African American History and Civil Rights

The Black Power Movement

• Led by Stokely Carmichael
• Focused on achieving African American empowerment through a separate society

The Nation of Islam

• A black nationalist organization that advocated for a separate society for African Americans in the US

The Watts Riots

• 6-day riots in Los Angeles in response to the beating of a black cab driver
• Resulted in 34 deaths and thousands of injuries

The Black Panthers

• A militant black power group that used violence to achieve their goals
• Led by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton

The Decline of the Civil Rights Movement

• The violence of the black power movement led to a decline in public sympathy for the civil rights movement

The Early Years of the Civil Rights Movement

• 1940s: Truman desegregates the military and government
• 1950s: Brown vs. Board of Education, Little Rock Nine, and Montgomery Bus Boycott

Civil Rights Organizations

• NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People): aimed to end segregation in the US
• CORE (Congress of Racial Equality): an interracial group working for integration
• SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference): created the concept of non-violent protest
• SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee): a youth group seeking immediate change for civil rights
• SNCC was unique due to its youth composition

Non-Violent Protest

• Peaceful protest of laws

SNCC Leadership

• Led by Robert Moses

Sit-Ins

• Entering a segregated area and refusing to leave
• First sit-in: Chicago in the 1940s
• Most famous sit-in: 1960 in Greensboro, NC at a Woolworth's

Freedom Rides

• Riding buses from the north into the Deep South to desegregate them
• Took place in May 1961
• Resulted in news coverage that forced the government to enforce desegregation laws

Confrontation at Ole Miss

• James Meredith attempted to attend the University of Mississippi, but was barred by the governor
• Kennedy sent US marshals to escort him to class

The March from Selma

• MLK's march to desegregate the entire state of Alabama

The Birmingham Campaign

• MLK's attempt to desegregate the city of Birmingham
• Led to massive attacks by Bull Connor and widespread news coverage, forcing the city and state to desegregate

"Letters From A Birmingham Jail"

• A series of editorials by MLK describing the civil rights movement while in a Birmingham jail

The March on Washington

• MLK organized a march on DC, where 200,000 people gathered to support Kennedy's civil rights bill
• MLK delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech at the march

Kennedy's Civil Rights Stance

• Initially, Kennedy did not act on civil rights due to his need for southern democratic support
• The violence in Birmingham changed his mind

The Civil Rights Act of 1964

• Banned discrimination in all aspects of life

The Voting Rights Act of 1965

• Allowed African Americans to register and vote in the south
• Resulted in 400,000 new African American voters in 1965

The 24th Amendment

• Removed poll taxes and literacy tests in voting

The Split in the Civil Rights Movement

• Split between non-violent and black power groups
• Black power groups felt the movement was too slow, and MLK was too accommodating to white people's demands

The Assassination of MLK

• MLK was killed in Memphis, TN on April 4, 1968 by James Earl Ray

Feminism

• The fight for equality between men and women

Wage Disparity

• In the 1960-70s, women earned 63 cents for every dollar earned by men
• Today, women earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by men

"The Problem That Has No Name"

• A concept coined by Betty Friedan to describe the limited roles assigned to women in society

NOW (National Organization for Women)

• Founded to achieve full equality for women
• Created by Betty Friedan