The issue of civil rightt Flashcards
(14 cards)
African americans on the front line
-fought for their country in segregated units (black only units following jim crow laws)
-before ‘44, Blacks not allowed to combat in the marines, only transport supplies, used as cooks and labourers
-navy only accepted blacks as mess men
-Us air force wouldn’t accept black pilots until formation of the AfAm flight group (tuskegee airmen), end of war 1000 black pilots
what did truman ban following the direct consequences of the contribution of blacks to war effort
He banned “separate but equal” when recruiting, training and service in the army, air force and marine corps
what did roosevelt set up, freeing race riots
A fair employment practice committee which banned discrimination against blacks in factories used by the government when producing war goods
what happened following the fair employment practice committee
-Massive step for the black community
-‘44 nearly 2m blacks working in factories
-NAACP 50,000 members-450,000 during the war
what did truman propose following the good war effort of blacks?
He proposed an anti lynching bill and got rid of blacks having to prove they pay tax in order to vote—-> didn’t happen due to opposition of dixiecrats
-his support encouraged the NAACP
Brown vs topeka
-‘52 20 US states had segregated public schools
-linda brown had to walk 20 blocks to her school in topeka, Kansas. although there was a white school a few blocks away from her home
-her dad, oliver brown, with help from NAACP took board of education to court
-lost case, NAACP took case to supreme court
-54’, supreme court ruled that racial segregation in public school went against the US constitution
-souther states continued to ignore the ruling
Little rock high school, arkansas
-‘57, 9 black students, led by elizabeth eckford, attempted to enter the white only central high school in little rock
-governor of Arkansas, faubus, surrounded school with guards to prevent them from entering
-Eisenhower responded by sending 1000 troops from the 101st airborne to protect the students for the rest of school year
-8/8 graduated
-however, by ‘64 less than 2% of blacks attended multi-racial schools
James meredith case
-‘62, supreme court upheld a federal court decision to force mississippi uni to accept the black students JM
-prevented to register for admission buy mississippi governor
-riots broke out and kenneds sent in 2000 troops to restore order
-300 soldiers remained on the uni campus to correct meredith until he graduated 3 years later
montgomery bus boycott
-considered to be start of civil rights movement
-law stated blacks had to sit at backs of bus
-rosa parks, NAACP activist, refused to give up her seat—> arrested and convicted or breaking bus laws
-local civil rights activists set up montgomery improvement association led by MLK
-the group organised a boycott; deliberately avoiding using busses, arranged private transportation to ppl
-civil rights lawyers fought her case in court, supreme court declared the old laws illegal
-beginning of non violent protests
The freedom rides
-segregation still existed in interstate buses
-members of CORE began protests in the southern states
-deliberately rode on racist bus companies that ignored the laws banning segregation
-first freedom rides began at washington with plans to finish at new orleans
-bus attacked and burnt by white racists, beating up several freedom riders—> no police protection for them
-27 freedom riders jailed for 67 days for sitting in white only section of bus
-continued against much violence—> 70,000 students taking part with 4000 arrested
MLK significance and role
-led montgomery bus boycott
-led the souther christian leadership conference
-“i have a dream speech” on march on washington to a crowd of 250,000 ppl
-peaceful protests
civil rights act
-racial discrimination banned in employment
-black students given rights to enter all public places
-equal employment opportunities set up to investigate companies of discrimination
Voting rights act
-stopped racial discrimination over the right to vote
-ended literacy tests
supreme court ruling
-supreme court ruled that state laws banning interracial marriages were unconstitutional
