Civright
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The document summarizes the key phases of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States from 1900 to the present. It outlines six phases: (1) the end of self-segregation and rise of civil rights organizations from 1900-1920; (2) the growth of activist organizations and attempts at reform from 1908-1950; (3) the expansion of some rights by white leaders from 1930-1960; (4) the use of direct action and confrontation tactics by black individuals and organizations from 1955-1970; (5) progress toward rights but the emergence of frustration and militancy from 1964-1975; and (6) steady progress toward rights with decreasing focus on the issue from 1980 to the present.
Civright
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- 2. “Strange Fruit” (1940) written by Lewis Allen Southern trees bear strange fruit Blood on the leaves Blood at the root Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees Pastoral scene of the gallant south The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth The scent of magnolia sweet and fresh Then the sudden smell of burning flesh! Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop Here is a strange and bitter crop. 2
- 3. The Civil Rights Movement Six Phases 1900-Present 3
- 4. Civil Rights Outline Key periods (Dates approximate and overlapping) Post reconstruction self segregation 1877-1920 1. Self-segregation no longer an option 1900-1920 2. Organization of pro-rights (and anti-rights) groups and attempts at reform through lobbying and lawsuits 1908-1950 3. Expansion of some rights to African-Americans by a tiny few white leaders 1930-1960 4. Black individuals and organizations force confrontation over rights 1955-1970 5. Clear progress toward rights but frustration with the speed resulting in militancy and violence 1964 - 1975 6. Steady progress toward rights with retrenchment of society interest in the issue 1980 - 4 Present
- 5. 1877-1900 Post Reconstruction Self-Segregation Black Codes during Reconstruction Jim Crow Laws after Reconstruction In rural deep south – All black communities in some locales In towns, “the other side of the tracks.” 5
- 6. 1. Development of Modern Black - White Conflict Problem Identification : Self-segregation no longer an option Washington (traditionalists) vs. Dubois (Niagara Movement) 1900-1920 6
- 7. 2. Organization of Activists – African Americans Organization of individuals to address the problems of race 1. NAACP 1909 2. Universal Negro Improvement Association Marcus Garvey 1929 “Black is Beautiful” 3. Nation of Islam 1930 7
- 8. 2. Organization of Activists - Whites Joseph Simmons “Birth of a Nation” – DW Griffith Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank The 2nd KKK 1915 8
- 9. 3. White Power Structure Grants Rights Powerful people support black Powerful people must then actively oppose black Civ Rights for reasons of moral compulsion or for Civil Rights for reasons of personal advantage moral compulsion often at great risk, sometimes for personal advantage FDR Governor of Arkansas Harry Truman 1948 - Orval Faubus Branch Rickey 1947 Governor of Mississippi Jackie Robinson - Ross Barnett The Supreme Court Governors of Alabama Sweatt v. Painter (1950) - John Patterson McLaurin v. Oklahoma (1950) - George Wallace Brown v. Board of Education (1954) From Kentucky (1798) and Virginia (1799) Resolutions School Board Little Rock, Arkansas - Nullification - Interposition 9
- 10. 4. Direct Action - Confrontation African-Americans discover a set of tools to force the power structure of the nation to: a) confront their own racism and make a conscious decision to accept or reject that racism b) reject racism for their own economic self-interests Rules about segregation of busses – Montgomery 1955 Rosa Parks 10
- 11. 4. Direct Action - Confrontation Local Church Leaders reluctant to respond: • Martin Luther King - Ralph David Abernathy “Powder Keg” Crisis required a response • Organized and peaceful vs. spontaneous and violent Boycott – 2/3 of Montgomery Busline Ridership Newly discovered power in the “powerless” Demands 1. Integration of busses 2. Hire black drivers 3. White drivers courteous to black riders 11
- 12. 4. Direct Action - Confrontation Effects of Montgomery Bus boycott 1. New Leadership 2. New Organization – SCLC 3. New emphasis in tactics and philosophy: 1. Non-violence Jesus Christ 2. Civil Disobedience Henry David Thoreau 3. Passive-resistance Mohndas K. Ghandi 4. Direct Action Jim Lawson Summarized by King in the phrase: “Let no man bring you so low as to hate him…. We must confront physical force with a new force, ‘Soul Force.’ “ 12
- 13. 4. Direct Action - Confrontation 1955 – Murder of Emmett Till (14) – His mother’s defiance: The “first great media event” of the Civil Rights Movement (David Halberstam) Photos of the Chicago Funeral in national magazines 13
- 14. 4. Direct Action - Confrontation Lunch Counter “Sit-ins” Downtown department stores • Greensboro • Nashville • Atlanta, etc. First Direct Action demonstrations SNCC National boycott of chain stores “Freedom Rides” Interstate Bus service CORE Not actually “Civil Disobedience” because …? 14
- 15. 4. Direct Action - Confrontation Death of Medgar Evers Protest Marches in Birmingham Bull Connor 15
- 16. 4. Direct Action - Confrontation The March on Washington Aug 1963 – the famous “I Have a Dream” speech 16 Civil Rights Act of 1964
- 17. 4. Direct Action - Confrontation Selma, Alabama – Voting Rights March Edmund Pettus Bridge Voting Rights Act of 196517
- 18. 5. The Violence of Frustration Clear progress toward rights But frustration with the pace of change Result – Militancy and violence 1964 - 1975 18
- 19. 5. The Violence of Frustration The Good Voting Rights exercised Martin Luther King – Nobel Peace Prize LBJ appoints: 1. Robert Weaver –1st Cabinet member (HUD) 2. Thurgood Marshall – 1st Justice SC For the first time, African-Americans in the Public Arts in ways 1. Visible 2. Powerful 19
- 20. Oscar Best Actor 20
- 21. 5. The Violence of Frustration The Bad Raised Hopes and Expectations But economic equality is decades away Spontaneous riots in non-southern cities Example - Watts Riots (LA)1965 A move in Calif. to block the fair housing provision of the Civil Rights Act built tensions Exploded after a routine traffic stop escalated 6 days, hundreds of buildings, 4000 arrests, 34 dead 21
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- 23. 5. The Violence of Frustration The Bad – Continued Organizations The Nation of Islam (The “Black Muslims”) •Elijah Mohamed •Cassius Clay (Muhamed Ali) •Malcolm “X” – Freedom “By any means necessary” •Louis Farakhan The Black Panthers •H. “Rap” Brown (Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin) – Re: Cambridge, MA - “Burn this town down” •Huey Newton 23 – “Political power comes from the barrel of a gun”
- 24. 5. The Violence of Frustration The Bad – Continued again The Assassination of Martin Luther King Cross reference with 1968 from next presentation 24
- 25. 6. Progress and Retrenchment The natural historic “rhythm” Change followed by reactionism • A period of social reform followed by • A period of materialism followed by • A period of spiritual awakening (and so on) 25
- 26. 6. Progress and Retrenchment Affirmative Action Consideration of race, ethnicity, or sex in the acceptance of qualified applicants First in policy by Nixon Administration Publicly popular in 1970’s Declared constitutional by Regents of University California v. Bakke (1978) Opposition builds in 1980’s – 00’s California ends Affirmative Action in all state programs Bush 43 administration supporting private lawsuit to overturn affirm. action at Univ. of Michigan 26
- 27. 6. Progress and Retrenchment - Continued Poverty Rates Post WWII national average approx. 12% For Afr. Americans •1998 – 1st year below 30% •2000 – 22%, a record low – Also 2002 – 7.5% for Whites Incarceration Rates Chance of a black male spending some time in jail in his lifetime • 28.5% Chance of a white male • 2.5% 27
- 28. Legacies of the Civil Rights Movement 28
- 29. Legacies of the Civil Rights Movement 1. Inspiration for other movements a. Hispanics, Latinos, Mexican Americans Caesar Chavez a. Native Americans AIM a. Women NOW ERA a. Gays and Lesbians Stonewall Riot 29
- 30. Legacies of the Civil Rights Movement 2. Economic growth More complete use of ALL our resources Especially in South 2. Object lesson for other forms of prejudice 30