The Triumphs of a Crusade Chapter 29 Section 2

I Riding For Freedom A. New Volunteers CORE Freedom Riders test SC case that ended segregation on busses Beat up riders and firebombed the bus  end Freedom Ride SNCC volunteers continue and ride to Birmingham (Alabama) Police Com. Pull them off the bus & beat them take them to Tenn. Return to bus term. And sit in white only waiting term. Refused service until Robert Kennedy calls set off to Montgomery

Kennedy promised riders protection but no police at terminal Angry white mob w/ weapons instead  Nat'l media attention that denounces the beatings JFK sends US Marshalls to protect riders on the rest of journey ICC ends segregation in all interstate travel facilities

II Standing Firm A. Integrating Ole Miss James Meredith wins SC case allowing him to attend the all white University of Mississippi AKA Ole Miss Gov refuses to allow him to register JFK follows precedent used by Eisenhower in Little Rock & sends Marshalls to escort Meredith  riots on campus (2 deaths) Federal officials protect him on campus and his parents at home

B. Heading to Birmingham Birmingham was city known for its strict enforcement of total segregation in public life Reputation for racial violence MLK & SCLC invited to help desegregate the city MLK leads march into Birmingham on Good Friday  Pol. Com. Arrests them MLK writes open letter to white rel. leaders

Next day another group of children march  fire hosed on Nat'l TV Posts bail & organizes over a thousand children march in Birmingham (the “Children’s Crusade”)  arrested Next day another group of children march  fire hosed on Nat'l TV Beat other and set dogs loose on them These protests, econ. Boycott, & neg. media attention  end of segregation in Birmingham Also convinced JFK that only a civil rights act would end the disorder and satisfy Af. Amer.

III Marching to Washington A. A Dream of Equality JFK demands congress pass a civil rights bill Proposes one that guaranteed equal access to pub. Accommodations & gave US attorney power to file school desegregation suits March on Washington (more than 250,000 ppl) including 75,00 whites MLK stops reading written speech and improvises “I have a dream” speech http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vDWWy4CMhE

B. More Violence 2 weeks after MLK’s speech bombing at Birmingham church kills 4 girls 2 months later JFK assassinated  JBJ carries his legacy & gets Civil Rights Act of 1964 Prohibited discrimination because of race, religion, national origin, and gender giving access to public accommodations to all (libraries/parks, restaurants/etc.)

IV Fighting for Voting Rights A. Freedom Summer CORE & SNCC plan voting rights campaign that would gain Nat'l publicity  Congress to pass voting rights act Project known as Freedom Summer focused on Mississippi White college students recruited & taught non violence resistance tech. 1,000 vol. (mostly white & 1/3 women) went to Miss to help the maj. Af. Amer. SNCC register voters Disappearance of 3 civ. Rights workers no action by congress

B. The Selma Campaign SCLC conducts major campaign in Selma (Alabama) were SNCC had been for 2 yrs. Af. Amer. More than ½ of pop but only 3% of voters MLK hoped that Selma Campaign would provoke a hostile white response  convince LBJ to sponsor a fed. Voting rights law Demonstrator shot and killed  50 mile march from Selma to state cap. Of Montgomery TV news bulletins interrupt TV scheduling to show extreme violence against marchers demonstrators pouring into Selma LBJ urges congress to quickly pass new voting rights act

D. Voting Rights Act of 1965 10 weeks after Selma to Montgomery march Congress passes Voting Rights Act of 1965 Eliminates the literacy test that disqualified many voters Fed officials can enroll voters denied by state officials Af. Amer voters – Selma 10% 60% in 4 yrs. & tripled in S Huge civil rights victory BUT centuries of segregation and discrimination produced deep rooted SOCIAL & ECONOMIC inequalities  erupt in violence in Northern cities