LBJ Civil Rights

?
The Civil Rights Act (1964)
Gave the federal govt. the legal tools to end de jure segregation in the south. Prohibited discrimination in public places, furthered school desegregation and established an Equal Employment Commission
1 of 58
Problems with CRA 1964
Many AAs wanted it to go further as many still lived in poverty and discrimination hence the rots that followed. Act did little to facilitate black voting
2 of 58
How many AAs were there in Selma and how many could vote
50% of the 29,000 were AA but only 23 were registered to vote
3 of 58
Selma,1965-Courthouse
King led them to register to vote, depsite a federal court ruling they were unsuccessful. Whites threw venoumous snakes at them Sherriff Jim Clark clubbed a black woman-shown on TV. King arrested to publicise the situation
4 of 58
Selma, 1965-March
Marched from Selma to Montgomery to publicise the need for a voting rights act. 'Bloody Sunday'- state troopers attacked them with clubs and tear gas-national criticism of whites
5 of 58
Selma impact
LBJ had been asking Congress for voting legislation for months but it's unlikely Congress would've delivered without Selma
6 of 58
Voting Rights Act, 1965
Disallowed literacy tests and questions on state constitutions and replaced racist southern white registrars with federal registrars
7 of 58
Voting Rights Act, 1965-why it was passed
Selma campaign brought national attention to southern AAs, Us claimed to be leader of the free worldand communist propaganda emphasised the inequality seen in Selma, LBJs powers of persuasion eg speech in congress
8 of 58
By late 1966 how many deep south states had less than 50% of eligible black votes registered
4, including Alabama and Mississipii
9 of 58
What % of eligible AAs were registered to vote in Mississippi,1968
59%
10 of 58
By 1980 how many AAs registered to vote in comparison to white voters
Only 7% less of AAs
11 of 58
How did the number of elected officials in the south change from 1965-1969 then 1969-1980
Increased sixfold then doubled
12 of 58
How many black officials were there in Mississippi 1960-1980
0-300
13 of 58
Improvements for AAs
Education Acts sped up desegregation and helped black colleges, legislation opened the way for a larger and richer black middle class
14 of 58
By what % did the Great Society decrease black employment
down 34%
15 of 58
By what % did the Great Society decrease the number of blacks living below the poverty line
25%
16 of 58
AAs sufferings still
Poor housing, poor schools, poor job opportunities and an inability to get out of the poverty trap. Some children were so hungry they ate tree bark
17 of 58
What % of white Americans polled opposed large numbers of black neighbours?
70%
18 of 58
Limits on LBJ Civil Rights
Slowed down after 1965 due to a change in white opinion because of black violence and the cost of the Vietnam war that impacted Congress and local officials
19 of 58
Limits-Congress
Responded to decreased white sympathy. Rejected an administration bill, one aim of which was to prohibit housing discrimination. Hard to sustain support for war on poverty-asked for help with kids rat bites in ghettos, they joked of Civil Rats Bill
20 of 58
Limits-local officials
Johnson relied on them to carry out his programmes. Sometimes reluctant to cooperate eg. CRA said no funding to segregated schools but Mayor Daley was a valuable political ally to got funds for segregated schools
21 of 58
Limits-Urban riots, black power and white backlash
Riots '64-'68 caused white backlash. After Watts '65 the police asked what could anyone expect when black people are treated unfairly, gun sales to suburban whites soared, tired of being blamed whites turned against LBJ - amazed and hurt by Watts
22 of 58
Limits-Urban riots, black power and white backlash
Riots ensured LBJ could do little more to help AA after VRA. Black militants also frightened and alienated whites
23 of 58
1965 poll-what % of whites advocated self-improvement, more education and harder work rather than govt. help
88%
24 of 58
1966 poll- what % opposed new civil rights legislation
90%
25 of 58
1967 poll-what % thought Johnson was going too fast on integration
52%
26 of 58
1967 poll-what % thought LBJ was't going fast enough on integration
10%
27 of 58
Limits-Vietnam war and tax rises
War led to a federal govt. deficit increase 1965-$1.5b to 1968-$25.3b forcing tax rises, which whites attributed to the 5% increase on expenditure on the poor. GS unpopular. Whites tired of paying out for oppressed minorities
28 of 58
What did polls record as the most important domestic issue
Racial problems and many believed LBJs reforms encouraged riots and Black Power militancy
29 of 58
Limits-open housing law
LBJ supported integrated housing as slums were immoral and exacerbated racial tensions. Whites opposed it due to racism and falling property values when AAs moved in.LBJ-worst ever hate mail Congress repeatedly rejected legislation till King's death
30 of 58
Fair Housing Act-1968
Congress felt they had to respond with a legislative tribute to King. Prohibited discrimination in the sale or rental of housing-but proved difficult to enforce in the face of determined white opposition
31 of 58
The Meredith March-beginning
Planned a 220mile walk Memphis-Jackson, to encourage AAs to vote. He was shot but black organisations continued while he was immobilised. There were 400 marchers by day 3 including MLK and SNCC Carmichael
32 of 58
The Meredith March
Black divisions damaged the march. NAACP wanted focus on CRA , Carmichael criticised it. King welcomed whites, SNCC didn't. Carmichael urged black power, king didn't want to alienate whites with it. Urged non-violence and begged LBJ for troops...
33 of 58
The Meredith March
...but he wouldn't. Meredith felt excluded and began his own march, where some SCLC members joined him to disguise the split. The 15,000 marchers ended at Jackson with rival chants of Black Power and Freedom Now
34 of 58
The Meredith March-Black Divisons
King despaired as the govt. wouldn't give him a victory to keep the people non-violent. He felt he couldn't cooperate with the SNCC . Admitted AAs were very close to a public split. NAACP no longer wanted to cooperate with the SNCC or SCLC and it...
35 of 58
The Meredith March-Black Divisons
seemed leadership of Civil Rights was passing to Black Power
36 of 58
Ghetto problems
CR movement did nothing for northern ghettos. MLK moved his family to Chicago in 1966 to a ghetto apartment which was soul destroying- poor, few amenities. Hard to break ghetto poverty cycle
37 of 58
What % of ghetto pupils finished high school compared to white children
37% comapred to 56%. Ghetto schools didn't provide a solid education for a good job
38 of 58
Black unemployment
Increased automation and decreased availability of unskilled employment 50s-60s contributed to disproportionate black unemployment
39 of 58
In the early 1960s, what % of unemployed AAs were black
46%
40 of 58
% black youth unemployment
Some ghettos, including Chicago, had 50-70%
41 of 58
Kings Chicago Campaign
Unsuccessful. National attention but northern whites, sympathetic to southern AAs,were unsympathetic when kings campaign drew attention to the exclusion of AAs from northern white working class suburbs eg. Cicero, whom most northern whites sided with
42 of 58
Watts riot, 1965
34 deaths, 1000 injuries, 350 rioters and looters arrested, $40m damage to white-owned businesses. Sparked every major city to have riots
43 of 58
Newark 1967-rumours of police brutality against a black taxi driver lead to riots
Six days, 26 died, 1500 injured, most of the inner city burned
44 of 58
Detroit Riots
40 died, 2000 injured, 5000 arrested, 5000 homeless. LBJ had to send in federal troops
45 of 58
Hostile outbursts 1964-68
225 outbursts, 191 killed, 7,942 wounded and 49,607 arrested
46 of 58
Urban Riot Causes
Copycat element, misery of ghetto life, oppressive summer weather and communist agitation
47 of 58
% of whites v. blacks below the poverty line
8% whites v. 30% of blacks
48 of 58
% of whites v. blacks in substandard housing
18% whites v. 50% of non-whites
49 of 58
1959-1965 poor Americans v. poor AAs
Poor Americans decreased from 39million to 33million but poor AAs increased from 28 to 31million
50 of 58
Black v. White employment
Black at 7% was 2x that of whites- riots not just economic however, as 80% arrested in Detroit had well-paid jobs, more likely bad housing and years of bitterness
51 of 58
Kerner Commission (1967-68)
Blamed racism. All AAs saw the police as 'a hostile power'. Absence of black policemen fuelled ghetto tensions against white police outsiders
52 of 58
In an analysis of ghetto riots, what % involved alleged police abuse or discrimination
40%
53 of 58
Why were their unprecedented numbers of riots?
LBJs extravagant GS raised hopes to then dash them, MLK assassination, impact of the change in the south perhaps the most important reason. AAs outside the south saw protests brought improvements and resented nothing had been done in the north ghetto
54 of 58
MLK Assasination Riots,1968
Riots in 100 cities, 46 dead, 3000 injured, 27,000 arrested, $45million damage to property
55 of 58
Why did whites not want to help-taxes
Didn't want to pay increased taxes to improve ghettos as Kerner suggested, particularly after Vietnam led to tax rises. Didn't want to ease ghetto overcrowding by letting blacks into their neighbourhood
56 of 58
Why did whites not want to help-property
Didn't want to ease ghetto overcrowding by letting blacks into their neighbourhood as property prices would plummet and deprived black children may hold white children back in school, damaging employment prospects
57 of 58
Why whites didn't want to help- perceptions and tensions
Whites increasingly perceived blacks as seeking handouts, blacks saw whites as uninterested and unsympathetic. So by late 1960s a new generation of black radicals emerged from impoverished ghettos and ,especially through Black Power, demanded change
58 of 58

Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Many AAs wanted it to go further as many still lived in poverty and discrimination hence the rots that followed. Act did little to facilitate black voting

Back

Problems with CRA 1964

Card 3

Front

50% of the 29,000 were AA but only 23 were registered to vote

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

King led them to register to vote, depsite a federal court ruling they were unsuccessful. Whites threw venoumous snakes at them Sherriff Jim Clark clubbed a black woman-shown on TV. King arrested to publicise the situation

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

Marched from Selma to Montgomery to publicise the need for a voting rights act. 'Bloody Sunday'- state troopers attacked them with clubs and tear gas-national criticism of whites

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar History resources:

See all History resources »See all America - 19th and 20th century resources »