Civil Rights Movements
1. Freedom Rides, 1961=Blacks and Whites from the North rode on buses together to test Supreme Court decision banning segregated seating on interstate travel
· many riders beaten unconscious, buses were set afire
2. James Meredith=Air force veteran. 1st Black person to integrate U. of Mississipi “Ole Miss.” October 1, 1962
· Gov. Ross Barnett refused to allow him to integrate.
· JFK called in federal marshals.
· 1000’s of Whites came to riot.
· 5,000 soldiers, 200 arrests and 15 hours finally stopped the riots.
3. Birmingham, AL=city known for its strict enforcement of segregationist policies
· MLK Jr. led a march to desegregate city. Arrested. Letter from a Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963
· Others continued to march. Stopped by water hoses, attack dogs, violent beatings. Everything was on TV.
· Birmingham will finally relinquish because the nation got involved against them by what they saw on TV
4. Medgar Evers= NAACP field secretary and WWII veteran. Shot and killed shortly after midnight in own driveway in Jackson, MS, June 12, 1963
· Arrested Byron de la Beckwith, released after two trials resulted in hung juries
· Finally will be convicted in 1994 (Ghosts of Mississippi)
5. March on Washington=August 28, 1963 250,000 people including 75000 whites, marched on Washington
· +3 hours, people listened to speakers who demanded the immediate passage of Kennedy’s civil rights bill
· “I have a dream” speech
6. Birmingham, AL Church Bombing=rider in a car hurled bomb thru church windows, 4 young girls died. September 15, 1963
7. Civil Rights Act of 1964=prohibited discrimination based on race, religion, origin or gender. Passed July 2
8. Freedom Summer=1964. Mostly whites, encouraging Blacks to register to vote
· Michael Shwerner, Andrew Goodman(Whites), James Chaney (Black) traveling thru MS to register voters.
· Found in an earthen dam, tortured and killed
9. Selma March=50-mile walk from Selma to capital. 600 protestors set out. 1965.
· Once again, TV caught it all and interrupted regular tv shows.
· TV showed what looked like a war zone-tear gas, using horse whips, clubs
· Protestors from all over US joined the march. 3000 joined with MLK Jr.
· 25000 demonstrators ended up in Montgomery
10. Voting Rights Act of 1965=10 weeks after Selma March.
· Eliminated literacy tests.
· Stated suffrage could not be denied, under any circumstances
· Overall, the % of Blacks registered to vote increased to 60%
11. Race Riots=occurred in major cities all over US.
· NY, Harlem, LA
· Malcolm X endorsed the riots in Harlem
11. Malcolm X=changed name, follower of Islam. Preached that blacks should separate selves from white society.
· Press gave much publicity
· Went on Hajj to Saudi Arabia->attitude changed. “Ballots or bullets”
· Message to Grassroots, November 10, 1963
· February 21, 1965 shot and killed in Harlem
12. Stokely Carmichael=arrested and beaten on a march. Began the slogan “Black Power!”
· King and other civil rights leaders against slogan.
13. Black Panthers=political party to fight police brutality, took control of Black communities(offered free bfast, daycare), b/l Blacks should be exempted from military service
· “Power flows out of the barrel of a gun.”
14. MLK’s Death=April 4, 1968. James Earl Ray shot MLK from his hotel balcony
· Led to worst urban rioting in US history. 125 cities rioted.
15. Kerner Commission=report by US government that stated white racism was the reason for the causes of urban violence. Suggested to create new jobs, housing for Black comm., ignored
Accomplishments:
1. ended legal segregation
2. Civil Rights Act of 1968
3. # of Blacks who finished high school and cont’d to college increased
4. Gave Blacks greater pride
5. New Black study programs intro. in colleges
6. More Blacks on tv, movies, shows
7. 2/3 of eligible Blacks were registered to vote by 1970
8. increase in # of elected Black officials