Civil Rights - FP4 - Civil Rights and Voting Rights Act and LBJ Flashcards
CRA: JFK and Civil Rights
June 1963 following Birmingham, stated in national broadcast that he would ask for legislation to bring greater racial equality
Timing of bill coincided with planned confrontation by Alabama Governor Wallace who was planning to refuse to desgregate Uni of Alabama - hope to forestall this confrontation
CRA: Stages to pass
House Rules Committe chaired by Southern Dem delay passage of bill June 1963
Bill stuck in House Judiciary Committe until Nov 1963
LBJ pushed - by Jan 1964 68% of Americans favoured it - Congress could nto ignore this, so despite a 57 day Senate filibuster, the bill passed on July 1964
CRA: How?
Public sympathetic because of media coverage - continued white resistance and violence continued this
Nation saddened by Kennedy’s death - fitting tribute
LBJ tireless in dedication to the bill, exploited mood of the people, used his skills of persuasion to get Repub support, and could get support from some Southerners by virtue of his background
CRA: What did it do?
Barred unequal application fo voter registration requirements, outlawed racial segregation and financial assistance to schools to encourage this - gave federal got tools to end de facto segregation
FEPC set up on permanent basis
Powerful statement of equality
Oct 1965 53 cities formally desegregated to ad to 161 that had already done so, progress even in deep south, 2/3rds of towns in Mississippi and Alabama largely desegregated - only 10% AA in segregated schools 1972
Limited economic progress
Race riots in Watts LA, Aug 1965, 34 killed, 238 other outbreaks of violence to come in the next 3 years
VRA: Causes - Freedom Summer
SNCC politicised many poor black Mississippians to develop new grassroots leaders and bring their suffering to national attention
SNCC set up Mississippi Freedom Democratic Part as an alternative to white dominated state party - resulted in 2 primaries to elect delegates for the Dem Party Congress
LBJ comprimise MFDP delegates honoured guests but no voting power - rejected
Signalled a breakdown between radical groups and federal - use of more militant tactics
VRA: Selma - Aims
Gain national publicity
only 23 blacks in Selma registered to vote, in Dallas County(in which Selma is located) - 335 blacks registered compared to 9500 whites (despite 57% black pop) - encourage and bring issue of voting to the fore
VRA: Selma - Events
18th Jan 1965 - 400 black people apply to register to vote
1st Feb - King is arrested without 700 other for illegal parade
7th Mar - 1st attempted march to Birmingham - Bloody Sunday, attacked using tear gas and horses - national publicty
9th Mar - 2nd attempted March - Death of white paster James Reeb - Alabama governer wallace agrees to allow 3rd march after speaking to LBJ and to protect marchers
21st mar 3rd march to Montgomery 25,000 join, successful
VRA: Selma - Impacts
Pressure and publicity for VRA
Cooperation between administration and Civil Rights at a peak
BUT black divisions - SNCC angry as SCLC seemingly stirred up trouble then left, without sharing funds raised
Anger at differing public reaction to black deaths than to James Reeb’s death
VRA: LBJ
Rallying cry in famous speech 15th Mar - long search for federal support vindicated
VRA: What and Why?
Increased registration - more blacks in governmental positions
Henry first AA to be elected mayor of American city in Springfield, Ohio 1966, 1067 Hatcher, Mayor of Gary Indiana, Stokes Mayor of Cleveland Ohio
Outlawed literacy tests and several southern states forced to seek federal approval before changing election laws
By end of 1965 250,000 new black voters added to electorates of Southern states, by 1968 number of southern black registered voters from 1m before act to 3.1m
Blacks in office in south x6 1965-9, then x2 ‘80
Mississippi 6.7% to 60.8% registered 1964-9
VRA: LBJ’s other legislation
Elementary and Secondary Education Act 1965 - to help children out of ghettos - huge benefits of funding in poorer states like Mississippi - but officials and ghetto peer pressure limited impact
Higher Education Act 1965 - no of black college students x4 within a decade
Social Security Act set up Medicare and Medicaid 1965 - black infant mortality halved in a decade
LBJ’s other legislation
Programmes disproportionately helped AA but large amounts of funds given to them caused anger with white politicians who complained about corruption
LBJ and Civil Rights: How?
Johnson manipulated federal funding, in doing so was able to increased the numbers of students attending desegregated schools x3
Barbara Jordan special adviser, 1967 first black SC judge, Thurgood Marshall
1965 Howard Uni speech = affirmative action
LBJ and Civil Rights: Limited
1966 70% of white voters opposed large numbers of blacks living in their neighbourhod
Local officials reluctant to cooperate
Ghetto riots, black power and white backlash - riots caused by MLK eath in 100 cities, 46 deaths, 3000 injuries, 27,000 arrests, $45m damage to property
1965 88% whites advocated black self-improvement
1966 90% opposed new civil rights legislation
Vietnam, rising taxes and attempting the impossible - just too fast?
Fair Housing Act
Apr 1968 - Wave of emotion, riots and looting in more than 100 cities increased pressure on Congress
LBJ introduced bill, arguing it would be a fitting testament to MLK, and fought to pass it before King’s funeral
Extended federal protection to civil rights workers, expanded to address racial discrimination in housing prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental and financing of housing based on protected charicteristics
