Kennedy's Civil Rights

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1961 CORE Freedom Rides
A small integrated group travelled south to test supreme court rulings. Passengers were attacked and Bobby Kennedy responded by working to enforce SC rulings
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Morgan v. Viginia 1946
Rulings against segregation on interstate travel
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Boynton v. Virginia 1960
Rulings agaimst segregation on interstate bus facilities
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MLK Role
MLK and SCLC did little of note for 7 years after MBB. Participated in 1960 Atlanta sitin but not freedom rides as he feared arrest. Involvement in the albany campaign was unproductive due to black divisions
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Birmingham, 1963-Why
King chose it is the SCLC needed a success, it was the USAs worst cityfor racism, white divisions looked promising (eg.white business men believed racism held the city back) and Bull Connor was a segregationist with a short fuse
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Birmingham, 1963-what
Connors behaviour attracted media attention. His police and dogs turned violent, King defied an injunction knowing it would gain attention. He wrote 'Letters from Birmingham Jail'.JFK organised MLKs release. Degenerated into chaos
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Birmingham, 1963-Children
Enlisted black school children as young as six to entice press back as hoses tore clothes off their back. 500 young marches in custody and jails filled with 2000 protestors
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Birmingham,1963- significance
Media triumph, exposing evils of southern segregation to the world. Critical in persuading what became the 1964 CRA. Inspired protests through the south in the summer of 1963
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The March on Washington-August 1963, Aims
Aimed to encourage passage of JFKs Civil Rights Bill and executive action to increase black employment. Advertise the effectiveness of non-violent protest when it was losing its popularity due to the slow pace of change
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How many people attended the March?
A quarter of the predominantly middle-class crowd of 250,000 were white
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March On Washington effects
Success. Memorable 'I Have A Dream'. Challenged them to live up to the Declaration of Independence ('all men created equally') and the Bible. Played a part in CRA, impressed by good crowd
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1961 poll-what % opposed freedom rides
63%
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Where did one poll put civils rights in order of concern?
At the bottom. Most thought it would evolve gradually rather than through federal enforcement
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George Wallace before 1958
Moderate on race, supported by NAACP in 1958 gubernatorial and condemned the KKK. MBB frightened many white voters however, making them more extremist
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George Wallace after 1962
Ran for governor again as a racist.Opposed black voter registration, blamed integration for increasing crime and unemployment and worked with KKK.. Won election by biggest margin ever. Supported states rights, called for segregation forever
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Which state was the last to integrate its universities?
Alabama. Kennedy used the national guard to ensure integration and Wallace advertised his racist credentials to white voters by standing defiantly on uni steps.
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What bill did Kennedy oppose as a senator in 1960?
Eisenhower's civil rights bill but in his election he promised to help AA denouncing racism as immoral and damaging to America's international image
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Why did Kennedy not attempt to gain civil rights legislation in 1961-62
Narrow election victory. Polls showed voters were unenthusiastic about civil rights. Alienating Southerns in Congress would damage other legislation
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How many FBI employees were black
48 of 13.649, mostly chauffeurs
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How many AA did he appoint to top posts eg. associate White House press secretary
40. Also made an unprecedented number of black appointments to federal bureaucracy
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How many black federal judges did he appoint
5, including Thurgood Marshall
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What % of his Deep South judicial appointments were segregationists?
20%
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Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Created by executive powers, aimed to ensure equal emplyment opportunities for federal employees and in companies with federal governement contracts
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Success of EEOC
Integration and promotion of AAs at the Lockhead aircraft plant in Georgia
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Criticisms of EEOC
Exagerrated success eg. rise in vlack employees from 1 to 2 as a 100% increase in black employment. It was difficult-employers often complained there were only complying with demands from their workers for segregated facilities
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How many legal cases did the Justice Department bring against illegal violations of voting rights in the south? (JFK position to voting rights)
57-Bobby threatened Louisiana officials with contempt of court orders, for dening funds to newly desegregated schools in New Orleans, hastening desegregation in New Orleans, Atlanta and Memphis.
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Why did the administration retreat on voting rights in MIssissippi in 1963?
Influential Democrat senators protestors
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Kennedys symbolic gestures
Invited more black guests to the white house than any previous president. Rejected their request for legislation nut all left charmed.
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Example of Kennedy's not being keen to respond to activism
Refused to help SNCC workers attacked by whites in Mississippi
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Kennedy's reaction to protests
Didn't want to respond to freedom riders, calling them unpatriotic exposing domestic problems in the Cold War. But the riders persistant pressure forced Bobby to get an Interstate Commerce Conmmission
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Interstate Commerce Commission
Ruling that supported SC rulings that terminals and interstate bus seating be integrated
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James Meredith and the University of Mississippi
Wanted to go to uni but the local balck college had poorly qualified teachers so he applied to the white Mississippi Uni, which rejected him. SC ruled in his favour with NAACP help and Bobby Kennedy sent 500 marshals to help him enrol
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James Meredith enrolling events
Marshalls were ill equipped and clashed with white racists-2 shot, 1/3 marshalls injured. JFK sent in National Guard and US Army regulars and Meredith enrolled
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Kennedys reaction to Birmingham and the March
Violence of Connor sickened him and could understand black exasperation. Bobby Kennedy sent Justice Department reps to prep both sides for eventual desegregation. Both encouraged JFK to push the CRA-stuck as liberals took it too far for Republicans
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Rulings against segregation on interstate travel

Back

Morgan v. Viginia 1946

Card 3

Front

Rulings agaimst segregation on interstate bus facilities

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

MLK and SCLC did little of note for 7 years after MBB. Participated in 1960 Atlanta sitin but not freedom rides as he feared arrest. Involvement in the albany campaign was unproductive due to black divisions

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

King chose it is the SCLC needed a success, it was the USAs worst cityfor racism, white divisions looked promising (eg.white business men believed racism held the city back) and Bull Connor was a segregationist with a short fuse

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

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