The Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s Chapter 29

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Advocated the practice of nonviolent protest (refusing to resist even when attacked by opponents) Used churches as a base Shifted the focus of the Civil Rights Movement to the South Martin Luther King, Jr. became its leader

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) A student led organization that began in the South in 1960 Gave young activists a chance to make decisions about priorities and tactics Sought more immediate change Thought the SCLC was out of touch with the youth’s perspective

Sit-ins A non-violent way to protest Protesters sat down at segregated lunch counters and refused to leave until they were served

The Freedom Rides In Boynton v. Virginia (1960), the Supreme Court expanded its earlier ban on segregation on interstate buses to include the integration of bus station waiting rooms and restaurants In 1961, CORE and SNCC organized the freedom rides They were designed to test whether southern states were obeying the Supreme Court ruling on desegregation

Violence Greets the Riders In Alabama, a heavily armed white mob met the first bus of freedom riders at the terminal The mob slashed the bus tires as the bus tried to leave Members of the mob followed the bus in their cars and when the bus had to pull over, the mob held the doors closed and threw a firebomb into the bus The riders escaped before the bus burst into flames, but many were beaten by the mob

National Reactions Photographs of the bus on fire horrified the country The violence intensified in Birmingham and Montgomery Freedom riders were being arrested as soon as they walked off the buses Eventually, freedom riders were protected by federal marshals

James Meredith In 1961, James Meredith, an African American Jackson State College student, wanted to transfer to the all-white- University of Mississippi After being rejected, Meredith got help from the NAACP and Supreme Court Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett personally blocked Meredith’s way to the admissions office even after the Supreme Court ruled that the treatment of Meredith was unconstitutional President Kennedy sent federal marshals to accompany Meredith on campus Violence erupted on campus and tear gas covered the university

Clash in Birmingham Birmingham, AL was considered the most segregated city in the US Martin Luther King, Jr. planned boycotts of downtown stores in an attempt to integrate the city The campaign began nonviolently with protest marches and sit-ins City officials declared that marches violated a regulation prohibiting parades without a permit so King was arrested After a week in jail, King was released Eugene “Bull” Connor was the police commissioner The marches continued and more than 900 people were arrested Trained police dogs attacked marchers’ arms and legs and when protestors fell to the ground, policemen beat them with clubs and took them to jail Eventually the protestors won and Birmingham became integrated due to – Continued protests – Economic boycott – Negative media coverage

March on Washington Took place in August 1963 More than 200,000 people came from all over the country demanding passage of civil rights legislation Led by A. Philip Randolph Most famous speech of the civil rights movement – King’s “I Have a Dream” speech

Civil Rights Act 1964 Passed by President Johnson Prohibited discrimination due to race, religion, national origin, and gender in public places and most work places

Freedom Summer Voter registration drive in Mississippi Led by thousands of white and black college student volunteers The KKK held rallies to intimidate the volunteers Three civil rights workers were reported missing; later their bodies were found buried in shallow graves (Mississippi Burning) More than 80 mob attacks on volunteers reported Over 1000 volunteers were arrested Homes were set on fire and vandalized

Voting Rights Act 1965 Federal officials could register voters in places where local officials were blocking registration by African Americans Eliminated literacy tests and other barriers that prevented African Americans from voting More than 400,000 black people registered that year in the South

24 th Amendment Outlawed the poll tax which was still being used in southern states to prevent poor African Americans from voting

De facto segregation vs. de jure segregation De facto segregation: separated by practice and custom, not law (typically in the North; much harder to change) De jure segregation: segregation established by laws (in the South; easier to change)

Malcolm X His father spread the “back to Africa” message of Marcus Garvey He was a minister for the Nation of Islam Spread the idea of black nationalism More militant and divisive in his messages compared to Martin Luther King, Jr. Went to Mecca in Saudi Arabia and changed his harsh attitude towards segregation Shot to death in 1965 by 3 members of the Nation of Islam

Black Nationalism Belief in the separate identity and racial unity of the African American community

Nation of Islam Also called the Black Muslims Taught that Allah would bring about a Black Nation A union among non-white people Had to know one’s enemy (white society)

Stokely Carmichael Originally a part of SNCC and helped lead the March on Washington with Martin Luther King, Jr. After a number of run-ins with police and experiencing police brutality, he became more militant Started the Black Power movement

Black Panthers Founded by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton in Oakland, CA Wanted African Americans to lead their own communities Federal government needed to rebuild the nation’s ghettos Offered free day care centers and free breakfast programs Known for their lack of trust in police

Tragedy in 1968 Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated in 1968 Robert Kennedy is assassinated in 1968 Civil Rights Movement slows