New Approaches to Civil Rights Chapter 26 Section 3

Affirmative Action The call for companies who work with the federal government to recruit African American and minority employees in the hopes that it would help them socially and economically. According to the supporters of affirmative action because companies do not hire minorities, these groups are unable to develop the necessary job skills – Maynard Jackson became the first African American mayor of Atlanta, Georgia opened up even more job opportunities for minority groups.

Challenges to Affirmative Action Affirmative Action became known as “reverse discrimination” by critics. Because qualified white workers were being overlooked for jobs, promotions and and placement in schools because spots are reserved for minorities and women – The University of California was sued by Allan Bakke after his application was denied to save room for minority students. By 1978 the supreme court ruled in Bakke’s favor that the University had violated his rights but they also ruled that schools could use racial criteria as long as they don’t used fixed quotas.

Equal Access to Education In the early 1970’s African American Leaders started to push for educational improvements. Brown v. Board of Education promised the end of segregation with in schools, by the 1960’s however children were still going to schools that reflected the race segregation of the neighborhood that they lived in. Local governments started busing students to schools outside of their neighborhoods to ensure racial integration. In response to busing many white families started pulling their children out of public schools. This became know as “the white flight”.

New Political Leaders Jesse Jackson founded PUSH – People United to Save Humanity whose main goals were to registering voters, help developing African American businesses, and to broaden educational opportunities. In 1971 African American congress members reorganized an existing group to better represent the concerns of African American citizens called the Congressional Black Caucus.

Hispanic Americans Organize Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta- organized two groups to help fight for farmworkers in the 1960’s. In 1965 the groups organized strikes against California growers to demand union recognition, increased wages, and better benefits. Chavez organized a boycott against grapes causing almost 17 million people to stop buying them causing profits to plummet. In 1966 the groups merged to become the United Farm Workers ( UFW). By 1970 the boycott ended when grape growers agreed to give workers a contract with raises and to improve working conditions.

Growing Political Activism LULAC or the League of United Latin American Citizens worked for Mexican American rights within the court system LULAC won the Supreme Court case of Hernandez v. the State of Texas giving Mexican Americans the right to serve on a jury. La Raza Unida or the United People was formed by Jose Angel Gutierrez in 1969 to mobilize Mexican American voters to push for job training programs and better access to financial institutions.

Bilingualism- the practice of teaching immigrant students in their own language while they also learn English. Congress passed the Bilingual Education Act in 1968, directing school districts to set up classes for students in their own language as they learn English.

Native American Raise Their Voices Native Americans made up less then 1% of the American population. Unemployment on reservations was 10 times the national rate. Native Americans suffered from lack of education and job training.

AIM – American Indian Movement In a 1961 meeting of 67 Indian tribes a manifesto called the Declaration of Indian Purpose was created to call for governmental policies to help create further economic opportunities on Indian reservations. In 1968 congress passed the Indian Civil Rights act, guaranteeing the legitimacy of reservation laws and the protection of the Bill of Rights for all reservation residents.

AIM was created in response to the governments reform efforts. In 1969 AIM took over and occupied Alcatraz prison for 19 months claiming ownership “by right of discovery”. In 1973 AIM members occupied the town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota for 70 days. Radical changes were demanded by AIM members including more reservation reforms and for the government to honor treaty obligations that have been forgotten. – Occupation ended after a clash with FBI agents that ended with the death of two AIM members.