Chapter 18: The Civil Rights Era Changes and Challenges

1. Chapter 18:The Civil Rights EraChanges and Challenges

2. The Voting Rights Act • “The Right to Vote was the issue, replacing public accommodation as the mass concern of a people hungry for a place in the sun.” • MLK Jr.

3. The Selma Campaign • Organized marches of 1000s to places of registration • Selma, Alabama • Marchers arrested by the 1000s placed in jails, including children • Received public attention • Tension broke out, marcher shot and killed by state trooper • King announced 4 day march from Selma to Montgomery • “It will not be tolerated” Governor Wallace

4. The Selma March • Began March 7, 54 mile march, 600 people • Police stopped • Tear gas, clubs, electric prods • King not present, led march on March 9, stopped at bridge • Received federal protection march 25, able to reach Montgomery

5. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 • “It is wrong – deadly wrong – to deny any of your fellow Americans the right to vote, outside of this chamber is the outraged conscience of a nation.” President Johnson • Passed August 6th • King, James Farmer, Rosa Parks • Effect immediately • 27,000 African Americans registered to vote • Began to hold political office

6. Expanding the Movement • De jure (segregation by law) • De facto (segregation that exists through custom and practice rather than by law

7. Conditions outside the South • Most African-Americans outside the South lived in cities • Faced similar discrimination • Real estate • Bank Loans

8. Urban Unrest • 1964-1967: racial unrest erupted in most of the large cities, especially in the poor, African American neighborhoods • Los Angeles, Detroit • Kerner Commission

9. The Movement Heads North • The riots in the Northern cities made MLK Jr realize that the gains in movement in the South bypassed millions of African Americans in the North • SCLC’s 9 month campaign was one of MLK Jr’s biggest failure because many Northerners did not share his civil rights focus

10. Fractures in the Movement • Many white Americans viewed the civil rights movement as unified but actually a large amount of groups • SNCC and CORE experienced increased harassment and began to reject the idea of non-violence • NAACP, CORE and SCLC favored the compromise offered by Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (accused of betrayal)

11. Black Power • May 1966: new, more radical, leadership took over the SNCC • Gave up the policy of nonviolence • Support of aggressive action • March Against Fear • “What do you want?” “Black Power!” • African Americans’ dependence on themselves to solve problems

12. The Black Panthers • Formed in October 1966 • Rejected nonviolence and called for a violent revolution as a means of African American Revolution • Carried guns and helped monitored African American neighborhoods against police brutality

13. Black Muslims • The Nation of Islam was one of the most influential groups expressing the ideas of Black Power • By 1960s, 65,000 followers • Malcolm X • X symbolized the lost original surname • Critical of MLK Jr and nonviolence • After pilgrimage to Holy Lands, Malcolm X changed to more harmonious views • Eventually Assassinated by Black Panthers who considered him a traitor to the cause

14. The Assassination of King • March 1968: Memphis, TN to aid African American sanitation workers who were on strike against discrimination in the city’s work and pay policies • April 3: Asked to speak at a Rally • James Earl Ray, a white sniper, shot and killed MLK Jr on the balcony of his hotel • African Americans across the country rioted against his death

15. Starter #12: Wed 2/23 • Read the Inside Story on page 586 • Why do you think the protesters choose Washington DC for their event? • Do you think the sight of poor people of different races marching together would have had a strong impact on government leaders?

16. Chapter 18 Section 5 The Movement Continues • A Change in Goals • Poor Peoples Campaign: MLK alerted nation to the economic plight not only of AA but of all poor people • Ralph Albernathy: head of SCLC took over for MLK • Excerpt pg. 587 • Campaign was disaster • Bad weather, bad media relations, some members part of gang, police had to break up with tear gas. • Without MLK eloquence and leadership movement failed • Caused SCLC role in movement to decline

17. Decline of Black Power • Occurred during Cold War, fear of Communism high • Some felt there was a connection • FBI created division to spy on groups • Posed as members to find out plans • Felt King was main culprit, yet also focused on declining other groups • Spread rumors, forged harmful posters to hurt groups • Black Panthers main target • Since armed, violence usually occurred, many leaders killed • 1967 H. Rap Brown took over leadership of the SNCC • He was encouraged by FBI members posing as SNCC to become very radical and take shocking positions • Caused SNCC member to decline; disbanded 1970s

18. New Changes and Gains • In spite of challenges, did achieve change • Civil Rights Act of 1968 • Signed one week after MLK shot • Fair Housing Act • Banned discrimination in the sale and rental of housing • Busing and Political Change • Brown decision 1954, 1960s schools still segregated • Due to de facto segregation, because of discrimination in housing in prior decades • Fair Housing Act helped • Take years to achieve fully integrated neighborhoods

19. Continued… • To speed up school integration, courts ruled that schools must bus students from neighborhood schools to other parts of the city • Met with violence • Caused many whites to move out of cities to suburbs • Gave African Americans political power in cities • Many small cities elected AA mayors

20. Continued… • Affirmative Action • Civil Rights Act of 1964: Banned discrimination in employment • Affirmative Action: gave preferences to minorites and women in hiring and admissions • End past discrimination • Backlash over these programs gave Republicans advantages • Lured 2 sets of voters their way; white southerners and urban working-class workers

21. The New Black Power • Black power did not die, took new form • Voting rights and political office • Well represented in governmental positions • Thurgood Marshall (argued Brown) became first African American Supreme Court Judge • John Lewis: active civil rights • Congressman from Atlanta, Georgia • Jesse Jackson: Operation PUSH, international figured for his work on behalf of poor • Ran for President in 1980s