Lesson 25: Rebellion and Reaction

Black Power Movement

mid 1960s

driven by the fact that 70% of African Americans lived in urban areas and faced inner-city poverty

represented a loss of faith in non-violence and shifted toward a more aggressive method to obtain social justice

300 racial riots between 1965 and 1968

Watts

major racial riot (Aug 11,1965)

Malcolm X

attacked white racism and black powerlessness

dismissed MLK Jr. as a “modern Uncle Tom”

assassinated on Feb 21,1965

Stokely Carmicheal

head of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

ousted white members from the organization and appealed to the rage of young black underclass

H. Rap Brown

head of SNCC in 1967

“get you some guns” (encouraged African Americans to arm themselves)

“Kill the honkies” (encouraged violence and use of derogatory racial slur against white people)

Martin Luther King Jr.

launched “Poor People’s Campaign” in Dec 1967 to provide jobs and income for the poor

maintained focus on non-violent protests in contrast to the radical Black Power movement

Counterculture

youth-centered political and cultural movement

challenged authority through unconventional lifestyles, music, drugs, and sexual attitudes

deeply motivated in Civil Rights and anti-Vietnam War movements

Timothy Leary

central figure of the counterculture who advocated for the used of drugs like LSD to “expand the mind”

“Tune in, turn on, and drop out”

LSD

powerful hallucinogen used in the counterculture to intensify the senses and alter perceptions

resulted in pleasure-seeking behavior with tainted judgement

Marijuana

a drug common within the counterculture’s “dope culture” to enhance senses and alter perceptions

Betty Freidan

An activist and author who inspired the women’s movement with her focus on career, education, and controlling one’s own identity.

founded the National Organization for Women (NOW)

Feminine Mystique

book written by Betty Friedan that focused on the importance of careers and education for women

challenged traditional domestic roles

National Organization for Women (NOW)

Founded by Betty Friedan in 1966

political action group dedicated to achieving equal opportunity for women in the workplace

Miss America Pageant 1968

A protest site where women marched against the exploitation of women as “sex objects”

“Freedom trash can”

A symbol used during the 1968 Miss America Pageant protest where items that were seen as exploitative of women were thrown away

Gloria Steinem

Activist associated with Ms. Magazine who used media to raise awareness about issues like spousal/child abuse, sexual violence, and the need for rape crisis centers and abortion counseling

Birth Control Pills

facilitated the sexual revolution by providing women with more sexual freedom and contributing to increase tolerance of premarital sex

Stonewall

1969 police raid on the Stonewall Inn (gay bar in NYC)

following riots named the catalyst that launched the major LGBTQ+ civil rights movement in the U.S.