Civil Rights 1945-68

Finally. . . Some progress

Prelude: Part I—Jackie Robinson

1947 First black to play in MLB

Faced fierce resistance Won converts over

course of season

TRUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS

Bold Stance, Few Results

Truman Desegregates Armed Forces

July 26, 1948 E.O. 9981 Korean War will be the

first time US troops serve in desegregated units since Revolutionary War.

Elsewhere, despite strong moral leadership, few results.

The Eisenhower Years

Finally some progress—but should Ike get the credit?

BROWN v. BOARD OF EDUCTION--1954

Ends segregation in Public Schools

Essentially reverses Plessy V. Ferguson

Actually two decisions– I—desegregation– II—implementation

Background—Earl Warren

Appointed by Eisenhower as Chief Justice in 1953

Conservative Governor of California

Expected to be a very conservative justice but . . . .

Brown I--1954

“We conclude that in the field of public education, the doctrine of separate but equal has no place.”

In other words, separation creates stigma—therefore inherently equal.

Brown II: 1955 (Implementation)

Did not set specific timetable Only said schools must integrate “with all

reasonable speed

Impact of Brown

Begins School Desegregation Major victory in courts Increases hostility between S. States and

Federal Government. (SIDE NOTE: Eisenhower hated the decision,

called appointing Warren to the court a huge mistake).

Southern States resist Brown

1956—Southern Manifesto This unwarranted exercise of power by the Court, contrary to the

Constitution, is creating chaos and confusion in the States principally affected. It is destroying the amicable relations between the white and Negro races that have been created through 90 years of patient effort by the good people of both races. It has planted hatred and suspicion where there has been heretofore

friendship and understanding. States slow to integrate—citizens must force

issue.

1957: Little Rock Arkansas

9 black students attempt to integrate Little Rock Central

Gov. Faubus keeps them out, citing inability to protect their safety

Eventually Eisenhower sends in 101st Airborne to uphold federal law (Brown)

Montgomery Bus Boycott--1955

Starts with Rosa Parks Lasts over a year Leads to end of bus

segregation—only in Montgomery

Importance of Montgomery

I. Provides a template for future campaigns (boycott, media, non-violence)

II. Makes a star out of MLK Jr.

Leads to creation of SCLC

Martin Luther King Jr.

Early Years– Son of leading black baptist

minister– Graduates HS at 15– Moorehouse College– Crozer Theological Seminary– Boston University (Dr. of

Divinity)– First Job—Pastor of Dexter

Av. Baptist Church, Montgomery Al.

Response of the Federal Government

Slow. . . S. Dems Filibuster (Strom Thurmond once

went 24 hrs and 18 minutes) Civil Rights Laws in 1957-1960 mostly

ineffective.

Overall Assessment of Civil Rights in 1950s

Real Gains limited Symbolic gains huge Most important, leadership, strategies are set

and public attention is focused.

Sit-Ins 1960

Involves young people in direct action

Desegregates Lunch counters, first in Greensboro, NC, then other cities

SNCC Forms

JFK AND CIVIL RIGHTS

Reluctant leader? Poor political position?

Freedom Rides

Movement to desegregate buses in south

Met by violence; worse the further south it went

Turning Point: Birmingham 1963

King Leads Demonstrations.

Eugene “Bull” Connor—sheriff uses attack dogs and fire hoses to put down demonstrations.

Americans see this on TV. They are SHOCKED by the violence.

Impact of Birmingham

JFK Makes speech—calls for law

King organizes March on Washington to keep the momentum going—there he gives “I have a dream” speech.

CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964

ENDS SEGREGATION OF PUBLIC FACILITIES.

First major Civil Rights Law since Reconstruction

Limited power to do stuff about voting—more needed.

MISSISSIPPI FREEDOM SUMMER 1964

College students—most of them white, well to do and northern head south to register black voters (and call their influential parents’ attention to the issue)

Set up Freedom Schools, arts programs etc.

Murder in Mississippi

During freedom summer, three workers go missing (2 white, 1 black), assumed murder

Search for bodies goes on all summer—calls attention to just how violent these rednecks were.

Bodies found in earthen dam in August—murders convicted (2005).

Selma--1965

King proposes march from Selma, AL. to Montgomery.

Police greet march with violence

Just like Birmingham—gets on TV, shocks America—

As a result LBJ asks for

VOTING RIGHTS ACT 1965

Ends voting discrimination

Threatens federal takeover of areas that discriminate.

AFTER LAWS OF 64-65, Things get more complicated.

While it is relatively easy to fix legal issues; segregation, voting discrimination, other issues such as racism, economic issues harder to fix.

Laws lead to “revolution of rising expectations”. When they’re not met, much discontent, impatience in black community—leads to more extreme measures.

By the end of the 60s . . .

“We shall overcome” replaced with “Burn Baby Burn”

Civil Rights Gets Radical

1965-1968

Problems blacks still have

Victims of “white flight” Even those who had the means to leave had

problems.– Many places will not sell to banks– Many banks will not lend to blacks

“REDLINING” –the practice of circling neighborhoods on the map and refusing to lend $ to anyone who lives there.

More radical voices emerge.

Malcolm X The Black Power Movement The Black Panthers

Malcolm X

One time member of Nation of Islam Preached “separation” Believed in achieving rights by any

means necessary Assassinated 1965—influence

continues to grow. Especially big with young blacks

Autobiography is a classic of American Lit (read it paired with Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father for a very interesting look @ African-American experience

Malcolm X

"It doesn't mean that I advocate violence, but at the same time, I am not against using violence in self-defense. I don't call it violence when it's self-defense, I call it intelligence.“

"I'm not going to sit at your table and watch you eat, with nothing on my plate, and call myself a diner. Sitting at the table doesn't make you a diner, unless you eat some of what's on that plate. Being here in America doesn't make you an American....

Black Power

Broke away from SNCC in 1966

Led by Stokely Charmichael

Influenced by Malcolm X—advocated Black Self-reliance.

Black Power

A call for blacks to “unite, to recognize their heritage, to build a sense of community. . . To begin to define their own goals to lead their own organizations and to support those organizations.”   

  “Before a group can enter the open society, it must first close ranks.”

The Black Panthers

Formed in Oakland, CA Challenged police

brutality Most leaders arrested

(some say set up) Very threatening

Huey Newton on the Black Panthers

We felt that the police needed a label, a label other than that fear image that they carried in the community. So we used the pig as the rather low-lifed animal in order to identify the police. And it worked.

You can jail a Revolutionary, but you can't jail the Revolution.

We have two evils to fight, capitalism and racism. We must destroy both racism and capitalism.

Race Riots of the 60s

Affect most major cities Big ‘uns are in Watts

(LA) 1965, Detroit and Newark (1967)

“We Shall Overcome” replaced by “BURN BABY BURN”

By The End of the 1960s

More questions than answers 1968: Kerner Commission says we are

becoming two societies, one black, one white; separate and totally inequal.

By the end of the 1960s and into future

Legal (de Jure) segregation is outlawed. De Facto segregation on the rise (segregation

in fact, not in law) African American issues persist

– Housing (redlining)– Jobs– Access to opportunity