African American Civil Rights - AA Groups + Leaders
- Created by: ameliaden98
- Created on: 23-02-16 16:14
1916 - 1927: Marcus Garvey + UNIA
Wanted to create self-help movement
Advocated ideas of separatism, including idea that AAs should migrate back to Africa
Imprisoned + deported for fraud
UNIA fell quickly in popularity
1909 - 1920s: NAACP early years
Some successes, but other failures
Secured win in Guinn v. US
Inspired National Urban League: a group which campaigned against housing + employment discrimination
Many leaders were white --> AAs questioned who should be campaigning for rights
1895 - 1963: W.E.B. DuBois
Created Niagara Movement: sought to restore black voting rights, however never became mass movement + ended quickly
Formed the NAACP in 1908 in response to race riot in Illinois, which ended with burning of many black homes + killing of elderly black man married to white woman
NAACP: purpose of campaigning for civil rights particularly through court system
1884 - 1931: Ida B. Wells
Brought attention to problems of lynching
Travelled to UK + did tours
Raised international awareness
Not successful in getting any anti-lynching laws passed
However, brought attention to issue + caused many to condemn it
1881 - 1915: Booker T. Washington
Began Tuskegee Institute - training college for AA students
Promoted accommodation: idea tha blacks should accept segregation + work towards proving economic worth
Critcs argued he gave into negative views of blacks
Trained thousands as artisans + sent best to universities
Popular with whites
Met with President Roosevelt
1915 - 1930: NAACP
1920: 90,000 members
1930: dropped to 50,000 members
People concerned they were too middle class
Working class felt they weren't dealing with their issues
1920s: Harlem Renaissance
Many AAs migrated North + settled in Harlem
Created new awareness of AA literature + art, and populaised jazz with whites
However: jazz clubs often segregated + blacks consigned to working clubs they could not patronise
1930s - 1940s: NAACP Education Work
Focused on cases relating to "separate but equal" in education
Wanted to prove black educated was not equal + wanted to gain financial support
Didn't want to attempt integration too soon
Success: incrased funding spent on AA students
Success: black teacher pay roughly equal to white teacher pay
1955 - 1956: Montgomery Bus Boycott
Several women, including Rosa Parks, arrested + pulled off buses after refusing to give up seats
MLK appointed leader of Montgomery Improvement Association
Black community boycotted bus system for 382 days
Boycott's economic impact (blacks used buses most) + SC ruling in Browder v. Gayle (ruling that Montgomery bus segregation was unconstitutional) --> led to desegregation of buses
1957: Little Rock Nine
Nine students blocked from Little Rock High School by State National Guard (sent by Faubus) + angry white mob
NAACP filed suit to force integration
Eisenhower eventually sent federal troops to force desegregation
Little Rock fought back + closed its public schools down for a year
Eventually forced to desegregate by SC
1957: SCLC Begins
Founded by MLK, Fred Shuttlesworth, + other Southern religious leaders
Based on idea of non-violent protest
Focused on boycotts + marches
1960: Sits-ins
Led by sutdents around the South
Attempt to force restaurants to desegregate: e.g. Woolworths
Lots of confrontation with whites - some violent
Success: many restaurants desegregated
1960: SNCC Founded
Partially result of success of sit-ins
Founded by college students
Initially focused on non-violent action, although by end of 1960s, many leaders began to advocate self-defence principles
Tended to take direct action protests - sits ins, freedom rides, etc.
1961: Freedom Rides
Led by CORE + SNCC
Group of whites + blacks test effectiveness of laws against segregation on interstate transport
In Anniston - attacked by white mob + bus was burned + many were beaten
Waves of volunteers followed - many were arrested
Lots of international press + Kennedy was horrified
Sent federal marshalls to deal with violence
Strengthened support for desegregated interstate bus travel
1962: James Meredith admitted to Ole Miss
James Meredith tried to gain access to Uni of Mississippi + was denied
Contacted NAACP - got their help for legal case which forced Ole Miss to admit him
Governor of State, Ross Barnett, went on TV to oppose this
Eventually, Kennedy sent in US troops to protect Meredith + force integration
During rioting on campus, two were killed
Meredith successfully registered but have to have 2 federal marshalls guard him in class
1960s: Ella Baker
1930s: ran black voter's registration campaign
1940s: active in NAACP
1957: began to work with King + the SCLC
Disagreement with MLK's leadership style + self promotion
Thought others in the movement deserved more recognition
April 1963: Birmingham Marches
MLK + SCLC chose to march in Birmingham because they knew police chief was v. racist
Wanted to get violent reaction + media attention
MLK arrested - wrote "Letters from a Birmingham Jail" justifying actions of civil disobedience
May: MLK arranged protest with children of nearby school
Violent reaction of police - publicised + shocked many whites
A few concessions made in desegregation in Birmingham - wanted to quell chaois + keep from economic boycott
Made JFK realise he needed to take federal action
August 1963: March on Washington
More than 250,000 people (varying in race + societal group) came together
Demonstrated growth of support for civil rights
MLK's "I have a dream" speech
Meant to highlight need for economic change
Often known for how it led to civil rights desegregation acts
1964: Freedom Summer
Orchestrated by network of civil rights groups
Launched massive effort to register black voters (voting drive)
Happened primarily in the South
Success: increased registration between 66% and 400%
Limitation: 3 civil rights activists murdered (2 white)
February 1965: Malcolm X Shot
Shot to death by members of the Black Muslim faith - he had started to speak out against Muhammed
He had become part of Nation of Islam + preached that Christianity was faith of slavery + white man
Advocated right to self-defence
Accepted that violence may have to be used to gain civil rights
MLK succeeded politically where X failed
However, MLK failed to change attitudes - X's philosophy did
Popular with lower classes - focused on poor economic + social conditions
1965: Freedom March (Selma to Montgomery)
Protested the 3 million Southern Blacks that still could not vote
Led to 1965 Voting Rights Act
Successful
1965 - 1968: Watts begins race riots which spread
August: response to racial activity - police beat black man arrested for drunk driving
14,000 troops required to restore order + 4,000 people arrested
Over next few years: hundreds of race riots occurred
AAs believed laws were not efficient or successful enough
Felt civil rights movement hadn't made enough progress
June 1966: James Meredith attempts march across Mi
He is shot - does not die
March carried out by SNCC, SCLC, and CORE
Stokely Carmichael emerges as new power voice - slogan "Black power" emerges
Emphasised that blacks should not be ashamed of who they are
Said MLK's philosophy was right, but not peaceful tactics
October 1966: Black Panthers Founded
Wanted to end white capitalist control + police brutality
Demands were economic + influenced Black Power ideas + X
Developed ten-point programme demanding all black juries
Received attention through armed parades of "self defence" + justification for carrying their own arms
Support declined when many AAs viewed them as too radical
1966 - 1970s: Rise of "Black Power"
X's death led to increase in support for his views
Some rejected MLK as "tool of the white man"
SNCC + CORE became critical of those who supported non-violent action for lack of social + economic progress
Demanded more effective implemention of the law + more radical social change (housing and education)
April 1968: MLK is assassinated
Considered to be national tragedy
Hasn't been associated with anything big since 63/64 (vocal protest of Vietnam War lost him support of Johnson + lots of white politicians)
At this point: trying to work for poverty relief + lower classes - not often credited with this
MLK's associates ask for people not to be violent in response to death
However, many are very violent - end of CRM as non-violent movement
1968: Summer Olympics "Black Power" Salute
Tommie Smith + John Carlos gave Black Power Salute at 1968 Summer Olympics
Suspended by the US team + banned from Olympic village
It most poignant image of Black Power movmement
Considered milestone of its journey in progress
1929 - 1968: Martin Luther King
Became leader of SCLC
Focused mostly on desegregation + voting rights
Strongly committed to non-violence
Arranged Birmingham Protest (April 1963) + created the publicity the CRM needed
Organised March on Washington (1963) leading to Johnson promising the 1965 Voting Rights Act
1966: tried to highlight blacks economic issues
Reducting in support from Congress + Pres. Johnson after vocal disagreement with Vietnam War
1925 - 1963: Medger Evers
1952: Joined NAACP
Went through home state: encouraged poor AAs to register to vote + recruited them into CRM
Instumental in getting witnesses + evidence for Emmitt Till murder case
This murder case brought national attention to plight of AAs in the South
Involved in Ole Miss case
1963: killed
Born 1933: James Meredith
March 1966: arranged "March Against Fear" to protest racism, particularly racism against AAs registering to vote
Shortly into march - shot + hospitalised
MLK + Carmichael (alongside others) joined march on Meredith's behalf
Released from hospital + able to rejoin march + reach destination (Jackson, Mississippi)
1941 - 1998: Stokeley Carmichael
1966: became chair of SNCC
1967: co-wrote Black Power - outlined vision of role of blacks in the USA
Described "smashing everything that white civlisation had created"
1967: left SNCC to join Black Panthers
Huey Newton + Bobby Seale
1966: formed Black Panther group
1967: Newton shot + arrested + convicted of violent offences
1971: Seale's murder charge dropped
Early 1970s: men move away from violent pasts
1981: Seale wrote "Seize of Time" - history of Black Panther movement
Seale then worked to improve social + economic conditions of number of black neighbourhoods
1983: MLK Day declared National Holiday
Passed by Reagan
Demonstrated acceptance within widespread American community for importance of CRM and civil rights leaders
Currently observed throughout the US
1984, 1988: Jesse Jackson runs for President
Serious attempt to gain Democratic presidency
Suggests growing acceptance by the white community of black politicans
Ultimately unsuccessful
Rainbow Coalition idea emphasised need for all minority groups to come together
Failed to inspire + candidacy ultimately failed
1992: Rodney King affair + LA Race Riots
Further proof that AAs had no gained full equality
Rodney King stopped for traffic violation + severely beaten by four police officers
All-white jury acquited officers of all charges, despite there being video evidence
Triggered rioting across LA - this was broadly publicised
AAs remained disproportionately more likely to go to prison than whites
Higher incarceration rates for non-violent crimes
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