Verifica History (pag 48-67)

Martin Luther King

• most famous civil rights campaigner
• he worked in the Montgomery Bus Boycott
• dream speech
• leader of the civil rights movement
• Support from people of all races, classes and ages
• Passionate speaker, he emphasized non-violence ( Mahatma Gandhi, independence for
India)
• He had the respect of many African Americans
• he emphasized Christian values and teachings from the Bible - minister
• Non-violence, however, his methods weren’t passive → direct action, boycotts and
marches (dangerous)
• publicity was essential, so violent response was important
• Speeches → win the support of white people (politicians)
→ convince African Americans to join the protests
• he has respect for US government
• he tried to tackle discrimination in the north (Chicago), but his political views became
more socialist and he lost supporters
→ more focused to tackle poverty, unemployment for all Americans
• he was assassinated
• People sometimes exaggerate his importance

Birmingham peace marches

• 1963: explosion in civil rights protests
• in Birmingham: to end the rigid system of segregation
• it had an influential civil rights group
• 45%: African Americans, potential for many protestors
• the city had a very active KKK and African Americans were frequently attacked
• Bombingham
• After a few weeks most of protestors were in jail (MLK)
→ SNCC: trained young people in non-violence protest
→ First large children’s march, people shocked
→ Children were arrested
• more children marched
→ dog and fire hoses on them, great publicity
Impact
• Kennedy: negotiator to Birmingham for an agreement
However, state troops were sent in by the governor of Alabama just to disrupt the talks
→ Violence: more bombings
• African Americans didn't respond with violence however there was a black riot with
extreme violence
• Kennedy called in troops to restore calm
→ shops desegregated and AA jobs previously open only to white
• However, violence against them continued
• more cities began to desegregated facilities
• the president wanted to avoid similar scenes in the future

March on Washington
• civil rights group
• federal government were based here
• Protestor wanted to show their support for the new civil rights bill that was being
debated, to pass it
• the authorities were worried, Kennedy tried to persuade to call it off, they refused
→ 2000 members of the National Guard were placed on stand-by
• march for jobs and freedom, white and African Americans
• They marched peacefully
• live on television
Its importance
• large people who took part, AA and white → cause supported by many people
• It was peaceful
• Huge publicity to the cause, also because of many celebrities
• Further pressure on politicians because bill was being debated in the congress
• MLK: leader
• civil rights leaders met Kennedy: federal government was committed to seeing the bill

Dream speech
• All groups delivered speeches to the huge crowd
• MLK was the final speaker, the other people believed that most of the crowd would have
gone home, it wasn't true
• It made references to the US constitution, independence, Lincoln, bible and American
dream

Mississippi freedom summer

• Improve the number AA who were registered to vote in the south
• Mississippi: fewer than 7%, the lowest percentage
• AA had to pass a difficult literacy test
• the few who passed it were often beaten with violence
→ new political party: the Mississippi freedom democratic party
• this helped the AA to pass the literacy test, and opened schools which taught black
history
• Volunteers were sent to help in the Freedom Summer projects, young

The freedom summer murders

• those who took part in the freedom summer were attacked by KKK
• Campaigners were shot or beaten up, AA churches and homes were bombed
• 3 campaigners were arrested by a Klan member, after their release their death bodies
were discovered
• this attracted publicity and support however it creates a division whitin civil rights
groups: many black members suspected that the publicity was so huge only because
they were white // Some AA began to look for more radical solutions
• failure: a lot of people failed to registration even though the the teaching they had had
enable them to pass the test
→Threatened with violence, and some were physically or property attacked
• Success: publicity by the murders increased the support for civil rights
→ problem of voter registrations to national attention

selma and voting rights

• Dallas county: worse percentage of registered black voters than Mississippi
• Local civil rights group invited MLK to campaign there
• violent confrontations with the police and many arrests
• Bloody Sunday: outside Selma police attacked protestors with tear gas, horses and
electric cattle stcks
• a second march was organised, but MLK would not let the protestors confront state
police
• however, the president used the first march to persuade the Congress to support a
voting rights bill
• The Congress passed the Voting Rights Act
• However, the civil rights began to split:
→ many of the protestors wanted to confront the police, more militant protests

The civil rights act

• Johnson used the shock of Kennedy’s death to persuade the Congress to support the bill
without amendments
• he had the support from Democrats and Republicans
→ in 1964 he signed the civil rights act
• Segregation and discrimination banned
• Voter registration tests: fair and the same for black and white
• Discrimination in employment banned, investigations in this
• the federal government could remove funding from state projects that discriminated
• it ended legal segregation however not the end of discrimination, very difficult to enforce
the laws

The voting rights act

• During Selma, 1965
• 1 fair, national test for everyone
• Banned states from having their own voting qualifications
• examiners to supervise voter registrations in states
• It increased the number of AA registered to vote in the South
• more important than the CRA
• AA began to elect representatives
• their issues had to be considered by politicians who wanted to win their votes

impact of protests
• 1947: President Truman wanted laws to improve civil rights
• Congress and the southern senators opposed
• Protests were important to convince the US presidents to introduce civil rights legislation
• they were organized, visible, large number of people, didn't attack people or property,
they highlighted the issues faced by AA, showed the number of supporters, provoked a
violent reaction, increased awareness and support, publicity: pressure on the federal
government to act
• also the attitudes of presidents (Kennedy and Johnson)
• more people in the congress who wanted to do the right thing
• radical activists who seemed to threaten violent protests if legislation wasn't passed

Nation of Islam
• Different kinds of civil rights protest began to emerge
• not all AA agreed with the methods of civil rights movement (peaceful protest,
integration, working with the government)
• Black nationalism (living separated from other races)
• nation of islam: racial integration would not bring equality or end discrimination, white
people would always consider themselves superior
• Malcolm X joined this in prison
• he tried to convert people across the USA
• he was critical of the movement and his leaders
• march on Washington: attempt to please white people
• he won supporters because he understood the social and financial problems of AA
• he left the nation of islam
• he went to Mecca, and he set up the Organization of Afro-American Unity
• this would work with other civil rights groups
• he was assassinated by three members of the Nation
• his ideas of black pride became the basis of more radical groups (black power, black
panthers)
• impact on all civil rights group: it highlighted economic and social problems of AA

Black power
• AA still faced discrimination and violence
• James Meredith: march against fear
• Carmichael: influenced by Malcolm X (more radical approach and celebrating African
colture)
• he was the first who used “Black Power"
• white people: no longer welcome in the SNCC
• Black power movement grew because:
• many AA were frustrated by the slow progress, segregation and discrimination continued
• it expressed the anger felt by AA in employment and conditions in ghettos
• groups campaigned on local issues
• Publicity: Olympics, increased awareness and encouraged people to join
• it encouraged black people to be proud of their race, culture, and to defend themselves if
they were attacked

Olympics
• 1968, Mexico
• Athletes wanted the chance to perform on a world stage
• black socks without shoes to highlight poverty
• They were shouted, criticized, banned from future Olympics
• this protest inspired many young AA to join black power groups and worldwide attention

Impact of black power

• it worried AA civil rights supporters and white Americans
• some people blamed BP for the race riots and increase in police actions against all civil
rights activists
• it continued the work of Malcolm X and led to more AA taking pride in their culture and
heritage
• this raised the self-confidence and belief of many young black people
• Improved living conditions
• it focused on the economic and social problems of AA

The black panthers

• the best known black power group, and most feared
• black berets, trousers, leather jackets: visible
• it worked with white people who shares its beliefs
• ten-point plan
• Patrolling the pigs: follow police officers to prevent abuse of AA
• Panthers were more effective than police
• great threat for the government for social beliefs
• they wanted: freedom, full employment, end to the robbery, education, free from military
forces, end to police brutality ad murder of blacks, freedom for black men in prison who
haven't received a fair trial, a jury of black people, peace, justice, land, bread, clothing
• they tried to improve life in ghettos: medical clinics to give free healthcare, breakfast for
children, free shoes, ran classes on black history, encouraged co-operation to reduce
violence
• money for this: from donations

Race riots
• after the civil rights act there were still much unhappiness
• Laws alone would not bring about equality
• Riots: spontaneous by poor back communities against police violence
• a men resisted arrest and people said that police had attacked his mother and girlfriend:
violent protests with young AA
• the riots were caused by: frustration and anger in the ghettos for segregation and
discrimination, failure of the police to respond to the problems, violence of the police that
ade the situation worse
• the Kerner Report recommended more social programmes

Their impact
• some white people: more afraid of AA for the exaggerated reporting of the riots by the
media
• money of Federal Government were spent on weapons and not to improve conditions in
the ghettos
• Causes of the end of civil: civil, fatigue, despondency (nothing will ever change from
blacks), assassination of King, fall in white support
• focus: social and economic problems
• before campaigns had focused on the south
• for many white people: this was the end of non violent campaigns

the mainstream civil rights movement

• SCLC and MLK: campaign in Chicago to improve terrible living conditions of people who
could afford the rents only in this place
• Improving housing, education, employment
• Operation breadbasket : employ more black people
• Progress were very slow and difficult
• Protestors were attacked with rocks, bottles
• the poor people’s campaign: help poor people of all races, help the unemployed, a fair
minimum wage, education for poor adults to improve self-esteem and their changes of
getting a good job
• Without King, the different groups disagreed
• small successes: free food programs
• a disaster which damaged the public image of the civil rights movement

Bussing
• Johnson hoped that government action might reduce the level of extremism
• a lot of schools in the South had desegregated
• Bussing: many people didn't want that their children had to travel across town and had a
mixed-tac education
• Nixon: less interested in it but bussing continued
• the supreme court decided that bussing was allowed only where segregation was
deliberate, Nixon spoke against it in tv
• Schools in white areas, away from black areas didn't have to integrate
• Johnson encouraged affirmative action (positive discrimination give AA more equal
opportunities in education and employment)
• many blacks and whites objected to it
• increased black workers
• Nixon, republican who didn't like blacks, pushed the Equal Opportunity Act
• there were a few improvements in education and employment, but little progress in other
areas because civil rights groups were divided and without leaders
• AA in great poverty despite the progress
• the civil rights movement died: for fatique, loss of MLK, frustration, slow progress, birth of
black power divides movement, birth of new movements