What Was The Impact of Black Americans Fight For Civil Rights, c1955-80

Question 1

What did the Montgomery bus boycott bring to civil rights?

Answer 1

A new leader and a shift in way campaigns were run

Question 2

What did a shift in civil rights tactics do?

Answer 2

Major issue caught eye of world more, TV allowed them to see the brutality

Question 3

Changing patterns and approaches, 1955-68

What were civil rights campaigners aware of post 1955?

Answer 3

Issue of putting themselves in public eye, choosing a cause, and people involved, very carefully

Question 4

Changing patterns and approaches, 1955-68

Why did the local Montgomery Bus Boycott in Alabama become huge news?

Answer 4

The medias imagination was caught by a combo of stubborn city gov, a charismatic leader, and determined black population

Question 5

Changing patterns and approaches, 1955-68

What was the issue of segregated buses?

Answer 5

Been campaigned for since 1900. Had to sit at back of bus, stand if black seats full, give up seats for whites

Question 6

Changing patterns and approaches, 1955-68

What did the Womens Political Council (WPC) in 1954?

Answer 6

Warned the mayor that several local organisations, with NAACP, were considering bus boycott

Question 7

Changing patterns and approaches, 1955-68

Why did the organisers choose their case carefully for the boycott?

Answer 7

Worried how the opposition might make use of their circumstances - e.g. they rejected 15yr old pregnant/unmarried claudette colvin

Question 8

Changing patterns and approaches, 1955-68

Who was Rosa Parks?

Answer 8

A respectable, dignified 42yr old, NAACP member arrested for sitting at front of bus, NAACP took her case

Question 9

Changing patterns and approaches, 1955-68

Who organised the MBB?

Answer 9

Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) formed, and baptist minister MLK jr appointed as leader - right man/right time

Question 10

Changing patterns and approaches, 1955-68

What did the MIA do in organisation of the MBB?

Answer 10

Leafleted/held meetings to publicise the arrest/boycott. Organised transport for people to work

Question 11

Changing patterns and approaches, 1955-68

How many boycotted the buses and how long was it?

Answer 11

75%+ bus users were black, and 90% of them boycotted. Lasted 380 days

Question 12

Changing patterns and approaches, 1955-68

What was MLK careful to do during the MBB?

Answer 12

Follow non-violent protest and keep media informed, media interest grew as it carried on

Question 13

Changing patterns and approaches, 1955-68

What happened to Homes of MLK and NAACP leader ED Nixon?

Answer 13

Firebombed, they begged protestors to stay non-violent though

Question 14

Changing patterns and approaches, 1955-68

What did the city gov do to King and others?

Answer 14

Imprisoned them for conspiracy to boycott, it carried on

Question 15

Changing patterns and approaches, 1955-68

What happened with boycotters jobs?

Answer 15

Many lost them, yet it carried on

Question 16

Changing patterns and approaches, 1955-68

What was response to huge publicity in late 1956?

Answer 16

Supreme court had to act, 13 Dec, they ruled bus desegregation unconstitutional

Question 17

Changing patterns and approaches, 1955-68

When did black people start riding buses again?

Answer 17

21 Dec, the boycott had worked

Question 18

Changing patterns and approaches, 1955-68

What were the setbacks of the MBB?

Answer 18

Hardened racial divide, in next local elections pro segregation candidates elected, 3 days after MLKs home firebombed, snipers shot black bus passengers. Took yrs for violenec to cool

Question 19

Changing patterns and approaches, 1955-68

Who became the face of civil rights movement?

Answer 19

Martin Luther King Jr

Question 20

Changing patterns and approaches, 1955-68

Why did many see MLKs leadership of civil rights as unfair?

Answer 20

He worked hard, but so did others, he got media attention they didnt. The more attention he got, more prominent he became

Question 21

Changing patterns and approaches, 1955-68

Why was MLK very media conscious?

Answer 21

Refined non-violent protests to create the best media impression

Question 22

Changing patterns and approaches, 1955-68

What did MLK set up in 1957?

Answer 22

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

Question 23

Changing patterns and approaches, 1955-68

What did MLK do to create a good media impression?

Answer 23

Must always be clear who the opressor is, getting arrested publicly and peacefully - taught people at sit-ins to go limp, accept whites onto the protest

Question 24

Campaigning in the South

What did the focus of civil rights shift to?

Answer 24

Deep South where it was clear who opressor was

Question 25

# Campaigning in the South What did civil rights campaign want to exploit in the South?

Answer 25

How southerners saw no issue in racism and violence, wanted to expose this to world/gov

Question 26

# Campaigning in the South What did the South campaign focus on?

Answer 26

Integrating education, many despite brown v board were still segregated. Particular schools targeted where NAACP had following and strong black community leaders

Question 27

# Campaigning in the South How did they target the schools?

Answer 27

Carefully chose families to apply to them, school boards would choose a few. Same for colleges/unis

Question 28

# Campaigning in the South What was the situation in Arkansas? | Little Rock, Arkansas

Answer 28

Had a racist governor, Faubus, some schools were integrated. Little rock itself integrated buses itself in 1956

Question 29

# Campaigning in the South What happened with 9 black children in 1957? | Little Rock, Arkansas

Answer 29

They were selected to attend a previous all white school. On the first day of school, 4th Sep, Faubus sent the national guard to stop the kids

Question 30

# Campaigning in the South How did the kids get there and what happened? | Little Rock, Arkansas

Answer 30

8 went by car with the NAACP, 1 didnt get the message. National guard turned her away and she was surrounded by a mob shouting 'lynch her', she walked bravely to get the bus

Question 31

# Campaigning in the South What was the reactions to the incident? | Little Rock, Arkansas

Answer 31

Shocked world, MLK had meeting with Eisenhower and stressed political damage and urged intervention

Question 32

# Campaigning in the South What did Eisenhower eventually do? | Little Rock, Arkansas

Answer 32

Reluctantly sent federal troops to guard children going to and from school and in school

Question 33

# Campaigning in the South What was the aftermath of little rock? | Little Rock, Arkansas

Answer 33

Children were subjected to yrs of harassment. NAACP homes firebombed, but the central school was integrated.

Question 34

# Campaigning in the South What did Faubus do to the school after? | Little Rock, Arkansas

Answer 34

Closed it the following year to 'let things cool off', it was eventually integrated

Question 35

# Campaigning in the South What did little rock encourage? | Little Rock, Arkansas

Answer 35

Similar scenes at schools and colleges all over the South. People killed in rioting that accompanied integration

Question 36

# Campaigning in the South What happened on 1st Feb 1960? | Greensboro sit-in

Answer 36

4 black students went into Greensboro department store, went to segregated lunch counter and waited for service

Question 37

# Campaigning in the South How did the black students protest? | Greensboro sitins

Answer 37

Stayed until store shut, came back next day with more, occupied nearly all seats

Question 38

# Campaigning in the South What was the white reaction? | Greensboro sit-in

Answer 38

White youth came to heckle. Media showed calm, well-dressed black students while whites blew smoke, poured food on them etc

Question 39

# Campaigning in the South What happened to the shop eventually? | Greensboro sit-in

Answer 39

Closed after a bomb threat, but it was too late - issue wasnt education, housing etc but freedom in daily life

Question 40

# Campaigning in the South What was the SNCC?

Answer 40

The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), set up in NC in 1960. Racially integrated organisation of young people, believed in non-violence and took training on how to cope with abuse

Question 41

# Campaigning in the South What did the SNCC send out into dangerous parts of the South and why?

Answer 41

'Field secretaries' to live and work there, most important task to drive voter registration - black people needed political power to get attention

Question 42

# Campaigning in the South Where had there been examples of pushes for local voter registration before?

Answer 42

In Atlanta in 1935/6, where mayor said hed provide good street lighting in black areas if theyd vote for him

Question 43

# Campaigning in the South What did the SNCC do with Kings ideas?

Answer 43

Took them a step further, took non-violent protests into violent areas

Question 44

# Campaigning in the South What other groups were involved in SNCC protests?

Answer 44

CORE in protests after Greensboro, NAACP followed more slowly, uncertain but won over by youth councils

Question 45

# Campaigning in the South What was MLK like throughout the SNCCs journey?

Answer 45

Threaded his way, speaking, advising and encouraging

Question 45

# Campaigning in the South What were the freedom rides? | Freedom rides

Answer 45

In 1961, CORE and SNCC in the South rode on buses organised by James Farmer (CORE) to test whether bus restrooms had been desegregated - should of been after 1961 Supreme Court Ruling

Question 46

# Campaigning in the South What did the freedom riders know about deeper South? | Freedom Rides

Answer 46

Less likely to be desegregated and more likely to be met with violence

Question 47

# Campaigning in the South How were the rides planned and why? | Freedom rides

Answer 47

Intention of provoking crisis - publicity would affect world view of USA. Felt desparate measures only way for gov enforcement

Question 48

# Campaigning in the South What happened on the first rides? | Freedom rides

Answer 48

First 2 buses attacked and riders beaten at every stop

Question 49

# Campaigning in the South What happened in Anniston, Alabama? | Freedom rides

Answer 49

One of the buses firebombed after being chases by 50 cars. All survivded, but media showed shocking violence

Question 50

# Campaigning in the South What happened after the Anniston incident? | Freedom rides

Answer 50

Buses kept coming, freedom riders imprisoned in Montgomery/Birmingham, 3 killed, others kept riding

Question 51

# Campaigning in the South What was Birmingham Alabama nicknamed and why? | Birmingham, 1963

Answer 51

'Bombingham' due to regularity of black instiutions firebombed

Question 52

# Campaigning in the South What did MLK and SCLC push for in 1963? | Birmingham, 1963

Answer 52

Desegregation of the whole town of Birmingham, King knew it would provoke violence but seeing SNCC/CORE it worked

Question 53

# Campaigning in the South | Birmingham, 1963

Question 54

# Campaigning in the South When did the campaign start? | Birmingham, 1963

Answer 54

April 3rd, handing out leaflets with specific reference to american dream

Question 55

# Campaigning in the South What were some of their tactics? | Birmingham, 1963

Answer 55

Get arrested, by end of month jails were full

Question 56

# Campaigning in the South What did they do with the children? | Birmingham 1963

Answer 56

Trained in protest tactics, when they marched racist police chief

Question 57

# Campaigning in the South What was the reaction to the police brutaility in Birmingham? | Birmingham, 1963

Answer 57

Pictures shocked the world, JFK felt ashamed - sent in federal troops to calm the situation

Question 58

# Campaigning in the South Was the Birmingham campaign a success? | Birmingham, 1963

Answer 58

Yes, Birmingham was desegregated after. Publicity from it factor in JFK pressing forward on civil rights legislation.

Question 59

# Campaigning in the South What did a Poll show after Birmingham | Birmingham, 1963

Answer 59

42% felt race was USAs most pressing problem (4% in 1962)

Question 60

# Campaigning in the South What happened after Birmingham in 1963? | Birmingham, 1963

Answer 60

The March on Washington, showed the scale of civil rights activism, speakers like MLK, famous singers. Hundreds of thousands marched and watched MLKS 'I have a dream speech'

Question 61

# Campaigning in the South What did the SNCC do in 1964? | Freedom summer, 1964

Answer 61

Push for voter registration (election yr) by sending large numbers to the South

Question 62

# Campaigning in the South What was the volunteering like in the start? | Freedom Summer, 1964

Answer 62

Had some, to encourage black people