Reading Quiz 8
American Indian Movement (AIM)
Native Americans had some of the most grievances out of any minority group, as they were the poorest, least stable, and one of the smallest groups
Laws passed in the 1950s were focused on “termination” and “assimilation” and intended to erase native american culture and force them into cities with no distinction from other minority groups
Native American leaders met in Chicago in 1961 to address common wrongs, issued Declaration of Indian Purpose and began to fight for their way of life, helped reduce negative portrayal of Native Americans in media
AIM was formed, drew support from many urban Native Americans, helped lead to 1968 Indian Civil Rights Act
AIM leaders werent satisfied and continued protests, including occupation of Alcatraz, and occupied Wounded Knee
Also had important legal victories, including United States vs. Wheeler which ruled that native american tribes were independent groups and could not be “terminated” by the US government
Betty Friedan
Magazine journalist who went around the country interviewing women who went to college with her as a part of her piece “The Feminine Mystique”
Most of these women were living typical, traditional lives as housewives
She wrote about their frustration with these traditional roles
In 1963, Friedan joined with other feminists to create the National Organization for Women (NOW)
Black Panther Party
Founded by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in Oakland, CA
They were militant civil rights activists who were willing to fight for their rights even if it meant they had to use violence
Caused a lot of fear in white people, even though they were more victims of violence than perpetrators
Brown vs. Board of Education
On May 17, 1954, the supreme court overruled their previous Plessy vs. Ferguson decision and ruled that school segregation was unconstitutional
The case specifically involved a young black girl who had to travel a far distance to her elementary school despite being right next to a white school
The case was examined not only through a legal aspect, but also through a psychological, historical, and sociological perspective
Many districts, especially in the south, deliberately tried to reduce the impact of the decision and even openly ignored it, fighting to continue school segregation
Cesar Chavez
Latino farmworker who created a union of other workers called the United Farm Workers (UFW)
Largely mexican-american, held strikes and protests to force growers to recognize their union and give them better benefits
Partnered with civil rights groups, students, churches and others to stage nationwide boycotts of grapes and lettuce
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Passed by Lyndon B. Johnson with the intention of continuing JFKs legacy
Outlawed discrimination based on race, sex, religion, and national origin
Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)
Civil rights group, helped organized many different protests, sit-ins, etc.
Organized the Freedom Rides
Also involved with Chavez strikes
Equal Pay Act
Kennedy administration helped win passage of this act in 1963, barred practice of paying women less than men for equal amounts of work
However, was not extremely effective and people still found loopholes
Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
In 1972, congress approved the Equal Rights Amendment to this constitution and ratification by the states seemed likely, but by the late 1970s it lost a lot of momentum
Some, including antifeminist women, believed it would disrupt traditional social patterns
Fannie Lou Hamer
Led the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which came from the “Freedom Summer” movement
Integrated (both races) alternative to the state’s democratic party, tried to challenge the democratic party for it’s seats
President Johnson brokered a compromise allowing the MFDP to be observers and promised reforms later on
Freedom Rides
Morgan vs. Virginia ruled that segregation on transporation systems was unconstitutional
To force the desegregation of transportation facilities, interracial students working with the CORE, decided to take a bus trip into the deep south
Met with intense violence, to the point that JFK had to dispatch federal marshalls to keep the peace
Freedom Summer
Thousands of civil rights workers, both black and white, spread out in the deep south, primarily in Mississippi, to attempt to encourage black voter registration and participation
Three of the first of these workers were murdered by the KKK in colloboration with the local police
Gay Liberation Movement
Gay and lesbian people had been unrecognized throughout history, but in the 1960s they began to fight for recognition, rights, and acceptance
On June 27, 1969 the police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar, and arrested patrons solely because they were there
This was common, as police had been harassing gay people for many years
This provoked a massive response, as onlookers harassed and attacked the police, rioting in Greenwich Village throughout the night
The Stonewall Riot gave the movement more attention, and forced many in the public to recognize the protestors and their cause
The Gay Liberation Movememt also helped people be more comfotrable with being open in their sexuality, and fight against discrimination
George Wallace
Governor of Alabama, elected on the policy of resisting integration, notorious racist and bigot
Wallace threateaned to stand in the doorway of the University of Alabama to prevent black students attending classes
His policies gained him popularity with many whites across the country who were uncomfortable with the idea of integration
Jackie Robinson
First black player to play in the MLB, faced massive amounts of racism and hatred
Signed by the dodgers in 1947
James Meredith
First black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi
The governor refused, and when many began rioting to prevent Meredith integrating, Kennedy sent federal troops to restore order and allow Meredith to attend the university
La Raza Unida
Chicano political party in the southwest, called for an autonomous Mexican-American nation within the US
Little Rock Central High School
Federal courts had demanded the desegration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, but a angry white mob tried to prevent this by blocking entrances to the building
Eisenhower responded by federalizing the Arkansas national guard and sending them to restore order.
Malcolm X
Member of a one obscure black nationalist group called the “Nation of Islam”
Former drug addict and convict, but turned his life around and joined the movement
Became one of the most influential spokesmen of the civil rights movement, advocating uncompromisingly against all forms of racism
Many accuse him of advocating violence, which is not true, but he did advocate for black people to defend themselves in whatever way needed
Assasinated in 1965 by rivals within the nation of Islam, but his autobiography continued his legacy
March on Washington
JFK introduced new legislation to prohibit segregation in public accomodations, bar discrimination in employment, and increase the federal government’s control in integrating schools
To generate support for the legislation and showcase the power of the growing movement, 200,000 supporters gathered in front of the lincoln memorial, where MLK gave his “I Have A Dream” speech.
Martin Luther King Jr.
MLKs approach to protest was based on non-violence, and he drew from the ideas of Ghandi, Henry David Thoreau, and christian doctrine
He encouraged his followers to remain peaceful, and be willing to be arrested or even beaten for their cause
Led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which was an interracial civil rights group he founded shortly after the bus boycotts
Organized march on washington, montgomery protests, demonstrations in Selma, and more
Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP)
Integrated (both races) alternative to the state’s democratic party, tried to challenge the democratic party for it’s seats
President Johnson brokered a compromise allowing the MFDP to be observers and promised reforms later on
Montgomery Bus Boycott
On December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger.
Parks was already a civil rights activist in the community, so this sparked a desire to protest
Many groups, including a black womens’ political cacaus had been planning a bus boycott for a long time, and they used this incident as a symbol of the movement
Black workers formed carpool groups to get around instead of using buses
The boycott had a negative impact on the bus companies as well as montgomery merchants, because boycotters had difficulty getting to downtown, and instead shopped in their local communities
Late in 1956, the supreme court declared segregation in transporation services to be unconstitutuonal, and the bus boycott came to a close
The man who led the boycott was MLK, and this took him to prominence in the civil rights movement
National Organization for Women (NOW)
Created in 1966, by Betty Friedan and other feminists, quickly became the nation’s largest and most influential feminist organization
Focused on the issues that Friedan’s book had addressed, demanding greater educational opportunities, and denouncing traditional domestic ideals and concepts of marriage
Also denounced exclusion of women from professions, politics and other areas of society, and criticizing discrimination including unequal pay
Operation Wetback
During WW2, a large amount of latino immigrants entered the country on labor contracts, and once these contracts expired, many stayed in the country, and more continued to flow in
In 1953, the US launched Operation Wetback to deport illegal immigrants, but it failed to limit the flow of new arrivals and by 1960 there were substantial majority mexican neighborhoods in many US cities across the country
Roe vs. Wade
Efforts to gain great control of sexual freedoms had been a main component of American feminism since the 1920s, and although many of the issues of the day became less controversial, abortion became the new major topic
Abortion had once been legal in much of the US, before it was banned in most of the country at the start of the 20th century
The procedure continued to be performed, but secretly and often more dangerously
Womens movement created strong new pressures on behalf of legalizing abortions, and in Roe vs. Wade (1973) the supreme court used the idea of constitutional right to privacy to invalidate all laws which prohibited abortions during the first trimester
Rosa Parks
On December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger.
Parks was already a civil rights activist in the community, so this sparked a desire to protest
Many groups, including a black womens’ political cacaus had been planning a bus boycott for a long time, and they used this incident as a symbol of the movement
Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
Created citizen-education programs, mostly led by Ella Baker, to mobilize black workers, farmers, housewives and others to challenge segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
Black college students staged a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter, and many others followed suit
People who participated in these boycotts formed the SNCC, to keep the spirit of this movement alive
SNCC fanned out through black communities and the countryside to encourage African-Americans to challenge the limitations on voting that Jim Crow created
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Protestors in Selma were attacked, and the outrage around the event helped Lyndon B. Johnson push to pass the Voting Rights Act
Prevented racial discrimination in voting
Watts Riot
First large race riot since the end of WW2, during a routine traffic stop a police officer struck a protesting black bystander with his club
This led to riots which showcased african-americans anger at their treatment, as many as 10,000 people participated in the riots, attacking white motorists, burning buildings, and looting stores
32 died in the riots, 28 of whom were black
Many other riots and disturbances happened after, and they alarmed white Americans, many of whom had supported the causes of racial justice in the past
Wounded Knee
Protestors involved with AIM seized and occupied the town of Wounded Knee, the site of a major massacre of the Sioux people in 1890
They demanded the US institute major changes in the administration of reservations, and honor long-forgotten treaties
Clash between federal forces and the occupiers left one native american dead and another wounded