Political Response

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Political ResponseAngela BrownChapter 29 Section 3

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Kennedy on Civil Rights • During the presidential campaign Kennedy

won many African American votes with bold rhetoric.

• October 1960 King arrested in Alabama, sentenced to four months of hard labor – family feared for his life in prison.

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Corretta Scott King• Kennedy called

Coretta and offered help.

• Robert Kennedy persuaded Alabama sentencing judge to release King on bail.

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King and Kennedy (Robert)

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• Many African Americans switched votes from Nixon to Kennedy – crucial in slim margin

• In office moved slowing not to alienate southern democrats yet appointed a number of African Americans to prominent positions.

• Violent response to Freedom Rides in 1961 embarrassed JFK when he met with Khrushchev – whole world had watched the brutality

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• After Birmingham introduced stronger civil rights bill to prohibit segregation in public places and wherever federal funding was involved, advanced school desegregation.

• Southern segregationists in Congress kept bill from coming to a vote.

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The March on Washington • The March on Washington August 1963

200,000 people, religious leaders, celebrities including A. Philip Randolph, James Baldwin, Sammy Davis, Jr. Jackie Robinson marched to bring attention to Kennedy’s Civil Rights Bill.

• March was peaceful and orderly – songs and speeches – Martin Luther King Jr. gave “I have a dream” speech

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March on Washington 1963

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9http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/treasures_of_congress/Images/page_24/74a+b.jpg

http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/about_king/chronology/graphics/big/630828-049.jpg

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I Have A Dream!!!

http://www.usconstitution.com/kingsmarchonwashington.jpg

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Johnson on Civil Rights • Texan voted against Civil Rights in early

career.• As Senate majority leader he worked to get

a Civil Rights bill passed in 1957.• Used his political skills to pass

Kennedy’s bill.• House passed, Senate filibuster –

unlimited day and night debate

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Civil Rights Act Signing

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• Enlisted Republican Minority leader Everett Dirksen to support cloture – a 3/5th vote to limit debate and call for a vote

• June 1964 Senate voted for cloture – the bill passed with support from both parties

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Turning Point: The Civil Rights Act • Civil Rights Act of 1964 – gave Justice

Department authority to act in school segregation and voting rights cases

• 1.Title I – banned different voter registrations standards

• 2.Title II prohibited discrimination in public accommodations

• 3.Title VI withholding of federal funds from programs that discriminate

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• 4. Title VII – banned discrimination on basis of race, sex, religion, or national origin by employers and unions (sex – added last minute to make it harder to pass)

• 5. Title VII created Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to investigate charges of Job discrimination

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Freedom Summer

• 1964 – major Civil Rights groups organized a voter registration drive in Mississippi

• Ku Klux Klan held rallies to intimidate volunteers.

• 3 Workers Murdered: James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Micheal Schwerner – bodies finally found by FBI – Mississippi Burning

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Voter Registration Drive

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The Klan

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Mississippi Burning

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http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/price&bowers/price&bowers.htm

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• 80 mob attacks – beaten up and a few shot – African American churches and homes burned and fire bombed – a thousand were arrested

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The Democratic Convention

• Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) – Mississippi voters and SNCC organized – sent delegates to Democratic National Convention in 1964 stated they were the rightful representatives.

• The MFDP rejected an offer by President Johnson to seat two MFDP delegates and change the rules for the 1968 convention to eliminate discrimination.

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The Selma March

• 1965 police were arresting people just for standing in line to register to vote.

• King and others organized a protest march from Selma to Capital, Montgomery (50 Miles).

• Armed state troopers on horseback charged into the crowd with whips, clubs, and tear gas.

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• President Johnson put the Alabama National Guard under federal control – sent them, federal marshals, and army helicopters to protect march route.

• Supporters from all over country flocked to join – 25,000 people

24http://library.agnesscott.edu/images/selma-march.jpg

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Selma March

http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/Press.hom/images/selmamarchbig.jpg

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The Voting Rights Act • President Johnson went on TV promising a new

law to protect voting rights.• Despite filibuster Congress passed Voting

Rights Act of 1965 that summer.• Federal officials could register voters in places

where local officials were blocking registration.• Act eliminated literacy tests.• 1966 more than 400,000 African Americans

registered to vote in deep south.

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Legal Landmarks • Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights

Act of 1965 and 24th Amendment, ratified in 1964 (barring poll tax) created an entirely new voting population in the South.