Ghettos + Chicago Flashcards
(29 cards)
What was life like in ghettos?
Life in ghettos was very unpleasant, characterized by extreme poverty and inadequate housing.
What percentage of black people in ghettos finished school?
Only 32% of black people who lived in ghettos finished school.
What was the unemployment rate for black people in ghettos?
Ghettos had mass unemployment, with 46% of the unemployed being black, despite black people only accounting for 10% of the total population.
What significant event occurred in the Watts ghetto in 1965?
Riots broke out in the Watts ghetto, resulting in 34 dead, 1,000 injured, and 3,500 rioters and looters arrested.
What was the financial impact of the Watts ghetto riots?
$40 million dollars of damage was caused by black mobs, primarily targeting white businesses.
How did Martin Luther King become involved with the ghetto?
Martin Luther King became involved with the people in the ghetto after the Watts riots.
What did Martin Luther King focus on in 1966?
He turned his attention to the poverty faced by those who lived in Chicago’s ghettos.
How many black people lived in Chicago’s ghettos in 1966?
700,000 black people suffered unemployment, poor housing, and a lack of quality education.
What issue did black children face regarding education in Chicago?
There were not enough schools for black children, so they had to attend school in shifts.
What was King’s campaign focused on in Chicago?
He campaigned to end ghetto living and stop discrimination in housing sales to black people.
What action did King take to highlight living conditions in ghettos?
He moved into the West Side ghetto and brought reporters to see the horrific living situation.
What did King do with the SCLC in Chicago?
He brought members in to renovate a large slum building and invited the press to watch.
What was the outcome of King’s campaign in Chicago?
The campaign wasn’t a great success; even his family found living in ghettos almost unbearable.
What actions did black people take in response to living conditions?
They protested in the streets, which led to many being arrested.
What was King’s role during the protests?
He calmed the protests and worked to get protesters released from prison.
What improvements did King persuade the Mayor of Chicago to make?
He managed to persuade the Mayor to make fire hydrants and pools available.
What concerns did white residents of Chicago have regarding black residents?
They claimed to fear a drop in their house prices if black people lived near them.
What did CORE attempt to do in white neighborhoods?
They tried to carry out peaceful marches to expose the plight of black people.
How did white residents react to the marches?
Marchers were met with abuse, and crowds threw stones at them.
What happened to King during the protests?
He was hit by stones, and authorities labeled him as an agitator of violence.
What was one reason for the limited impact of campaigns in Chicago?
Many residents in ghettos were divided on the best course of action to advance their cause.
What were the differing views among residents regarding action in Chicago?
Some residents turned to more radical solutions, while others disliked mass action, perceiving it as ‘trouble-making’.
How did the government respond to the actions in Chicago?
The government did not support the actions, focusing more attention on the Vietnam War, which King criticized.
