Johnsons civil rights Flashcards
why was civil rights relevant to johnson
he had promised racial equality in his great society
why did johnson want to pass civil rights legislation (3)
- bound by kennedy legacy and duty
- told roy wilkins (NAACP leader) no longer bound by Texas so could serve all of America
- would help south to reintegrate (help them economically since it would be easier for af-ams to get jobs)
how did the civil rights act 1964 get passed? (4)
-black activists drew attention to injustices
-the NAACP, trade unions and churches, lobbied congress incessantly
-important congressional leaders, like democrat Hubert Humphrey, worked hard on the bill.
-Kennedy legacy
what did johnson do to pass the civil rights bill
- appealed to self interest of Southerners (working)
- spent time breaking filibuster
- emotive appeals
what did johnson say to the Dixiecrats to convince them to approve bill
-that the civil rights bill would level the playing field so there was no excuses left for their inferiority.
how much of the population supported civil rights legislation
68%
- harder for congress to ignore now
- increased after Birmingham and back activists drawing more attention to it - media
hat did the civil rights act 1964 do?
it made all forms of de jure segregation a federal crime, meaning perpetrators would no longer benefit from the bias of the state courts
it further school desegregation and set up the equal opportunity commission
how many African Americans were on the voting roll in 1964
in 1964, only 6% of African Americans were on the voting rolls.
Why did MLK go to Selma to campaign voters rights
knew the sheriff Jim Clark would react brutally like Bull Connor had
- national publicity and revitalise movement for SCLC and CRM
Explain events in Selma
- unsuccesful at enrolling black voters at Selma Courthouse despite federal judge ruling
- incidents made headlines - trooper shot black youth shielding mother
- King arrested so that he could publicise the event - his letter written in jail got in NYT
- organised march with SNCC to Montgomery
- Bloody Sunday
- sympathetic interracial marches in cities in north
what happened on bloody Sunday
Selma to Montgomery march
- state troopers attacked marchers with clubs and used tear gas
- national criticism and led to sympathetic marches in other cities such as Chicago
explain Voting rights act of 1965
- disallowed literacy tests and questions on state constitutions
- replaced racist southern white registrar with federal registers
what 3 things helped pass the voting rights act
- MLK gained national and international attention in Selma
- communist propaganda emphasised inequality demonstrated at selma
- johnson did a famous speech to persuade congress (equality and freedom and constitution )
how many were arrested in selma?
3000, including King
live snakes were thrown at them
what was the effect of the voting rights act? (3)
dramatic effect in the south,
- by late 1966, only 4 of the old confederate states had fewer than 50% of their black people registered.(Alabama)
-Black people elected to office in the south increased dramatically
-political gain for Johnson’s party, the loss of white voters was made up for new black voters
by 1980, the percentage of af-ams registered to vote was only —% less than whites
7%
limitations of the civil rights acts
- many continued to suffer in poor housing, poor schools, poor job opportunities etc
- inability to get out of poverty trap
- doctors in 1969 reported that black children in missisipi were so hungry they were eating tree bark
what 2 changes limited Johnsons role in passing further legislation after 1965
- cost of Vietnam war - prioritised
- decreased white sympathy after the riots and black violence
how did congress respond to decreased white sympathy after 1965 (2)
1966 rejected administration civil rights bill which would’ve prohibited housing discrimination
joked that Johnsons 1968 bill to help black children in ghettos suffering from rat bites a ‘civil rats bill’ and that he should send an army of cats
how many whites opposed new civil rights legislation in 1966 after the riots
90%
why did an alternative black power movement grow? 2
percentages that compare to whites for both points
-ghetto poverty, only 30% of ghetto pupils finished high school compared to 60% of white children
-50% of unemployed Americans were black even though they only made up 15% of the population
what was the criticism about the key role of SCLC?
-SCLC criticised as being only for the white mans religion
-some people questioned why MLK was desperate to gain white approval and was so desperate to be integrated
how had CORE tried to improve ghetto life?
-core established freedom houses in the ghettos to provide information and advice on education, employment and health
why did Johnsons want integrated housing
- would exacerbate racial tensions
- immoral
why did congress pass the 1968 fair housing act
after kings death they felt they had to respond with a legislative tribute
explain the 1968 fair housing act
prohibited discrimination in sale or rental of houses but was difficult to enforce due to white opposition
who was part of black separatist tradition
Malcom X and Nation of Islam
- considered all whites evil
what were criticisms of the aims of black power?
-some aims were unrealistic e.g talks of a separate back nation within the USA
-some ideas equated with socialism (Black Panthers) which made them unpopular to many as the was too close to communism
-numerous accusations of sexism by black power leaders
what did SNCC activists criticised SCLC and King of
leaving a ‘string of embittered cities’ by their policy of extracting maximum media attention from an event
Why did Malcolm X leave the Nation of Islam?
he was suspended by Elijah Mohammed (leader) after his comments about Kennedy’s death and he learnt Elijah’s extra-marital affairs and left in 1964
