Civil Rights Movement
reflection “I often wonder whether we do not rest our hopes too much upon constitutions, upon laws, and upon courts. These are false hopes; believe me, these are false hopes. Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it...” -Judge Learned Hand
reflection How would you asses the impact of the Freedom Rides? How do people in the film describe the impact that this campaign had on them personally and on the country as a whole?
reflection “I had never traveled to the South at that time. And I didn’t have an emotional relationship to segregation. I had—I understood the facts, and the stories, but there was not an emotional relationship. When I actually went south, and actually saw signs that said “white” and “colored” and I actually could not drink out of that water fountain, or go to that ladies’ room, I had a real emotional reaction... So, my response was: who’s trying to change it, change these things...” -Diane Nash
reflection “At the end of the day, people have the right to protest in this country. Having said that, there are a lot of processes in place where people can participate, such as pre-budget consultations, such as having their voices heard when bills are introduced…If people don’t take advantage of our democracy and those processes in place, well that is unfortunate for those who choose not to.”
Albany Movement Believed to have failed for 2 reasons: 1.Movement did not have a specific goal “The mistake I made there was to protest against segregation generally rather than against a single and distinct facet of it. Our protest was so vague that we got nothing…” 2.Albany had a wily sheriff
Birmingham, Alabama Nearly half the population was black Unemployment rate was two and a half times higher for blacks The average income of blacks was less than half that of whites Nicknamed “Bombingham”; There were 50 unsolved racially motivated bombings between 1945 and 1962
Project “C” Aims were specific: To end segregation of downtown stores Fair hiring practices in downtown shops and city jobs To form a committee to end school segregation
Project “C” Tactics Boycott of downtown stores (caused 40% decline in business) Sit-ins, kneel- ins at white churches, marches
Project “C”
Letter from Birmingham Jail We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant “Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied." -Martin Luther King Jr.
Children’s Crusade
Project “C” You’re part of a group meeting with the business leaders to come to an agreement on how to bring the protests to an end. What are your demands? What will you be willing to compromise on? Keep in mind: There’s at least 2,500 protestors are in jail, mostly children, and there’s ongoing aggression against blacks That you have an adversarial relationship with the municipal government and the business community Your list of stated goals (end segregation, job opportunities downtown, end school segregation) Downtown businesses are suffering and the city is feeling tense
Resolution Desegregation of the facilities in Birmingham Establish a committee to ensure nondiscriminatory hiring practices Communications between black and white leaders to avoid future demonstrations The release of prisoners if they could pay bail
JFK “Race has no place in American life or law”
Civil Rights Act of 1964 Ended ALL legal discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex, or national origin The Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 2, 1964
Selma Voting Rights Movement (1965) More than half the population of Dallas County were black; only 1% were registered to vote Registrar was only open twice a month for a short period Those trying to register were still subject to tests that might disqualify them from registering
Selma Voting Rights Movement (1965) dd
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 No voting qualification, prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice or procedure shall be used to deny the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color. The court will appoint federal examiners to enforce the guarantees of the 15th Amendment. No “test” (e.g., literacy or civics) or “device” (e.g., grandfather clause) may be used as prerequisites for voting. Federal examiners were sent to States that disenfranchised black voters to make sure the Act was obeyed. Poll taxes became illegal.
States with Voting Restrictions If they do not have a government-issued photo identification card. Eleven percent of Americans do not have a photo ID. Many of them are African American, Latino, young and low-income potential voters. If they do not have access to the documents necessary to take advantage of voter registration opportunities. Some states require proof of citizenship upon registration, while others place restrictions on registration drives or same-day registration.
States with Voting Restrictions If they cannot vote the day of the election and need to vote early. Weekend and evening hours for early voting have been cut back, despite these times being convenient for many minority voters. If they have had a past conviction. People with past convictions will find it more difficult to restore their voting rights in some states under new restrictions.
States with Voting Restrictions
Fair Elections Act Restrictions on the Chief Electoral Officer Would end programs to promote voter turn-out Elimination of Vouching Vouching is meant to allow someone with proper identification to vouch for somebody that lives in the same polling area 120,000 voters used vouching last election There is no record of people using vouching to engage in voter fraud