Civil rights/African American/racial tensions Flashcards
(10 cards)
What were the zoot suit riots?
The Zoot Suits riots (1943)- What/When: A series of violent clashes in Los Angeles between U.S. servicemen and young Mexican American men wearing “zoot suits.”
-Context: Wartime tensions over race, labor, and patriotism, especially in areas with large minority populations. Many white Americans saw the flamboyant zoot suits as unpatriotic during rationing.
-Significance: Highlighted racial tensions and discrimination against Mexican Americans. It revealed the limits of the “Good War” narrative at home and exposed deep divisions in American society during WWII.
What were the freedom rides?
The Freedom Rides (1961) - What/When: Civil rights protests where Black and white activists rode interstate buses into the segregated South to test Supreme Court rulings.
Context: Organized by CORE and SNCC to challenge non-enforcement of desegregation rulings like Boynton v. Virginia (1960).
Significance: Drew national attention to the South’s defiance of federal law and helped prompt federal intervention. Cemented the role of direct action in the civil rights movement.
Who was A. Philip Randolph?
-A. Philip Randolph (1963)- What/When: Influential African American labor leader and civil rights activist, head of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.
-Context: Pushed Roosevelt to issue Executive Order 8802 in 1941, banning discrimination in defense industries, by threatening a mass March on Washington.
-Significance: Pioneered the strategy of using nonviolent pressure and economic protest for civil rights. Also helped lay the groundwork for the 1963 March on Washington.
Who was Anita Hill?
Anita Hill (1991)-What/When: Law professor who accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment during his confirmation hearings.
Context: Testified before an all-male Senate Judiciary Committee, sparking national debates on gender, power, and workplace harassment.
Significance: Galvanized the feminist movement and helped usher in the “Year of the Woman” in 1992. Her testimony exposed systemic issues around sexual harassment and representation.
What happened at Jackson State?
The Jackson State shootings (1970)- What/When: Police shot and killed two Black students during a protest at Jackson State College in Mississippi.
Context: Occurred 11 days after the Kent State shootings; students were protesting racial injustice and the Vietnam War.
Significance: Less media attention than Kent State, highlighting racial disparities. Became a key event in the era of student protest and Black activism.
What was the SNCC?
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (1960–1970s) What/When: Civil rights organization formed by student activists to fight segregation and racism through direct action.
Context: Grew out of sit-ins and partnered with SCLC and CORE; played major roles in the Freedom Rides and Freedom Summer.
Significance: Demonstrated the power of grassroots activism. Later adopted more militant stances under leaders like Stokely Carmichael, signaling shifts in the civil rights movement.
What was Executive Order 9066?
Executive Order 9066 (1942) What/When: Presidential order signed by FDR authorizing the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII.
Context: Issued after Pearl Harbor, amid fears of Japanese sabotage and espionage on the West Coast.
Significance: Led to the forced relocation of over 110,000 people, most of them U.S. citizens. Widely seen today as a grave civil liberties violation based on racial prejudice.
What was Extraordinary Rendition
Extraordinary Rendition (1990s–2000s) What/When: U.S. practice of covertly detaining and transferring suspected terrorists to foreign countries for interrogation.
Context: Expanded after 9/11 as part of the War on Terror.
Significance: Controversial for its use of torture and lack of due process. Sparked major debates over human rights and national security.
Who was Marcus Garvey?
Marcus Garvey (1920’s)- What/When: Jamaican-born Black nationalist and founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in the 1920s.
Context: Emerged in the context of post-WWI racial violence and disillusionment with slow progress on civil rights. Advocated Pan-Africanism and Black economic independence.
Significance: Inspired later Black nationalist movements and ideas of Black pride and self-reliance. Though controversial, Garvey remains a foundational figure in African American history.
What was the Birther Movement?
The Birther Movement (2008) What/When: Conspiracy theory claiming President Barack Obama was not born in the U.S.
Context: Gained traction among right-wing figures; Donald Trump became a leading voice in the movement.
Significance: Reflected racial anxieties and the rise of post-truth politics. Undermined Obama’s legitimacy and signaled growing political polarization.
