Civil Rights

1. Civil Rights An overview If there is a slide on it, it means I have seen an exam question on it or it relates directly to a question I have seen on it. By exam question I mean practice exams and prior exams which usually influence current exams. I have included some of these questions or broader versions of these questions in the last slides to ensure you are prepared for all of them.

2. Historical Concepts In the study of history there are some key concepts that you have to able to demonstrate in assessments and exams.

3. Historical Concepts Significance Perspective A person's perspective is their point of view, the position from which they see and understand events going on around them. People in the past may have had quite different perspectives on a particular event or issue, depending on factors such as their age, gender, life experience, social position, political outlook, values and beliefs. A historical figure, for example, could have been seen as a freedom fighter by some and a terrorist by others. It is this diversity of perspectives that makes history so interesting. • Significance is the importance that is assigned to particular aspects of the past, for example an event or issue or the contribution of an individual or group. Deciding on significance is a complex process because it involves making judgements that depend on perspective and purpose. Significance may vary over time and from group to group. What was seen as significant in the past may not be considered important today, and what was significant for one group in the past may not have been significant for other groups.

4. Historical Concepts Cause and Effect Continuity and Change • Historians use cause and effect as a way of explaining factors that led to a historical event or development and the consequent results. Many people tend to believe that events in the past happened because someone wanted them to happen. While human actions can be important, causation is more likely to involve a network of related factors. There are often multiple causes, long and short term causes and social and/or economic and/or political causes. There may be multiple effects and intended and unintended effects. Effects may differ from group to group and may change over time. • In history, investigating continuity and change requires people to explore aspects of life that have remained the same and those that have changed over time. Through appropriate activities, people can identify continuities and changes (as similarities and differences), or they can explore why things have stayed the same or changed, the nature and pace of change and the impact of change. It is important to provide an overview, a chronological backdrop for the period, before introducing activities focusing on continuity and change. Illustrated and annotated timelines can provide a very useful resource for teaching about continuity and change.

5. Historical Concepts Source Evidence Evidence is relevant information obtained from sources that is useful for a particular inquiry. People find this evidence by analysing sources and asking a series of questions. Evidence can be used to refute or support a claim, construct a narrative or explanation or support an argument or interpretation. • In history a source is anything that can be used to investigate the past. It can be an object (artefact) that remains from the past, such as a tool, coin, letter, gravestone, photograph or building. Or it can be an account or interpretation of the past, such as an online biography, a book or film about an individual from the past. • Sources that come from the time being investigated are called primary sources. Sources produced after the time being investigated, such as a textbook, documentary or film, are called secondary sources. Both primary and secondary sources are vital to the study of history.

6. Historical Concepts Contestability Empathy Historical empathy involves trying to see and understand events from the perspective of someone living in another time and place. This requires sound knowledge of the historical context and a conscious effort to 'make sense' of human motives and actions within that context. • Contestability in history arises from the open-ended nature of historical interpretation. Two historians might produce quite different interpretations of the same event for a number of reasons, including their reason for researching the topic, the sources of evidence they relied on and their perspective or point of view. An example of contestability in Australian history is the debate over whether the arrival of Europeans in 1788 was an invasion or settlement.

7. Key Terms & Concepts You need to be able use these key terms and concepts consistently and appropriately in extended responses, describe them in short answer questions and identify them in multiple choice questions.

8. Key Terms & Concepts Civil Rights Movement Jim Crow Laws State laws, dating back from the 1880’s, aimed at enforcing segregation between whites and blacks in the use of transport and public facilities and in the outlawing of marriage between the two racial groups. • A program of protest and civil disobedience undertaken by African Americans and their supporters in the 1950’s and 1960’s to overcome racist policies that denied them their civil rights.

9. Key Terms & Concepts Segregation Integration The policy of encouraging contact between different racial groups and ensuring that they share the use of facilities. • A policy of separating racial groups in all aspects of their lives to ensure that whites maintained supremacy over African Americans.

10. Key Terms & Concepts Racism Slavery The condition in which one person is owned as property by another and is under the owner's control, especially in involuntary servitude. • Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior.

11. Key Terms & Concepts Equality Liberty The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's behaviour or political views. • The state of being equal, especially in status, rights, or opportunities.

12. Key Terms & Concepts Precedent Enfranchisement To endow with a franchise, to admit to the privileges of a citizen and especially to the right of suffrage,to admit (a municipality) to political privileges or rights. • An earlier event or action that is regarded as an example or guide to be considered in subsequent similar circumstances (e.g. in laws that reflect developments in constitutional rights).

13. Key Terms Democracy Constitution Abody of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed. • Government by elected representatives of the people.

14. Key Terms Civil Rights Human Rights The basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are considered to be entitled, often held to include the rights to life, liberty, equality, and a fair trial, freedom from slavery and torture, and freedom of thought and expression. • Rights that anyone in a given society is entitled to as a member of that society (e.g. the right that the US Constitution gives to its citizens).

15. Key Terms & Concepts Dissenter Sympathiser Aperson who agrees with or supports a sentiment, opinion, or ideology. • A person who holds or expresses opinions that are at variance with those commonly or officially held.

16. Key Terms & Concepts Amendment Isonomia The same, or equal, in law or right; one in kind or origin; analogous; similar. • Aminor change or addition designed to improve a text, piece of legislation, etc.

17. Key Terms & Concepts Non-Violent Activism Violent Protest Using or involving the use of physical force to cause harm or damage to someone or something as a tactical meansof gaining political objectives. • The doctrine, policy, or practice of rejecting violence in favor of peaceful tactics as a means of gaining political objectives. • Peaceful resistance, in response to or protest against injustice, especially on moral or philosophical grounds.

18. Key Terms & Concepts Emancipation Lynching The punishment of a person without legal process or authority, especially by hanging, for a perceived offense or as an act of bigotry. • The fact or process of being set free from legal, social, or political restrictions; liberation.

19. Key Terms & Concepts White Supremacy Ghetto An area of a city where a minority group lives. • The belief that the white race is inherently superior to other races and that white people should have control over people of other races.

20. Key Terms & Concepts Radical/s Depotism The exercise of absolute power, especially in a cruel and oppressive way. Acountry or political system where the ruler holds absolute power. • A person/s who advocates thorough or complete political or social reform; a member of a political party or part of a party pursuing such aims.

21. Key Terms & Concepts Discrimination Derogatory Language Language that is considered insulting or disrespectful and shows a critical or disrespectful attitude of someone/something (e.g. terms that have been created with the purpose of insulting and are used in an offensive way such as nigger). • Treating an individual or a group differently on the basis of race, age, religion, sex, disability or some other factor.

22. Key Terms & Concepts Civil Disobedience Black Power A movement from the 1960’s onwards promoting African Americans control of their own political and cultural organisations with the goal of promoting pride in their race and achieving equality. • A campaign in which participants refuse to obey laws that they believe to be unjust.

23. Key Terms & Concepts Self-Determination Militant Wanting to take aggressive action in support of a cause. • A people’s right to exercise independent control of its own destiny.

24. Key Organisations You need to be able to identify the key players, goals, events and full names of in each major organisation that took part in the Civil Rights Movement or opposed it.

25. Non-Violent Activists MIA SCLC Southern Christian Leadership Conference was established by Martin Luther King Jr. and other members of the clergy.’ They began a campaign of ‘direct action’ involving non-violent protests that included boycotts, demonstrations and marches to increase national consciousness of the denial of civil rights to African Americans. • Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister who was president of the MIA. • Montgomery Improvement Association helped direct the Montgomery bus boycott and took the desegregation case to the Supreme Court and won.

26. Non-Violent Activists SNCC NAACP National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People focused on court battles to implement change. • Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, established in response to the success of the ‘sit-ins’. • Also involved in Freedom Summer in 1964.

27. Non-Violent Activists MFDP CORE The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) is a U.S. civil rights organization that played a pivotal role for African Americans in the Civil Rights Movement. Founded in March 1942 in Chicago. Involved in the Freedom Rides, Desegregation of Chicago Schools, March on Washington and Freedom Summer. • Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party attempted to gain representation at the Democratic Party Convention. • They are linked to ‘Freedom Summer’ and their failure to receive full representation is a turning point to ideas of integration and use of non-violent protesting.

28. Violent Activists Nation of Islam Black Panthers A militant political party established by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in 1966 with the goal of gaining equality for African Americans. Its members dressed in black trousers, black leather jackets, black berets and blue shirts. October 1965, it produced a 10-point program to restructure American society to achieve equality for African Americans. They patrolled communities to protect the residents from police abuse of power. By the late 1970’s problems and divisions within the party eroded its political force. • An organisation founded in 1930 and led by Elijah Mohammed from 1934 until 1975. • Reached prominence while Malcolm X was part of the organisation. • Is said to have some ties to the assassination of Malcolm X.

29. Opposers Ku Klux Klan • An organisation, founded originally in 1865, whose members engaged in campaigns of terror and intimidation against African Americans and those who supported them.

30. Media The influence the Media had on the movement is a difficult point to break down as it consistently influenced and impacted on the Civil Rights Movement. To understand the impact of the media you need to compare it to prior unsuccessful attempts of African American Civil Rights Movements that occurred before increased media coverage occurred, especially after the introduction of television. You may like to rewatch the crash course and eyes on the prize videos on youtube or revisit your lynching timeline to get some ideas. I have not added slides to this section as we have discussed the role of the media in most of the sections of study and it is mentioned in almost every major event in the movement.

31. Key Court Cases and Laws You need to know key cases that helped build precedence for integration and began the Civil Rights Movement increasing success. Remember prior to these events their were civil rights movements however, they were not successful.

32. Court Cases Plessy vs. Ferguson Brown vs. Board of Education 1950, 8 year old Linda Brown demanded an end to segregation in schools as she wanted to attend a closer better school for ‘all whites’. • 1896, • US Supreme Court upheld legality of separating races on the basis of the principle ‘separate but equal’.

33. Court Cases Irene Morgan vs. Commonwealth of Virginia and Boynton vs. Virginia Sarah Keys vs. Carolina Coach Company 1955 Interstate Commerce Commission issued a ruling explicitly denouncing the Plessy vs. Ferguson doctrine of separate but equal in interstate bus travel. They failed to enforce their ruling and Jim Crow travel laws remained in force throughout the South. • 1946 Irene Morgan • 1960 Boynton • The Supreme Court ruled that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional.

34. Court Cases Loving vs. Virginia • 1967, US Supreme Court overruled laws preventing interracial marriage. • 1968, Guess who’s coming to dinner? film dealt symathetically with the issue demonstrating a change in perspectives.

35. Legislation Civil Rights Act Civil Rights Bill July 4, 1964 Civil Rights Bill becomes law. President Lyndon Johnson pushed the bill through as he believed discrimination to be morally wrong. MLK was present when Johnson signed the Bill. • 1957, President Eisenhower initiates Civil Rights Act.

36. Legislation Voting Rights Act Civil Rights Act 1968, discrimination made illegal on basis of race, religion, sex, national origin against anyone trying to finance, rent or purchase accommodation. It provided protection for civil rights activists. • August, 1965 • President Johnson signs Voting Rights Act. • The Selma to Montgomery march contributed to its success. The march began with what is known as Bloody Sunday. • This Act led to voter registration increase by over 200%.

37. Key Events You need to be able to identify, describe and explain what each key event was, how it started and how it impacted on the Civil Rights Movement.

38. Before the Civil Rights Movement The Emancipation The Reconstruction The Reconstruction implemented by Congress, which lasted from 1866 to 1877, was aimed at reorganizing the Southern states after the Civil War, providing the means for readmitting them into the Union, and defining the means by which whites and blacks could live together in a non-slave society. The South, however, saw Reconstruction as a humiliating, even vengeful imposition and did not welcome it. • The Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 freed African Americans in rebel states, and after the Civil War, the Thirteenth Amendment emancipated all U.S. slaves wherever they were. As a result, the mass of Southern blacks now faced the difficulty Northern blacks had confronted--that of a free people surrounded by many hostile whites. One freedman, Houston Hartsfield Holloway, wrote, "For we colored people did not know how to be free and the white people did not know how to have a free colored person about them."

39. Before the Civil Rights Movement End of Discrimination in Armed Forces and Civil Service. • Early 1950’s, US President Harry Truman recognised discrimination damaged US international reputation. • His leadership brought the issue of Civil Rights of African American to national attention making the movement possible.

40. During the Civil Rights Movement Montgomery Bus Boycott • December 1, 1955 Montgomery, Alabama Rosa Parkes (42 yrs) refused to give up her seat on a bus. • The law reserved front seats for whites, back seats for blacks and middle seats could be sat on by blacks unless required by whites once the front had filled up. Rosa Parkes was in a middle seat and refused to move. The bus driver called the police who then arrested her. • In protest the African American community who comprised of 75% of bus users in Montgomery began a boycott of the city buses for 382 days. They demanded desegregation on public transport, equal and polite treatment from bus drivers and the provision for jobs for African American drivers. They demonstrated their determination to take unified action and revealed the extent of racism that existed in southern states which helped in changing attitudes of many whites. African Americans walked or car pooled, often with sympathetic members of the white community. • Bus companies faced massive financial losses but refused to give in. After the Supreme court ruled in favour of the MIA case in Novemeber 1956 for desegregation the bus companies agreed to allow all bus travellers the same rights to vacant seats. The bus boycott ended December 20, 1956.

41. During the Civil Rights Movement Little Rock Nine September 27, 1957 After the Supreme Court Desegregation ruling in the Brown vs. Board of Education nine students tried to attend Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. They endured threats and attempted violence. Governor Faubus sent the Arkansas National Guard to to ‘preserve order’. Due to increased violence and concern for enforcing federal law President Eisenhower sent US Army to protect African American students entering Central High School, Little Rock. There was still lacking support for desegregation with only 13% of African American students attending integrated schools in southern states and 2-3% for the nation as a whole.

42. During the Civil Rights Movement Sit-Ins March on Washington Occurred on August 28, 1963. The 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. Goals were to improve employment, pass new bill and attract media attention to their cause. Over 200000 civil rights supporters attended filling the space between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. MLK presented his ‘I had a dream’ speech. • February 1960, North Carolina four African American college students refused to leave the seats they had taken at the local ‘whites only’ Woolworths cafeteria. With other students supporting them they maintained their seats for an entire day forcing business to a standstill. • In 1960-1961, over 70 000 people took part in the ‘sit-ins’ which succeeded in integrating public eating areas and also in desegregating other public facilities in 150 cities.

43. During the Civil Rights Movement The ‘Albany Movement’ Freedom Riders Freedom Riderswere civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated southern United States in 1961 and following years to challenge the non-enforcement of the United States Supreme Court decisions that ruled segregation on public buses was unconstitutional. Southern states ignored the rulings and the federal government did nothing to enforce them. The first Freedom Ride left Washington D.C. on May 4, 1961 and was scheduled to arrive in New Orleans on May 17. • Martin Luther King Jr. led demonstrations organised by SNCC in Albany, Georgia protesting against segregation in hotels, housing and restaurants. • The reaction taken was to close these public places rather than integrate them. • The ineffectual nature of this movement changed MLK focus to putting pressure on authorities to end discrimination instead of negotiating with them.

44. During the Civil Rights Movement Marches in Birmingham MLK and SCLC began a series of protests, where teenagers and children were encouraged to participate in Birmingham Alabama 1963. King was imprisoned for 8 days and wrote his ‘Letter from Birmingham Gaol’. 1000 school students walked and sang in protest (6-16 yrs old), 90% of whom were arrested. 2500 people marched the next day and police and firemen reacted violently and the images of the day were broadcasted around the world. These broadcasts encouraged Americans to support calls for anti-discrimination laws. Kennedy sent troops to restore order. On June 10, 1963 JFK called congress to pass more civil rights laws. The next march police refused Police Chief ‘Bull’ Connors orders to again continue fire hoses on the demonstrators.

45. During the Civil Rights Movement Freedom Summer Initiative of the SNCC for both white and black to devote their summer to ending segregation in Mississippi. 1000 volunteers came to help run Freedom Schools that built basic skill and helped fill out voter registration forms. June 21, 1964. Civil Rights workers James Earl Chaney (19), Andrew Goodman (20) and Michael Schwerner (24) were beaten and shot. Although 18 men were accused of the murders, not one was charged for the murders. 11 were acquitted and 7 guilty of lesser charges. These results demonstrated that involvement in the Civil Rights Movement was dangerous and that the law would not uphold the rights of African Americans or their sympathisers. Whites burned 37 churches, bombed 30 houses and buildings, beat 80 people involved in the project, arrested over 1000 people and murdered the 3 men mentioned above. This summer along with the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party failure to receive full representation at the Democratic Party Convention convinced many African Americans non-violence methods were ineffective.

46. During the Civil Rights Movement Bloody Sunday Black Power Movement Encouraged the pursuit of self-determination trying to improve living standards, employment rates and opposing white control of white control of the government and law enforcement. Some believed they were fighting for black supremacy while others aimed to improve conditions for workers. • March 7, 1965. • 600 SCLC activists began an 80km walk from Selma to Montgomery to highlight cause of voting rights. • Police attacked the marchers at Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge with clubs and tear gas, influencing the name the day was given. • This led to another march on March 21, where 3200 protesters began the march and grew to 25000 by the end of the march. This contributed to the Voters Rights Act becoming law.

47. During the Civil Rights Movement Watts Riots Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. April 4, 1968 MLK was assassinated in Memphis Tennessee. The riots that broke out in over 100 cities demonstrated the growing attitude that violence was ineffective. • August 11, 1965 Marquette Frye was arrested for drink driving with one police officer aiming his gun at Frye. • This sparked six days of rioting where cars and shops were burnt and shooting of police and firefighters. • These riots led to 34 deaths, hundreds injured and thousands arrested.

48. Non-Violent Methods You need to be able to identify what each non-violent protest tactic involves. This section I have added he list of 45 non-violent methods. ACTIVITY: Your task is to identify and define the ones that have been mentioned or used in the Civil Rights Movement. One has been done for you.

49. Non-Violent Methods • Public Speeches • Letters of Opposition/Support • Declarations by organisations and institutions • Signed public declarations • Declarations of indictment and intention • Group or mass petitions • Slogans, caricatures and symbols • Banners, posters and displayed communications • Leaflets, pamphlets and books • Newspapers and journals • Records, radio and television • Deputations • Picketing • Walk-outs • Silence • Renouncing honours • Turning one's back • Consumers' boycott • Non-consumption of boycotted goods • Withdrawal of bank deposits • Protest strike • Withholding or withdrawal of allegiance • Refusal of public support • Literature and speeches advocating resistance • Reluctant and slow compliance • Popular non-obedience • Refusal of an assemblage or meeting to disperse • Sit-down • Hunger strike • Prayer and worship • Symbolic lights • Displays of portraits • Vigils • Humorous skits and pranks • Performances of plays and music • Singing and concerts • Marches • Parades • Religious processions • Pilgrimages • Motorcades • Assemblies of protest or support • Protest meetings • Teach-ins and sit-ins • Group lobbying

50. Boycott Definition The policy of refusing to use or purchase the goods or services provided by an individual or group. The purpose is to bring pressure on the individual/group to engage in a different behaviour.