rights in the courts. The most important victory was the Supreme Court's groundbreaking decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which finally declared separate schools for black unconstitutional. This important blow to de jure segregation helped strengthen the efforts of civil right organizations.
COFO council of federated organizations
a Organization that was formed by the SNCC and SCLC to coordinate voter registration drives.
Whitney young
a member of the big six civil rights leader president of the national urban league
Martian Luther King Jr.
a member of the big six civil rights leader president of the southern christian leadership conference
EEOC equal employment opportunity commission
created by title vII of the civil rights act of 1964 was commission in charge of ensuring that employers followed the provisions of title vII
CORE Congress of racial equality
formed by James farmer in 1942 to confront urban segregation in the north
Fifteenth Amendment (1867)
grants voting rights regardless of race
AIM american indian movement
group who demanded that lands taken from native americans in violation of treaties be returned the group had led protests advocating native american interest inspired cultural renewal monitored police activities and coordinated employment programs
MIA Montgomery improvement association
organization formed to organize the montgomery bus boycott martian luther king jr as their leader
MFDP Mississippi freedom democratic party
organization formed to try and get a voice for african americans in the political area
LULAC league of united latin american citizens
organization which strives for rights for hispanic americans.
Twenty-fourth Amendment (1964)
prohibits both Congress and the states from putting restrictions on the right to vote in federal elections
Freedom Summer
project to register blacks to vote in MS; Volunteers beaten, killed; businesses, homes, churches burned
ERA equal rights amendement
said that equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the united states or by an state on acccount of sex
Medgar Evers
was a world war 2 veteran and a civil rights activist from mississippi who was assassinated. his death was mourned nationally
Huey Newton
was co founder and inspirational leader of the black panther party miliant African american activist group
FEPC Fair employment practices committee
was created by Roosevelt during world war 2 to enforce his executive order for bidding racial discrimination in defense plants and government offices.
National Women's Political Caucus
was formed in 1971 with a goal of increasing the number of women involved in politics, including running for office and serving as delegates to national conventions. Gives money and support to all pro-choice female candidates
Ralph Abernathy
was martian luther kings number two in the SCLC , assumed the presidency of the SCLC after kinds death
Thurgood Marshall
won twenty-nine out of the thirty-two cases
What problems did different groups of Latino immigrants share?
Prejudice, job and housing discrimination, high unemployment, and poverty
Grandfather clause
Provision that exempts certain people from a law on the basis of previously existing circumstances
Federalized
Put under the jurisdiction of the federal government
Hough Riots
Race Riots in Cleveland, Ohio; started on July 18 and lasted for 6 days after a white dinner owner refused to given an African American a glass of water—By the end of the riots, four people were killed. About 240 fires were reported during the riots.
racism
Racial prejudice or discrimination
Civil disobedience
Refusal to obey an unjust law
De facto segregation
Segregation that exists by practice, custom; problem in North
Explain some of the most important factors that led to the development of a Black Power movement in the mid- 1960s. (Think About: de jure segregation versus de facto segregation, gains African Americans had made by the mid-1960s, and the treatment of African Americans by law officers in Northern cities)
Accomplishments achieved through nonviolent mans included the desegregation of schools and public facilities, such as buses and lunch counters, the abolition of literacy tests and poll taxes that had prevented African Americans in the South from voting, and the passage of laws that expanded housing, employment, and educational opportunities for African Americans. The nonviolent approach required patience and personal sacrifice. Some African Americans were unwilling to continue to wait, or sacrifice more than they already had, for rights they deserved. Some African Americans felt that nonviolence was not effective means of ending de facto segregation which had led to the concentration of urban African Americans in slums with little hope of improving their economic and social status.
What accomplishments of the civil rights movement were achieved through nonviolent means? Why, despite these accomplishments, did some African Americans come to reject nonviolence? (Think About: accomplishments in education, voting, and use of public facilities; what was required of nonviolent protesters; difference between de facto and de jure segregation)
Accomplishments achieved through nonviolent means included the desegregation of schools and public facilities, such as buses and lunch counters, the abolition of literacy tests and poll taxes that had prevented African Americans in the South from voting, and the passage of laws that expanded housing, employment, and educational opportunities for African Americans. The nonviolent approach required patience and personal sacrifice. Some African Americans were unwilling to continue to wait, or sacrifice more than they already had, for right they deserved. Some African Americans felt that nonviolence was not an effective means of ending de facto segregation, which had led to the concentration of urban African Americans in slums with little hope of improving their economic and social status.
Plessy v Ferguson
Affirmed the legality of racial segregation ("separate but equal"); In 1890, the State of Louisiana had passed a law that required separate accommodations for Blacks and Whites on railroads. Homer Plessy, who was one-eighth African, had taken a seat in the whites only railway car, he was asked to vacate it and sit instead in the "blacks only" car. Plessy refused and was immediately arrested. In 1896, the Supreme Court ruled by a 7-1 decision in this case that the separation of races in public accommodations was legal and did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment as long as the accommodations were equal; decision established the doctrine of "separate but equal" which allowed states to maintain segregated facilities.
What were some of the causes and effects of the urban riots of the mid-1960s?
African American frustrations with continuing discrimination and the prevalence of white racism helped trigger the riots. The riots caused death and destruction and left white and black Americans more polarized than before.
Explain the primary effect of the bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, on the bus company and the community.
African American passengers who regularly used the buses for transportation boycotted them. Because a majority of the regular bus riders were African Americans, the bus company lost much of its business. The boycott eventually forced the bus company to desegregate buses.
How did events during World War II lay the groundwork for African Americans to fight for civil rights in the 1950s?
African Americans had experienced better job opportunities; many veterans who had fought racist Germans wanted to resist racist Americans; civil rights groups had staged some successful protests
Describe three factors responsible for discontent among African Americans during the 1960s.
African Americans wanted an end to discrimination, better jobs, better income, and better places to live.
Thirteenth Amendment (1865)
Amendment XIII (the Thirteenth Amendment) of the United States Constitution abolished slavery. The amendment states: Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Why was the public reaction to the Back Panthers mixed?
Americans feared the Black Panther's rhetoric and their involvement in violence; however, some poor African Americans benefited from their community programs
Ernest Withers
An African American photographer who was an important part of the Civil Rights Movement; he believed that if the struggle for equality could be shown to people then things would change
Indian Civil Rights Act
An act passed by Congress in 1968 which guaranteed Native American reservation dwellers some of the rights provided to other citizens under the Bill of Rights
Poll Tax
An annual tax that had to be paid before qualifying to vote—African Americans and poor white citizens were often too poor to pay the poll tax
Busing
Desegregation busing, also known as forced busing, is the concept of achieving racial and/or economic integration in public schools by transporting schoolchildren to schools outside their area of residence; The Supreme Court, in Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, upholds busing as a legitimate means for achieving integration of public schools; Busing led to further "White Flight" into the suburbs and other areas; Combined with changes in housing patterns, forced busing programs were gradually eliminated during the 1990s as the courts nationwide released districts from orders under old lawsuits.
What rights did President Kennedy want African Americans to gain through civil rights legislation?
He wanted African Americans as well as all other Americans to have the "right to be served in facilities which are open to the public—hotels, restaurants, theaters, retail stores and similar establishments."
How did many African Americans react to the death of Martin Luther King Jr.?
Many African Americans were outraged. Within hours of this death, African American neighborhoods across the country exploded in violence. A week of rioting left 46 dead and thousands injured.
Compare what Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X achieved for African Americans. (Think About: the importance of changing unjust laws, effective protests and demonstrations in the South, and African Americans' attitude toward themselves)
Marshall, as the head of the NAACP's team of lawyers, argued many important civil rights cases before the Supreme Court. In winning Brown, he gave all African-American children the opportunity to succeed and achieved an important first step in the complete abolishment of segregation. King, as the head of the SCLC, provided leadership. His love, courage, patience, optimism, and integrity made him an example to all Americans. He inspired those on the front lines of the moment to persevere and those outside the moment to sympathize with, and participate in the movement. Malcolm X helped African Americans to take pride in themselves and their race. The changes he underwent—from a criminal to a Nation of Islam preacher of black separatism and hatred of whites to a more tolerant Muslim civil rights organizer—made him a powerful role model for young African Americans.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was the instrumental leader of the civil rights movement; he believed in non- violence and civil disobedience; he was head of the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) and then the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC); probably most remembered for his famous "I have a Dream" speech
Birmingham Church Bombing (16th Street Baptist Church Bombing)
Occurred only two weeks after King's historic speech; On Sunday, September 15, 1963, Ku Klux Klan members Bobby Frank Cherry and Robert Edward Chambliss (a.k.a. Dynamite Bob) planted 19 sticks of dynamite in the basement of the Church. At about 10:25 AM, they exploded. Four young girls — Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley and Denise McNair — were killed in the blast, while 22 more were injured; Outrage at the bombing and the grief that followed helped ensure the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964; Chambliss was initially acquitted of the murder charges, but years later it was found that the FBI had accumulated evidence against the bombers that had not been revealed to the prosecutors, by order of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover—But in 1977 Chambliss was convicted for the murders and sentenced to several terms of life imprisonment. He died in prison in 1985; After reopening the case several times, in 2000 the FBI assisted the state authorities in bringing charges against Cherry and Thomas Blanton—they were convicted by state court juries and sentenced to life in prison
March on Washington
Planning for the event among the "big six"; Kennedy endorsed the march when it was agreed that the federal government could have an input into it. The march ended with Dr. King's "I have a dream" speech.
What did the civil rights movement accomplish? Would you describe the movement as a success? (Think About: political gains, social and economic gains)
The civil rights movement brought about important political gains. It eliminated de jure segregation: the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended segregation in public facilities, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 made literacy tests and poll taxes illegal, and the Civil Rights Act of 1968 ended discrimination in housing. In addition, millions of African Americans were registered to vote, and more blacks were elected to political office. Social and economic gains were more elusive. In the late 1960s, African Americans still faced housing and job discrimination, unequal schools because of white flight to the suburbs, and poverty rate much higher than whites. The movement, however, did lead to affirmative action programs designed to equalize education and job opportunities. Nonviolent protests led by Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as his personal integrity and philosophy, inspired many whites to sympathize with African Americans. The movement also brought many blacks and whites together to work toward common goals. Students who described the movement as a success may say that the legal and political advances represented a great leap forward, since no civil rights legislation had been passed since Reconstruction. Those who disagree may stress that much remains to be accomplished in realms of education, job opportunity, and income equality.
Dolores Huerta
The co-founder and First Vice President Emeritus As Dolores has been arrested twenty-two times for non-violent peaceful union activities. Even though Dolores has invested a great deal of time, sweat and tears and has been a big part of the United Farm Workers movement, she still does not receive the recognition she deserves for her hard work and dedication. To this day at her elder age she is working hard for the rights of farm workers
Civil Rights Act of 1957
The first civil rights law since Reconstruction Established federal Commission on Civil Rights Established a Civil Rights Division in the Justice Department to enforce civil rights laws Enlarged federal power to protect voting rights
How did the civil rights movement evolve from the mid- 1950s to the late 1960s? Discuss changes in the goals, tone, and leadership of the movement during this period. (Think About: de jure versus de facto segregation, contributions of major leaders, objectives and strategies of various civil rights organizations)
The movement at first focused on segregation enforced by law and later turned to fundamental economic and social inequalities. Early leader Thurgood Marshall of the NAACP won several key Supreme Court cases including the landmark Brown v. Board of Education, which made segregated schools unconstitutional. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rosa Parks challenged segregation on buses in the South using boycotts. King and others founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which stressed nonviolent tactics such as sit-ins to protest segregation in public facilities. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee engaged in sit-ins but also used more confrontational tactics. Nonviolent protests eventually led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. By the late 1960s, however, anger and frustration over the continuing high rate of poverty and unemployment for blacks gave rise to a new militancy among African Americans, especially in the North.
In what ways did African Americans' economic situations improve during the 1970s?
The number of African American—owned businesses rose greatly. The income gap between white Americans and African Americans narrowed. In addition, increased enrollment in colleges and universities ensured that more African Americans would gain better paying jobs.
What did the freedom riders hope to achieve?
They hoped to call attention to the South's refusal to abandon segregation so as to pressure the federal government to enforce the Supreme Court's desegregation rulings
Why did Civil Rights groups organize Freedom Summer?
They hoped to call attention to the lack of voting rights in segregationist strongholds and to promote passage of a federal voting rights act
