1. 1950s & 1960s American History II - Unit 6 Ms. Brown

2. Review What is the difference between de jure and de facto segregation? Which is more difficult to change and why? De jure – segregation by law and enforced by the gov’t De facto – segregation by cultural traditions and enforced by society  deeply engrained cultural attitudes are harder to change How did the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) change the ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)? Brown reversed the Plessy ruling by declaring “separate and equal” as inherently unequal, thus schools need to desegregate How does the activism in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, SCLC, and SNCC show that communities and groups initiate change, not individual people? MLK was the “face” of the MBB and SCLC and Ella Baker established SNCC, but achievements were made due to the efforts of GROUPS of people working together, not specific individuals giving speeches or conducting sit-ins.

3. 6.5 – CIVIL RIGHTS IN THE 1960S

4. Freedom Riders May 1961 - CORE volunteers set out to ride buses across the south Test the SCOTUS decision that banned segregated seating on interstate bus routes and segregated facilities at bus terminals Freedom Riders wanted to invoke violence  President JFK would HAVE to enforce the law Buses immediately attacked, activists beaten, bombs on buses

5. Freedom Riders Freedom Riders forced to call off bus rides due to bus company frustration and damage  SNCC volunteers from Nashville picked up the cause SNCC members occupied a white-only bus terminal in Birmingham for 18 hours until Attorney Gen. Robert Kennedy convinced the bus driver to transport the riders to Montgomery Attacked in Montgomery by white mobs, no actual police protection  reported to Attorney Gen. Robert Kennedy, made national and international newspaper headlines JFK sent 400 US marshals to protect the riders on their journey to Jackson, MI Attorney Gen. Robert Kennedy and Interstate Commerce Commission banned segregation in all interstate travel facilities (waiting rooms, restrooms, and lunch counters)

6. Integrating Ole Miss 1954 – Brown decision Sept. 1962 – James Meredith (Air Force veteran) won a federal court case that allowed him to attend Univ. of Mississippi (Ole Miss) Gov. Barnett refused to let Meredith register for classes JKF sent US Marshals to escort Meredith to the registrar’s office while Gov. Barnett issued a call for white support on the radio

7. Integrating Ole Miss Sept. 30, 1962 – riots on campus resulted in 2 deaths Thousands of US soldiers, 200 arrests, and 15 hours to end riots For several months, federal officials accompanied Meredith to class and protected his home/parents’ home from nightriders who shot up their house.

8. Desegregating Birmingham Spring 1963 – activists focused on Birmingham “This is the most segregated city in America. We have to stick together if we ever want to change its ways.” – MLK on Birmingham April 1963 – MLK and SCLC activists held days of demonstrations and marches in the streets and churches

9. MLK’s Arrest April 12, 1963 – MLK and a small group of SCLC activists arrested Open letter to white religious leaders who criticized his actions as a pastor… Posted bail on April 20

10. Children’s Crusade May 2, 1963 – more than 1,000 black children marched on Birmingham – 959 children arrested May 3 – second Children’s Crusade, met with violent police force and captured on TV Fire hoses Attack dogs National/international attention  Birmingham ended segregation JFK convinced civil rights legislation needed to end violence

11. JFK Takes a Stand June 1963 – JFK sent federal troops to force Gov. George Wallace to admit black students to Univ. of Alabama Medgar Evers, NAACP secretary and WWII vet, murdered in front of his house  killer released after 2 hung juries could not convict him  Angered blacks “I say, Segregation now! Segregation tomorrow! Segregation forever!” – Gov. Wallace “Are we to say to the world – and much more importantly, to each other – that this is the land of the free, except for the Negroes?” - JFK

12. Civil Rights in DC JFK proposed a civil rights bill that guaranteed equal access to public facilities and allowed the Attorney Gen. to file legal suits against school districts refusing to integrate A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin (SCLC) organize a march on Washington to pressure Congress into passing civil rights legislation

13. Civil Rights in DC August 28, 1963 – March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom more than 250,000 people (75,000 whites) marched on DC from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial Various speakers presented arguments for the passage of the civil rights bill MLK delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech

15. Church Bombing Sept. 1963 – 16 th Street Baptist Church Bombing KKK members in a car hurled a bomb into a church in Birmingham 4 young girls killed, extreme violence and mobs followed  2 male teenagers died KKK member found not guilty of murder and was merely fined for dynamite possession 1977 – tried again, found guilty  as of 2000, the living culprits have been tried and convicted

16. Civil Rights Act of 1964 Nov. 1963 - JFK (civil rights supporter) assassinated Lyndon B. Johnson = POTUS  Signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964Civil Rights Act of 1964 Prohibited discrimination because of race, religion, national origin, and gender Established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

17. Freedom Summer 1964 – SNCC and SCLC volunteers began a voting registration campaign in Mississippi  Freedom Summer Hoped to pass a voting rights law Mostly young students Many whites 1/3 female

18. Freedom Summer Violence Increased violence in Mississippi June 1964 – 3 SNCC volunteers (2 white, 1 black) go missing Stopped by police for a traffic violation outside of Meridian, MS Jailed, then released that night Stopped by the KKK, beaten, shot, buried Not found for over 40 days Conspiracy between KKK and local police Longest sentence – 6 years

19. Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party African Americans needed a political voice to be successful… remember the Populists for the farmers in the 1890s? Wanted a seat in the MS Democratic Party (all-white) at the 1964 Democratic National Convention (DNC)  impossible, so formed the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party with Fannie Lou Hamer as the main voice

20. Hamer at the 1964 DNC At the DNC, Hamer recalled a story about violence against her while trying to register to vote… TELEVISED! “The first [prisoner] began to beat [me], and I was beat by the first until he was exhausted… The second [prisoner] began to beat… I began to scream and one white man got up and began to beat me in my head and tell me to ‘hush’… All of this on account we want to register, to become first-class citizens, and if the Freedom Democratic Party isn’t seated now, I question America.” – Fannie Lou Hamer

21. Hamer at the 1964 DNC Johnson (LBJ) afraid of losing white votes if he allows the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party to have recognized seats Pressured Hamer and other delegates to take a deal – 2 seats in exchange for no discrimination at the 1968 DNC Accepted but not happily “We didn’t come all this way for no two seats.” - Hamer

22. The Selma Campaign 1965 – major voting rights campaign in Selma, AL More than 2,000 SCLC and SNCC members arrested Demonstrator Jimmy Lee Jackson shot and killed  outrage MLK announced a 50-mile protest march from Selma to Montgomery, began on March 7, 1965 with 600 protestors  met with extreme violence (bombs, beating, whips, clubs, tear gas) and had to turn back March 17 – LBJ proposed a new voting rights act March 21 – Marchers set out for Montgomery again, with federal protection – eventually reached 25,000 people

23. Voting Rights Act of 1965 Summer 1965 – Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed Eliminated literacy tests Allowed federal examiners/officials to register voters (taken out the hands of local gov’ts) Percentage of registered black voters tripled in the South Some felt legislation did not do enough… still serious social and economic inequities