Civil Rights Flashcards
What was the Supreme courts ruling after plessy vs Ferguson? This became the ……. … ….. doctrine
It said that if the conditions for blacks and whites were equal, then it was constitutional
Separate but equal
How much did the government spend on white only schools compared to black only schools?
They spent three times as much on white schools
What three events somewhat removed segregation in education?
-brown vs Topeka
-little rock
-James Meredith
Why did brown vs Topeka happen?
Linda Browns parents wanted her to go to a neighbourhood school rather than a black school further away
Brown vs Topeka: Who presented evidence to the Supreme Court about why segregated schools created low self esteem and mental health issues?
Lawyers from the NAACP led by Thurgood Marshall
Brown vs Topeka: when was Chief Justice Warren’s ruling after being presented with the evidence from the NAACP and what was it?
-it took 18 months
-he said “separate educational facilities are inherently inequal”
Brown vs Topeka: What was the problem with the judgement made by Supreme Court about education?
They didn’t specify how integration should be carried out. Just that it should happen at the “earliest possible speed”
Brown vs Topeka: after the ruling some areas began do desegregate - how many black children were attending formerly white schools in 1957?
300,000
Brown vs Topeka: despite some black children attending mixed schools, how many black children were still attending Jim Crow schools in 1957?
2.4 million
Brown vs Topeka: how many senators and congressmen from the southern states signed a manifesto that opposed intergration in education after the ruling ?
100
Brown vs Topeka: what negative thing happened for two years after this case?
More than 450 laws were passed that were aimed at preventing the brown decision from being enforced and President Eisenhower did little to encourage intergration
After the Brown vs Topeka decision, Little Rock High School……
Decided to allow nine black students to enrol
What happened when the Little Rock Nine, led by Elizabeth Eckford, tried to enter school on 3rd September 1957?
They were prevented by the state governor, Orval Faubus, who ordered national guardsmen to block their entry
What was Faubus’ reasoning behind blocking the Little Rock nine’s entry from school?
He said there would be public disorder if black students tried to enrol
Little Rock Nine: what happened on the fourth of September?
-the national guard was removed by the order or Faubus so the students entered while being heckled by a white crowd
-at midday the students went home under police supervision becuase it was unsafe for them
-this was covered by press and television
What was President Eisenhower’s reaction to the events at Little Rock?
-he sent the 101st Airbourne division consisting of over 1,000 federal troops to Little Rock to protect the students for the rest of the school year
-each student was assigned a personal guard from the 101st who followed them around school
-the 101st patrolled outside the school and escorted the students in
Little Rock: what did Faubus do despite the President’s intervention?
He closed all Arkansas schools the following year to prevent intergration - they reopened in 1959 following a Supreme Court ruling that said schools must integrate
What was the significance of Little Rock?
-the issue of civil rights was now at the heart of American politics
-many citizens saw the racial hatred that existed in the southern states
-demonstrated that states would be overruled by the federal government when necessary
When did the Supreme Court uphold that Mississippi university had to accept James Meredith?
1962
How did Kennedy aid James Meredith in his pursuit to attend university?
-sent 320 federal marshals to escort him onto campus
What happened when James Meredith attended university? What was Kennedy’s reaction to this?
There were riots in which:
-two people were killed
-166 Marshals and 210 demonstrators were injured
Kennedy sent 2,000 troops to restore order and 300 soldiers had to remain on campus until he finished his degree three years later
When and what did Rosa Parks do that sparked the Montgomery bus boycott?
-1955
-refused to give up her seat when law stated that black people had to give up their seats for white people if the bus was full
-Parks was arrested
Who was Jo Ann Robinson?
She led a group of students in printing leaflets and encouraging the bus boycott
What was the MIA? Who was chosen to be their leader and why?
-the Montgomery Imrpovement Association
-Martian Luther King Jr because because he was new to Montgomery so the authorities knew little of him
What happened during the bus boycott?
-many Montgomery citizens walked to work causing the bus companies to lose money
-those boycotting were helped by black taxi companies and as it progressed churches bought cars for people
-however this caused problems because when they were waiting for lifts, they would be harassed by police who said they wanted to “prevent crowds” and many drivers were arrested for minor traffic violations
When did the bus boycott end and why?
-December 1956
-the Supreme Court upheld the federal courts decision that segregation was unconstitutional
-King and Abernathy travelled on a segregated bus
What was the importance of the bus boycott?
-showed that unity and solidarity would win
-showed the benefits of using a peaceful approach: brought King’s philosophy to the fore
-showed the economic power of the black community when the busses experienced economic difficulty
Describe the events of the Greensboro sit ins
-in February 1960, 4 back students decided to sit at a white-only lunch counter in a store in Greensboro
-on being refused, they sat there until the shop shut
-the next day there were 27 more black students sat at the counter
-by the fifth day there were 300 black students sat at the counter
-the shop agreed to make a few concessions
-some students were arrested for trespassing
-all the students immediately boycotted any shop in Greensboro that had segregated lunch counters
-sales immediately dropped and eventually segregation ended
What did sit-ins lead to?
The technique was used to allow black people to use other public facilities like movie theatres
This also led to what became known as freedom rides
Why were the freedom rides set up?
CORE wanted to test how well the supreme courts decision that all busses and bus terminals should be integrated was being carried out
Describe the first of the freedom rides?
-May 1961
-James Farmer and 12 volunteers left Washington by bus to travel to New Orleans
-it was fine until they reached Anniston, Alabama and a bus was attacked and burnt
-in Montgomery white racists beat several freedom riders
-in Jackson, freedom riders were arrested
Who was James Farmer?
The national director of CORE
What happened to the 27 freedom riders from the SNCC and SNLC who sat in the white only section of a bus station in Jackson, Mississippi?
They were jailed 67 days
What happened as a result of the freedom riders?
-In September 1961 the interstate commerce commission issued a regulation that ended racial segregation in bus terminals
what happened in Malcom X’s childood that caused his white-hatred?
-white supremicists killed his father and destroyed his home
-his mother went to a mental hospital becuase of this and Malcom and his siblings were orphaned
-he was told by a white teacher that his dreams were unrealistic
what was the group that never suppourted King’s ideas that Malcom became a part of? what did its suppourters belive in?
-the nation of islam
-beleived in speratism and changed their slave surnames to ‘X’
what changed with Malcom X after his pilagramadge to Mecca?
-prior to this trip, he felt that violence could be justified if it was done out of self defence and as a means to secure a seperate black nation
-after he saw muslims of different races interacting as equals, he believed that islam could be the means by which racial problems could be overcome
what organisations/people were formed off the back of Malcom X’s views?
-black power
-black panthers
-Stokely Carmichael
who did Malcom X set up education and social programmes for?
black youth living in ghettos
why did many members of mainstream civil rights groups not like the nation of islam?
they belived it promoted a “white hatred doctrine” that was as dangerous as any white supremacist group
what did SNCC and Carmichael belive/want?
they wanted black americans to take responsibility for their lives and reject white help
they wanted black americans to create their own polictical force so they wouldnt have to rely on organisations like the NAACP
wanted black americans to have pride in their African heritage - black power
what did Carmichael become a part of when he left SNCC?
the black panthers
why did Carmichael attract criticism?
becuase of his agressive atittude and was attacked when he denounced the involvement of USA in the Vietnam War
what organisation did King set up that promoted the ideas of non-voilent protest?
the SCLC (southern christian leadership conference)
what was one of the main projects of the SLCL? did they succeed?
tried to increase the number of black voters with the ‘Crusade for Citizenship”
this failed as it did not win suppourt from other civil rights groups and it was too ambitious to enfranchise 2 million black Americans
what sparked the march on birmingham?
in order to avoid desegregation in the city of Birmingham, Alabama they jus shut all of the parks, playgrounds and swimming pools
what did King and the SLCL do to chanllenge segregation in Birmingham?
they planned sit-ins and marches
of the 350,000 population, 150,000 were black - they hoped to mobilise these black people
