Civil Rights Movement

Civil Rights Movement

Civil Rights: • Protects one’s rights from persecution from gov’t & others • Protects rights to participate in civic functions

Jackie Robinson: 1919-1972 • Attended UCLA (lettered in track, baseball, football, basketball) • 1st time in school history • Nearly court-martialed from army in 1944 over bus incident • Played semi-pro football & coached bball @ Sam Houston State

Jackie Robinson--baseball • Signed with KC Monarchs in 1945 for $400 a month • Broke baseball color barrier (1947) • Won Rookie of the Year • Played for Brooklyn Dodgers—signed by Branch Rickey • Played in 6 World Series (won 1 in 1955) • #42 retired in MLB in 1997

Emmitt Till: 14 years old • Murdered in Money, MS • Whistled @ white woman • Eye gouged out, shot in head, thrown in river w/ cotton gin • Found after 3 days—mother demanded open casket @ funeral • Murderers found not guilty • Admitted after the fact—DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Rosa Parks: Dec. 1, 1955—refused to give seat on bus to white man in Montgomery, AL • Sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) • Born in Atlanta • Skipped 9th & 12th grades • BA in sociology & divinity • Doctorate in philosophy • Married Coretta Scott in 1953 & had 4 children • Became Baptist minister in 1954

Mahatma Gandhi’s influence on King • Non-violence • Civil disobedience

SCLC: • Created out of Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 • Based in Atlanta • Organized volunteers to create protests • Church group • King was 1st President

SNCC • Organized college students • Organized sit-ins • CORE • Chicago 1942 • Urban chapters • Nonviolence • Voting rights, job discrimination, and segregation

Freedom Riders: • Whites and blacks • Result was often violent backlashes • Many arrested for trespassing, unlawful assembly, or Jim Crow violations.

Albany, GA (Nov. 1961-July 1962) • Wanted to attract national attention to segregation practices • Use nonviolence • King arrested & sentenced to 45 days or $175 fine • After 3 days, police chief paid fine • “witnessed a man thrown out of jail”

Birmingham, AL campaign • Spring of 1963 • Dared police to arrest peaceful protesters • Overflow jails to point of chaos • Wanted to force city to talk to black leaders • Sit-ins & boycotts used against businesses • Chief “Bull” Connor—used dogs & fire hoses • Connor lost job & businesses opened up to blacks

March on Washington—August 28, 1963 • Bring attention to: • End segregation • End police brutality • $2 minimum wage • 250,000 marchers • Finished at Lincoln Memorial • Various speakers & musical acts (Bob Dylan) • Concluded with “I Have a Dream” speech

Freedom Summer • Summer of 1964 • Targeted Mississippi • SNCC, CORE, SCLC sent white/black volunteers to register black voters & educate • Over 1000 volunteers • Met with hesitance from many blacks • White residents resented movement • Led to violence by KKK • 3 volunteers arrested, released, kidnapped, tortured, and killed by the KKK in June

Civil Rights Act of 1964: • Outlawed segregation in all public places • Affirmative Action • 24th Amendment • Banned the use of poll tax and literacy tests as means of voting

Selma, AL—March 1965 • SCLC & SNCC wanted march from Selma to Montgomery • Cancelled once due to violent protests • King did not endorse march—too violent • March 7—marched w/o King—”Bloody Sunday” • March 9—King led a short march and prayer • March 25—King led march to Montgomery

Poor People’s Campaign of 1968 • Multicultural army to march on Washington • Wanted to help all poor • Not much support—too broad

Assassination: April 4, 1968 • Memphis, TN—helping sanitation workers’ strike • Staying at Lorraine Motel • April 3: gave “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech • April 4: 6 pm: shot once in cheek on 2nd story balcony • Riots ensued • June: escaped convict James Earl Ray arrested • Confessed but later took it back • Pled guilty—99 years

Nation of Islam • Created in 1930 • Northern & Urban • Goal was to “resurrect the spiritual, mental, social, and economic” well-being of black men and women • Taught traditional Muslim practices (no pork, drinking, smoking, swearing, gambling, and dress conservatively) • Elijah Muhammad • Charged with sedition during WWII • Taught “black separatism” • Claimed Allah would destroy “White America”

Malcolm X • Born Malcolm Little • El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz • Meaning of X • Follower of Elijah Muhammad • Served 7 years in prison for crimes committed in Boston & New York • Join Nation of Islam in jail • Black Power/Nationalism • Resented M. King’s tactics • Assassinated Feb. 21, 1965 • New York City ballroom • 3 shooters (shotgun & 2 pistols)

Black Panthers (mid-60s-1970s) • Promote black power & self-defense through social agitation • Militant tactics led to violent disputes with law enforcement • Started in Oakland to put stop to police brutality • Turned into a socialist political party • Worked to end poverty, substance abuse, and improve health care • Accused of “black racism” • Eventually accepted whites into party

Women’s Movement • Betty Friedan & Feminine Mystique in 1963 • Ignited women’s movement • Wrote about secret anger and sadness in women’s day to day lives • Women were not happy to take identity through husband and children • Wanted more than to serve the family • Questioned sex roles at home • Post-WWII: new tech. made life easier but more boring and less valuable

Equal Pay Act (1963): same pay for same job, skills, and responsibilities • Only affected 1/3 of women workers • Title VII of Civil Rights Act of 1964 • Protects women from discrimination • Protects interracial marriages

President’s Commission on the Status of Women • Created by JFK to advise him and create laws to improve women’s status • Investigated equality into workplace • Headed by E. Roosevelt

National Organization of Women • Led by Friedan • Over 500,000 members • Lobbying group—pressure gov’t for social & economic reforms • Heavily pro-choice (abortion) • Provide various services to women (rape-crisis centers) • 1968: disrupted Miss America Pageant • "the degrading mindless-boob-girlie symbol“ • Freedom trash can • “Bra burners” • Brought record media attention to protests and pageant

Education Amendment Act (1972): outlawed sexual discrimination in higher ed or organization that receives federal money • Title IX: colleges/high schools must provide equal sporting opportunities • 1999: 232,000 males & 163,000 females • Roe v. Wade: 1973 • Equal Rights Amendment (1972-1982) • Ratified by 35 states (needed 38) • No support among Republicans/conservatives

Native American Movement • Goals of “Red Power” movement: • American Indian Movement (AIM)—1968 • Fought against poverty on reservations • Demanded reimbursement for lands taken • Wanted self-determination • Russell Means—leader of AIM • 1969: Alcatraz: took over and offered beads and cloth to buy it • All removed by 1971

1970: Mayflower II: took over replica ship over Thanksgiving • Painted Plymouth Rock red • “all of our demonstrations have yet to hurt anyone or destroy any property, however we have found that the only way the white man will listen is by us creating a disturbance in his world.”

1972: “Trail of Broken Treaties” • March of 2000 Indians to DC to present ideas to Nixon • Occupied Bureau of Indian Affairs building for 7 days • 1973: Wounded Knee, SD • Same location as 1890 massacre of 300 Sioux • AIM demanded gov’t listen to grievances • 71 day standoff with 500,000 rounds shot • 2 AIMs and 1 US Marshall killed • Gov’t listens to grievances • Means and others had cases dismissed due to loopholes

Quadriplegic Movement • Ed Roberts: • Quadriplegic due to polio as child • Denied admission to Cal-Berkeley in 1962 due to lack of accommodations • “Rolling Quads” • Group of quadriplegics in Berkeley area • Used media to gain public support • Roberts admitted later in 1962 • Lived in school infirmary—iron lung too heavy for dorm floors • Legacy: worked towards various laws/movements until 1990s

Civil Rights Movement