The Civil Rights Movement

The Civil Rights Movement

NAACP • Founded in 1910 – W.E.B. Du Bois founder • Was interracial – consisted of both African Americans and white Americans • Worked together for same goal of equality • Major focus was to put an end to lynching • Succeeded by getting two anti- lynching bills passed by the House of Representatives -> opposed in the Southern Senate

NAACP • Major victory in Brown v. Board of Education • Their emphasis on legal equality made the NAACP appear out of touch with the more basic issues of economic survival • Other organizations emerged • National Urban League – assist people moving to major American cities • Apartment placing, job hunting, getting fair treatment at work • Taught members job skills that could lead to better job

CORE • The Congress of Racial Equality • Founded in 1942 by pacifists seeking change through peaceful confrontation • Interracial • During WWII, they organized demonstrations against segregation in cities such as Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, and Detroit. • After WWII, director James Farmer worked without pay in order to keep the organization alive. The Civil Rights Movement gave him a new base of support and the organization would play a role in the confrontations that lay ahead.

SCLC • Southern Christian Leadership Conference • Founded in 1957 by Martin Luther King, Jr. • Started after African American success in the Montgomery Bus Boycott • Ministers and members convened to form the group and elected MLK their president • SCLC shifted the focus of the Civil Rights Movement to the South • Other Civil Rights organizations had been dominated by Northerners but the SCLC put Southern church leaders in the forefront in the struggle for equal rights

MLK Leads a Movement • King used his SCLC post to become a leader in the Civil Rights Movement • Born in Atlanta – raised Baptist – went to college in Atlanta – got his PhD from Boston and became a preacher in Atlanta • Before he was 30 yrs. old, King was playing a central role in the civil rights movement as a result of his leadership in the bus boycott • Influenced by the beliefs of Gandhi who preached non-violence is the only way to achieve victory

Nonviolence Training • After the Montgomery bus boycott, King began training followers for the future • Shown clips of Gandhi – taught passive resistance • Leaflets urged bus boycotters to follow 17 rules to maintaining a nonviolent approach as they rode newly desegregated busses • Nonviolent protest was a practical strategy as well as a moral one • It forced whites to confront the difficulties African Americans faced and persuaded many of them to offer their support

SNCC • Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee – originally part of the SCLC • Ella Baker believed the NAACP and SCLC did not keep up with the demands of young African Americans -> she was wanting to encourage the youth to play a role • Shifted away from church leaders and let the youth make decisions about priorities and tactics • Robert Moses – one the most influential SNCC leaders

Freedom Rides • Tested 1961 Supreme Court decision of Boynton v. Virginal which prohibited segregation on buses traveling across state lines – waiting rooms and dining facilities that served interstate travelers could no longer be segregated • Freedom Riders rode interstate buses down south and stopped at terminals along the way • At first encountered little problems -> got worse in the Deep South • Anniston, Alabama – white mob with guns, and knives stopped a bus and threw a firebomb into it -> riders were physically beaten

Section 2 –Non-Violent Confrontation • CORE created the sit-in • Sit-ins involved AA CORE members, often accompanied by white members, sitting down in a segregated establishment and refused to leave until they were served or accommodated • Tested the limits of segregation and put business owners’ profits at risk by causing disruption • CORE brought an end to segregation in the facilities it targeted • Sit-ins became a common practice for many groups participating in the CR Movement • Sit-ins gained support from MLK • In 1961, 70,000 students participated in sit-ins while 3,600 served time in jail • Protests failed to change Southern customs immediately but began a process of change which could be contained no longer

Freedom Rides • Federal marshals were assigned to protect the Freedom Rides • Kennedy and the Justice Department pressured the Interstate Commerce Commission to issue a ruling prohibiting segregation in interstate transportation – federal government forced communities to follow new regulations

Albany Movement • Started after the success of the Freedom Rides in October 1961 • Albany Movement started in Albany, Georgia began a year long campaign of protest marches • Demanded desegregation of bus terminals, and sought to open talks with white community leaders to address racial injustices • MLK hoped to lead movement

Albany Movement Failures • Local civil rights leaders resented MLK for swooping in to take charge of a movement • Albany police chief prevented the national press from seeing and reporting on the worst violations of civil rights committed by his forces • He even joined demonstrators in prayer before they were carted off to jail • His “nonviolent” opposition kept the Movement from stirring up the same nationwide sympathy as the Freedom Rides had done • Fizzled out by the end of 1962 with few real accomplishments

Ole Miss • September 1962 – James Meredith sues the University of Mississippi when he was denied entrance into the school on racial grounds • Supreme Court upheld his claim – Mississippi Governor, however, declared Meredith would not be able to enroll • Major riot occurred – one angry resident tried to drive a bulldozer into the administration building – tear gas used • Pres. Kennedy brought in Army troops to restore order and Meredith entered the university with troops to ensure his safety – he graduated in 1963.

Birmingham Confrontation • Birmingham, AL – scene for another nonviolent protest • MLK invited - the local business leaders and police commissioner did not want protestors there • MLK arrested on the grounds of a protest march violating a regulation prohibiting parades with a permit • MLK wrote his famous “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” in which he defended his tactics and timing

Birmingham Confrontation • MLK released from jail more than a week later by posting bail • To test the conscience of Birmingham, children were brought into the protesting • 900 children arrested • Fire hoses used • Police attack dogs used • Policemen beat protestors with clubs and took them to jail • Caught on TV – many viewers were revolted, even those unsympathetic to the civil rights movement

Birmingham Confrontation • Results • Protestors won • Compromise led to desegregation of the city, fairer hiring practices, and organization of a biracial committee to keep communication open • Proved the effectiveness of nonviolent protest

Section 3 –The Political Response • John Kennedy, once in office, moved slowly as he did not want to alienate Southern Senators whose votes were needed to support foreign policy goals • He appointed numerous African Americans to powerful positions • Example: Thurgood Marshall – Supreme Court

Kennedy • Kennedy was disturbed by the violence down South – the race riots surrounding the Freedom Rides were an embarrassment to Kennedy when meeting with Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev • Appeared on TV – called equality issues a “moral issue” and knew he had to do something • Introduced a strong civil rights bill but could not get it to pass through a Congress dominated by white southerners

The March on Washington • Used to lobby for Kennedy’s Civil Rights Bill • Kennedy tried to sidetrack the march as he did not want it to lead to more violence in the U.S. and alienate Congress even more – his efforts to call off the demonstration failed • LBJ told the marchers that the march may backfire – MLK said it was happening – Kennedy bowed to the inevitable and supported the march • Took place in August 1963

March of Washington • More than 200,000 people came from all over the country to call for jobs and freedom • Prominent African American celebrities were present • Jackie Robinson, Sammy Davis • Leaders of all the major civil rights organizations addressed the crowd • MLK “I Have a Dream” • Kennedy was impressed with King’s skill but the bill remained stalled in Congress

Lyndon Johnson’s Role • Three months later, JFK was dead and LBJ was in office • Upon becoming president LBJ was determined to use his political skills to get JFK’s civil rights bill passed • LBJ told Congress “no compromise” – used cloture method to cut off debate – bill passed • Civil Rights Bill of 1964 banned discrimination in all public accommodations and gave the Justice Department more authority to act in school segregation and voting rights cases – equal opportunity provision

Lyndon Johnson’s Role • Civil Rights struggle still continued • Ku Klux Klan rallies to intimidate volunteers in the Freedom Summer • Civil rights workers were still being murdered • Bombings, shootings, and mob attacks still persisted • Mississippi Freedom Democratic party • LBJ compromised to end discrimination in the Mississippi delegation – delegation said no and LBJ knew something had to be done

Lyndon Johnson’s Role • LBJ appeared on TV speaking about voting rights • Was able to turn back a filibuster and got Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965 • Gave the federal government the power to register voters in areas where local officials prevented African Americans from voting • Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act were landmarks in the history of civil rights

Section 4 – Black Power • The Civil Rights Movement shifted to ideals of pride and power, rather than peaceful resistance, as many African Americans thought the pace of progress was too slow • James Baldwin – “Notes of a Native Son” • Attacked de jure segregation • The pattern of separation dictated by the laws in the South • Attacked de facto segregation • The separation that resulted from the ghetto conditions in many northern cities

Malcolm X • Expressed African American anger • Malcolm Little converted to the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Malcolm X • Nation of Islam – African American religious group that believes in the religion of Islam • Disagreed with both the tactics and goals of the early civil rights movement • Said integration would not work • Broke from the Nation of Islam and started his own religious organization called Muslim Mosque, Inc. – made a pilgrimage to Mecca • Returned and said he was wrong to preach hatred of white people • Assassinated in February 1965 by three members of the Nation of Islam • Message lived on and attracted the attention of many SNCC worker

Black Power Rages • Stokely Carmichael was influenced by Malcolm X • Got tired of civil disobedience and told his SNCC workers to carry guns for defense and wanted to ban whites from joining SNCC • Elected head of the organization in 1966 and demonstrated radicalism in SNCC • Called for “Black Power” or a new movements seeking unity, self-determination, and economic/political power

Black Power Rages • Fall 1966, a new political party called the Black Panthers is founded by African American militants • Wanted A. Americans to lead their own communities and demanded the federal government to rebuild the nation’s ghettos as repayment for years of discrimination • Led to a serious split in the civil rights movement as radical groups moved away from more conservative groups like the NAACP

Riots in the Streets • Riots in American cities were symptoms of continuing poor conditions for African Americans • There were subtle forms of discrimination in the North such as keeping African Americans from getting high paying jobs, job training programs, and suburban housing • Race riots happened across America from New York to Los Angeles

Legacy of the Movement • Lyndon Johnson was devastated by the violence that exploded near the end of his presidency • The measures of his administration brought good results but were not enough • Despite the need for further progress, the movement brought tremendous change • Segregation was illegal – African Americans were assured their right to vote – African American power changed the nature of American political life • Between 1970-1975 the number of African American elected officials rose by 88% - African Americans served as mayors in large cities like Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Newark and served in Congress in larger numbers as well. • Black studies courses appeared in high schools and colleges. • African Americans had a new sense of pride and identity in their ethnic heritage • The U.S. was being made into a fairer society for all

The Civil Rights Movement