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Triumphs of a Crusade. Emmet Till. Freedom Riders. A trip of two buses across the south, fighting segregation of public buses – hoping to force the JFK admin. into action. Riders on Bus #1 were beaten at the Ala. state line. Bus #2 continued. Freedom Riders.
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Freedom Riders • A trip of two buses across the south, fighting segregation of public buses – hoping to force the JFK admin. into action. • Riders on Bus #1 were beaten at the Ala. state line. • Bus #2 continued.
Freedom Riders • Bus companies refused to travel further into the South • Riders beaten in Birmingham • Bobby Kennedy intervened • After beatings in Montgomery, JFK gave the riders U.S. Marshals for protection. • Interstate Commerce Commission banned segregation in all interstate travel facilities.
Integrating Ole Miss. • James Meredith: Air Force vet. who was allowed to enroll in the all-white U. of Miss. • JFK supplied Fed. Marshals to escort Meredith to classes
Heading into Birmingham • Birmingham: “Most segregated city in the U.S.” • MLK assigned to desegregate the city • Arrested / posted bail • May 2: 1000 A.A. children marched • Police Chief Bull Connor arrested 959 • May 3: Second children march • Met w/police dogs, fire hoses, beatings • All on t.v. • City was desegregated
March to Washington • Aug. 28, 1963: 250,000 marched on D.C. • “I Have a Dream” • July 2, 1964: Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed • Ended discrimination in most public accommodations / employment • Protected voting rights / speed up school desegregation.
Freedom Summer • Freedom Summer: 1964 project to register A.A. voters in Miss. • Recruitment of college students • Racial beatings, burning of homes, business, and churches.
New Political Party • Miss. Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP): Fannie Lou Hammer would rep. them in the 1964 Dem. Nat. Convention. • LBJ’s compromise: Give 2 of Miss. 68 Democratic seats to the MFDP and ban discrimination in the ’68 election. • MFDP / SNCC felt betrayed.
The March from Selma • 1965: Voting rights campaign in Selma, Ala. • 2000 demonstrators arrested, one killed • MLK: 50 mile march from Selma to Montgomery • March 7, campaign started • Confronted by Selma and Alabama state police: “Bloody Sunday” • Beatings shown on t.v. • 25,000 marched to Mont. on March 21 (protected by the National Guard) • White / Black / Jewish, etc
Voting Rights Act of 1965 • Eliminated: • Literacy tests for voting • Gave fed. examiners power to enroll voters