The Civil Rights Era

Malcolm X (Malcolm Little) ( ) In the 1940s, Malcolm X became a member of the Nation of Islam, a religious organization with the goal of restoring the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African Americans. He eventually became the leader of the Nation of Islam. During the Civil Rights Movement, Malcolm X criticized the goal of integration, declaring that the best way for African Americans to achieve justice was to separate themselves from whites. He also encouraged violence. He became the new voice for many African Americans who had grown bitter over the white attacks. By the time of his assassination, Malcolm X had changed his ideas about racial separation and hoped for an honest “white-black brotherhood.”

March on Washington To rally support for Kennedy’s Civil Rights bill…King and the SCLC organized a massive march in Washington, D.C. 200,000 people of all colors, from all over the world attended 6,000 police officers stood by but there was no trouble. The marchers carried signs urging Congress to pass the bill

March on Washington Late in the afternoon, King spoke to the crowd in front of Lincoln Memorial. He spoke of his desire to see America transformed… “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self evident; that all men are created equal’…I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character…”

Freedom Summer In many states, African Americans still could not vote. Poll taxes and other discriminatory laws prevented them from their right. During the summer of 1964, civil rights workers spread throughout the South to help African Americans register. This was called Freedom Summer.

The Right to Vote In 1965, in Selma, Alabama a demonstration was organized to protest continued denial of African Americans’ right to vote. Police again attacked On March 15, 1965 President Johnson made this statement: “About this there can be no argument. Every American citizen must have an equal right to vote.”

The Right to Vote In August, Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law. Local officials were forced to allow African Americans to register to vote. Political life in the South changed. In 1966 about 100 African Americans held elective office in the South.

Black Power Many African Americans began to relate to Malcolm X as well as Stokely Carmichael’s idea of Black Power. African Americans should create their own culture and political institutions. Called for a time of revolution and complete transformation. NAACP rejected the group.

Black Power In California, the Black Panther Party was formed. They symbolized the growing tension between African Americans and urban police. Blacks in urban areas were frustrated about poverty and unemployment. Riots erupted in urban areas.

Other Voices 34 people died in Watts, Los Angeles. Much of Watts burned to the ground. $10 million worth of damage was caused in New Jersey and 26 people died. Between 1965 and 1967 rioting broke out in more than 40 Northern cities, such as San Francisco, Chicago, and Cleveland. The wave of riots devastated many African American neighborhoods.

King is Assassinated On the night of April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, an assassin shot and killed King. His assassination set off angry rioting in more than 100 cities. Fires burned in the nation’s capital just blocks from the White House. Thousands attended the funeral in Atlanta. James Earl Ray was convicted

Other Groups Seeking Rights The Civil Rights Movement reached beyond African Americans. Women, Hispanics, Native Americans, and people with disabilities all found inspiration in the struggles of African Americans.

Women In 1961 the Commission on the Status of Women reported that women received lower pay than men in the same jobs. In 1963, Kennedy convinced Congress to pass the Equal Pay Act – which prohibited employers from paying women less than men for the same job.

Women In the early 1970s most of the nation’s all male colleges began admitting women. Many women gained local and state political offices. In 1981 President Reagan appointed Sandra Day O’Conner as the first female Supreme Court Justice.

Hispanic Americans In the 1960s the rapidly growing Hispanic American population began seeking rights – 3 million 1970 – 9 million 1980 – 15 million The largest group in America come from Mexico.

Hispanic Americans. The success of boycotts won migrant workers higher wages and shorter work hours. The League of United Latin American Citizens won lawsuits to guarantee Hispanic Americans rights. In 1975, Hispanics won a victory with the extension of voting rights. The new law required that voter registration be carried out in other languages.

Native Americans In the 1950s, Natives were urged to leave the reservations to work in cities. Many could not find jobs and more than one third lived below the poverty line. Native Americans suffered malnutrition and disease.

Native Americans National Congress of American Indians sought more control on Indian affairs. The federal government recognized the issues. Congress passed the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968, which formally protected the constitutional rights of all Natives. Natives were once again able to make laws on their own reservations.

Americans with Disabilities Congress passed a number of laws to protect the rights of people with physical disabilities. One law concerned the removal of barriers that prevented some people from gaining access to public facilities.

Americans with Disabilities Another required employers to offer more opportunities for disabled people in the workplace. Equal educational opportunities for children As a result, people with disabilities enjoy more job opportunities, better access to public facilities, and a greater role in society.

SOUTHERN VOTER REGISTRATION TESTS Prior to passage of the federal Voting Rights Act in 1965, Southern states intimidated blacks into not registering to vote and used voter registration procedures to deny the vote to those who were not white. In the South, this process was often called the "literacy test."