Black civil rights/Black Power

Why did the civil rights movement start?

Post WW1: faced discrimination/segregation in and out of service. In the N, emergence of ghettos.

Early NAACP (40s)

-taught ppl how to vote/pay poll tax

-Took legal cases

-Outlawed all-white elections in Texas

-Increased black voter in South from 3%→12%

-Early victories: Forced Missouri to open a black law school + improved salary gap for teachers.

Brown V. Board of Education (1954)

landmark case. declare separate, but equal is always unequal. Integrated schools. faced opposition in the South because it impeded their traditional values + state rights; barely any schools integrated at first. Worsened because the Supreme Court/President didn’t enforce it. Gave people hope for change.

White Citizen’s Council

Formed because of brown v. Board. Threatened to fire black employees who sent their kids to white schools. received state funding and bombed activists; government did nothing

Little Rock 9 (1957)

Forced Eisenhower to intervene with troops. led to white flight in the South. faubus shut down schools after the event. Still, barely any schools integrated.

MBB (1955-1956)

desegregated busses. placed MLK in spotlight. Legitimized the SCLC and inspired further nonviolent protests. Many other cities desegregated after this.

Sit-ins (1960)

Started in Greensboro. Quickly spread to other cities. led to the formation of SNCC. Some Nashville facilities desegregated.

freedom Rides (1961)

Core volunteers sat together on busses and used opposite amenities. Faced mobs and bombings-→RFK got involved →federal enforcement of civil rights laws in transportation.

Project C (1963)

Birmingham most racist in America→MLK/SCLC planned peaceful March and sit-ins→police brutality→attention + more marchers-→state forbid the protests→MLK refused and was arrested→began Children’s Crusade

Children’s crusade (1963)

A series of children-led protests in Birmingham aimed at desegregation, where hundreds of students marched and were met with police violence, garnering national attention and support for the civil rights movement. Birmingham agreed to desegregate businesses + schools→other cities followed.

march on Washington (1963)

Wanted to place pressure on Congress to pass Civil Rights Bill. largest demonstration in US History (1/4 million). Didn’t actually pass the bill, but was HIGHLY publicized. Violence and bombings continued.

Freedom Summer (1964)

A campaign aimed at increasing voter registration among African Americans in Mississippi by creating freedom schools with the help of white volunteers. Unsuccessful because ppl still lived in fear and only a small number (1,600) were able to register to vote due to intimidation and systemic racism.

Mississipi Burning (1964)

The violent murder of three civil rights workers in Mississippi, which highlighted the severe racial tensions and violent resistance to desegregation efforts in the South.

Selma Protests (1965)

Wanted to pass Voting Rights Act. Only 1% of blacks registered to vote in Selma. Initially, protested outside of a courthouse, but kept facing violence→SNCC and SCLC organized march that was met with highly publicized violence. Johnson proposed Voting rights Bill and was signed in 1965 and actually enforced in the south.

Civil Rights Act (1964)

Wiped out Jim Crow. made Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to investigate claims of discrimination. Enhanced education and economic opportunities.

What were the main problems after the civil rights Bill was passed?

The wealth and social inequalities in northern/urban ghettos were so bad it was almost as if they were still segregated. Poor funding, high unemployment, poor education, overcrowding, bad housing, etc.

Watts Riots (1965)

A series of violent protests that erupted in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, highlighting racial tensions and frustrations over police brutality and economic inequities within the African American community. MLK tried to intervene but was unsuccessful/rejected.

MLK in Chicago (1965)

A campaign led by Martin Luther King Jr. to address housing discrimination, poverty, and racial segregation in Chicago, which faced significant opposition and highlighted the challenges of achieving civil rights in northern cities.

Why did the traditional civil rights movement change?

-Some believed they relied too heavily on white people (freedom summer)

-Change wasn’t enforced in some areas

-The issues of inner-city black communities

-The declining success of MLK

-Divisions between activist groups (SNCC/CORE became militant; NAACP/SCLC stayed non-violent)

-The rising popularity of Malcolm X

Why was Malcolm X important despite having no plan/program?

Malcolm X was crucial as a voice for Black empowerment and self-determination, advocating for a more assertive stance against racial oppression. His powerful rhetoric and emphasis on addressing systemic inequality inspired many within the civil rights movement and encouraged a shift toward the Black Power movement.

Meredith March (1966)

A march led by James Meredith to raise voting awareness→was ambushed and shot→ Stokely Carmichael coined black power

Black Panther Party

A revolutionary organization founded in 1966 to challenge systemic oppression and advocate for the rights of Black Americans through community programs and self-defense.