The Civil Rights Struggle Continues

The Civil Rights Struggle ContinuesCh. 21, Sec 4, 5

Kennedy & Civil Rights• Martin Luther King arrested in Georgia,

sentenced to 4 months hard labor.• While running for President in 1960, John F.

Kennedy (Democrat)persuaded Georgia to release King on bail.– Many black citizens switched votes to Kennedy,

helped him barely win election.• As Mass. Senator, JFK voted for civil rights, did

not do much to help.• As President, moved very slowly on civil rights

issues.– Needed support of white Southern Democrats.

• Freedom Rides in 1961 forced JFK into action.– Went on tv, publicly supported civil rights

movement.– Hours later, NAACP official Medgar Evers shot &

killed in Mississippi.• JFK introduced bill prohibiting segregation in

public places, banned discrimination wherever federal funding was used, advanced school desegregation.– Southern Democrats prevented bill from coming

to vote.

• To give support to JFK’s bill, civil rights leaders organized March on Washington August 1963.– 200,000 came from all over USA to call for “jobs &

freedom”.– Speakers/performers-writer James Baldwin,

entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr., Baseball player Jackie Robinson, singers Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul & Mary.

• March was peaceful with no violence.• During March, King gave “I Have A Dream”

speech.• March was great example of civil rights

movement, but did nothing to help move legislation.

James Baldwin

Sammy Davis, Jr.

Jackie Robinson

Joan Baez

Bob Dylan

Peter, Paul, & Mary

• 3 months later, JFK assassinated, Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson sworn in.– Pushed Congress to pass JFK’s civil rights bill to

“honor his memory”.• House passed bill, Senate filibustered.– Used nonstop speeches to prevent vote.– Republicans used cloture to force vote.• Procedure to end debate, call vote.

• June 1964-Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed, became law.

Civil Rights Act of 1964• Included:– Title I-Banned different voter registration

standards for blacks and whites.– Title II-Prohibited discrimination in public places.• Included motels, restaurants, gas stations, theatres,

arenas.– Title VI-Federal funds withheld from programs

practicing discrimination.– Title VII-Banned discrimination based on race, sex,

religion, national origin by employers, unions.• Also created Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission (EEOC)-investigated charges of job discrimination.

• Even with new law, civil rights movement resisted in south.

• 1964-Civil rights groups organized voter registration drive in Mississippi.– Came to be known as Freedom Summer.– Whites angry about law, voter drive, KKK held

rallies to intimidate rights groups.• During Freedom Summer, 80 mob attacks,

volunteers beaten, some shot, 3 murdered.– Black homes & churches firebombed, burned.– Did not stop rights groups.

• Summer 1964-Democratic national convention.– SNCC, new Mississippi voters organized Mississippi

Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), demanded they be seated as true delegates for Mississippi.

– LBJ offered them 2 of 68 seats, promised rules would change for ‘68 convention.• MFDP refused, felt it fell short of goals.

• In Selma, AL, police arrested blacks trying to register to vote.– King, other leaders organized Selma March from Selma

to capital Montgomery, 50 miles.• Attacked by police, mob, beaten, whipped, tear gassed.

– LBJ sent in National Guard, marshals, troops to protect marchers.• Thousands joined marchers-25,000 total.

• Due to Selma March, LBJ & Congress passed Voting Rights Act of 1965.– Federal officials could register voters if local

officials refused.– Ended all literacy tests, barriers to voting.

• 1964-24th Amendment ratified.– Outlawed poll tax, which was still used in south.

Civil rights movement turns angry• Many black citizens felt that movement was

working, but too slowly.– Wanted to take more drastic steps.

• Malcolm Little, known as Malcolm X.– Raised listening to “back-to-Africa” messages.– While in jail for burglary, joined Nation of Islam,

aka Black Muslims.• Viewed whites as oppressive, preached black

separation.

• Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad taught that Allah would create “Black Nation”, a union of all non-whites.

• Malcolm X learned from Muhammad, preached black nationalism-separate identity & racial unity of black community.– X opposed integration, goals of early civil rights leaders.– X eventually broke with Nation of Islam, formed group

Muslim Mosque, Inc.– When X made hajj to Mecca, saw all races worshipping

together.– Changed attitude completely, became willing to work

with other civil rights leaders, whites.• 1985-X assassinated at rally in New York by 3 Nation

of Islam members.

Black Power movement

• SNCC leader Stokely Carmichael was tired of nonviolent protest, being beaten & jailed.– Urged members to carry guns, rejected white

involvement in SNCC.• 1966-SNCC broke with peaceful activists.– Advocated black power-unite, do what it takes to

achieve rights & equality.• Black power movement led to creation of new

organizations.

• Black Panthers formed by Bobby Seale & Huey Newton.– Wanted blacks to lead their own communities.– Wanted gov’t to rebuild ghettos from years of

neglect.– Wanted to fight “police brutality” in ghettos.– Fought police, whites, other civil rights leaders.

• Panthers, SNCC completely split from peaceful groups like NAACP.

Bobby Seale

Huey Newton

Riots• 1965-68, movement turned violent.• 1965-black man pulled over for drunk driving in

Watts, Los Angeles.– Started out friendly, suspect resisted arrest, cop hit

him with baton, led to six days of riots.– Police & national guard eventually regained order, 34

dead, thousands injured.• Riots spread to other cities throughout 1966-67.– Gov’t set up National Advisory Commission on Civil

Disorders.– NACCD said riots due to anger in ghettos.– US was moving toward separate societies-one black,

one white.

1968• King started Poor People’s Campaign, hoping

to help poor.– Felt poverty bred violence.

• April-was in Memphis, TN, offering support to striking garbage workers for better conditions.

• April 4-standing on balcony of hotel, sniper (James Earl Ray?) fired shot, killing King.– Led to riots in 120 cities, 50 dead.– Many now felt peaceful change impossible.

• Senator Robert F. Kennedy continued brother’s legacy of civil rights reform.– Ran for President in 1968.

• June 4, won California primary against Eugene McCarthy.– About midnight, after victory speech, shot & killed

by Sirhan Sirhan in hotel kitchen.• Even though it didn’t always seem like it,

tremendous achievements had been made, and more would come.