Challenges and Changes to the Movement OR… …I see klukies coming! Chapter 29 section 3

Northern Segregation Northern Segregation (pg 924): Two Types of segregation faced blacks moving north: De facto segregation: seg. that exists by customs or practices (“That’s how it’s always been…”) Required changing people’s attitudes, harder than changing people’s laws Activists found it dif in mid 60s to convince whites to share economic and social power, (hard to accept African Am. managers bosses etc,) White flight: whites left cities largely to African Americans (cities decayed) De jure Segregation: Segregation by law A surprise Failure of the Civil Rights MLK Soul Force!: Chicago 1966: MLK and 600 activists wanted to create an “open city” met with rocks and bottles, MLK vows to return…

Urban Violence Erupts: *NY City 1964 :urban violence erupts, 15 yr old killed in encounter with police, Harlem riots *Los Angeles, Watts, one of the worst race riot in nation’s history, 34 killed, hundreds of millions in damages to property, (mostly black owned property) *1967 more than 100 cities see riots erupt *“Rage baffles whites”…. …some realized needed “economic equality in the availability of jobs” *1964 Pres. Johnson starts his “War on Poverty” *By 1967 Dr King proclaims “the great society shot down on the battlefields of Vietnam” money went into fighting in Vietnam instead of USA neighborhoods…

African American Solidarity (pg 925): Malcolm Little becomes Malcolm X Went to jail for burglary at age 20, studied Islam in jail, began to believe in Black superiority and black separation from whites…. Joined Nation of Islam under Elijah Muhammad His calls for “armed self defense” scared most whites and moderate Afr Am. Attention he was getting upset other Nation of Islam members…

Bullets or Ballots? (pg 926) : 1964 Malcolm broke with Elijah Muhammad’s teachings over diff in strategy and doctrine. Pilgrimage to Mecca in April 1964…saw white muslims, came home more moderate…. Began preaching more tolerance and use of ballots (now saying take part in society with the whites) Feb 21 knowing his life in danger, he gave a speech in Harlem and was shot and killed by two black assassins “It has always been my belief that I, too, will die by violence. I have done all that I can to be prepared”

King’s Death April 3 rd 1968, MLK addresses crowd and foreshadows his death in speech “I might not get there with you…” Shot and killed at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis Tenn. by James Earl Ray from window across the street Reactions to King’s Death: Riots! Lots of riots across US cities in spite of calls from Bobby Kennedy for calm Over 100 cities up in flames Adding to the chaos: in June 1968: Robert Kennedy Pres. Candidate killed by Jordanian immigrant Sirhan Sirhan. Crazy times felt by all….more to come!

Black Power (pg 926): July 1966 Meredith starts a march from Tenn to Jackson Miss but is shot in back and too wounded to continue.. King and SNCC and CORE decided to complete his march with more people supporting it… Stokely Carmichael leader of SNCC (Student Non violent Coordinating Committee) arrested for setting up a tent on campus, beaten by cops, comes to rally and proclaims “Black Power” (SNCCers proclaim “we shall OVERRUN” in famous change to civil Rights song… militant stand advocated against MLK advice….SNCC urged to stop admitting whites King thought this would provoke African Am. to violence and antagonize whites

Black Panthers Formed in Oakland California, 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale.. Formed to fight police brutality Believed blacks should be exempt from military service (due to high numbers drafted in Nam) Preached self defense; handed out Mao pamphlets Also Panthers set up soup kitchens and charities to help residents in ghettos…helped them to gain support * Shootouts occurred between them and police FBI investigated them numerous times

Legacy of Civil Rights/Civil Rights Gains: * March 1st 1968: * Kerner Commission appointed to study why blacks rioted Found white racism the main cause. * Findings: Needed New jobs, new housing and end de facto segregation * Civil Rights Act of 1968: ended discrimination in housing. * After school segregation ended the numbers of African Americans who graduated and went on college went up…. Led to better jobs and business opportunities. * By /3 of eligible Afr Am voters were registered to vote (shows political power growing) …over 7,000 African AM officials elected by 1992 Present Day : Barack Obama elected President in 2008 election shows huge gain in acceptance in 40 years!!!

Unfinished Work Public support for Civil Rights movement declined by the 1970s. (frightened by the riots and growth in militant groups like Black Panthers) By 1990 white flight had reversed the progress toward school integration (Neighborhoods left to Af Am majority) affirmative action: programs that were created in the 1960s that involved making special efforts to hire minorities that had suffered discrimination, Business now have a quota number of minorities they must hire, A.f. is criticized as reverse discrimination, deprived whites of opportunities THE END…….?