Challenges & Changes in the Movement

Challenges & Changes in the MovementChapter 21-3African Americans Seek Greater Equality What civil rights groups had in common in the early 1960s where their calls for a newfound pride in black identity and a commitment to change the social and economic structures that kept people in a life of poverty However, by 1965, the leading civil rights groups began to drift apartNew leaders emerged as the movement turned its attention to the North, where African Americans faced not legal segregation but deeply entrenched & oppressive racial prejudice

Northern Segregation The problem facing African Americans in the north was de facto segregation-segregation that exists by practice or customDe facto segregation can be harder to fight than de jure segregation, or segregation by law, because eliminating it requires changing peoples attitudes rather than repealing laws De facto segregation intensified after African Americans migrated North after WWIIThis began a white flight, in which great numbers of whites moved out of the cities to the suburbsBy the end of the decade African Americans were living in run down decayed slumsOther issues included poor schools, brutality from an all white police force, & an unemployment rate twice that of whites

Urban Violence Erupts In the mid 1960s, clashes between white authority and black civilians spread like wildfire On August 11, 1965, only five days after President Johnson signed a Voting Rights Act into law, one of the worst race riots in the nations history raged in the streets of Watts 34 people were killed, and hundreds of millions of dollars worth of property was destroyed The African-American rage baffled many whites Few realized that what African Americans wanted and needed was the economic equality of opportunity in jobs, housing, and education Even before the riots in 1964, President Johnson had announced his war on poverty, a program to help impoverished Americans The money needed to fund the Great Society would soon be directed to fund the war in Vietnam New Leaders Voice Discontent That anger that sent rioters into the streets stemmed in part from African-American leaders who urged their followers to take complete control of their communities, livelihoods, and culture One such leader, Malcolm X, declared to a Harlem audience, If you think we are here to tell you to love the white man, you have come to the wrong place. African American Solidarity Malcolm X would come to serve Elijah Muhammad, the head of the Nation of Islam, or the Black Muslims He would gain a following, brilliant thinker and engaging speaker openly preached Elijah Muhammads views that whites were the cause of the black condition and that blacks should separate from white society Malcolms message would appeal to many African Americans and their growing racial pride The press would give a great deal of publicity to Malcolm because of his controversial statements made dramatic news stores This had two effects:1. His call for harm self defense frighten most whites and many moderate African Americans2. Reports of the attention Malcolm received awakened resentment in some other members of the Nation of Islam Ballots or Bullets

In March 1964, Malcolm broke with Elijah Muhammad over differences in strategy and doctrine and formed another Muslim organization One month later, he embarked on a pilgrimage to MeccaWhile in Mecca, he learned that Orthodox Islam preached racially equality, and he worshiped alongside people from many countries and races When he returned to the United States, his attitude towards whites had changed radically Because of this split with the Black Muslims, Malcolm believed his life might be in danger No one can get out without trouble, he confided On February 21, 1965, while giving a speech in Harlem, Malcolm X was shot and killed Black Power In June of 1966, tensions that had been building between SNCC and the other civil rights groups finally erupted in Mississippi It was here that James Meredith set out on a 225 mile walk against fear Meredith would be shot by a white racist and would be too injured to continue Martin Luther king, of the SCLC, Floyd McKissick of CORE, and Stokely Carmichael of SNCC all decided to lead their followers in a march to finish what Meredith had started It would soon become apparent that SNCC and CORE members were quite militant, as they began to shout slogans similar to those of the black separatists Black Power, Carmichael said, was a call for black people to begin to define their own goals.[and] to lead their own organizations. Carmichael would also urge SNCC to stop recruiting whites and to focus on developing African American pride Black Panthers Later that year, another development demonstrated the growing radicalism of some segments of the African-American community In October 1966, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale would found a political party known as the Black Panthers to fight police brutality in the ghetto The party advocated self sufficiency for African American Communities, as well as full employment and decent housing The Panthers preached self-defense and sold copies of the writings of Mao Zedong, leader of the Chinese communist revolution Although the group was militant it did establish day care centers, free breakfast programs, free medical clinics, provided assistance to the homeless, and other services which won support of those in the ghetto 1968-A Turning Point in Civil Rights Dr. King objected to the Black Power movement as he believed preaching violence could only end in grief Dr. King seemed to sense that death was near as on April 3, 1968, as he was in Tennessee to support striking garbage workers where he was gunned down

Reactions to Kings Death The night King died, Robert Kennedy was campaigning for the Democratic Presidential nomination Fearful that Kings death would spark riots, Robert Kennedys advisers advised him to cancel his appearance in an African American neighborhood in Indianapolis Kennedy would attend, making an impassioned plea for nonviolence Despite Kennedys plea, rage over Kings death led to the worst urban rioting in United States history In June of the same year, Kennedy himself, would be assassinated Legacy of the Civil Rights Movement In March 1968, the Kerner commission issued its report citing one main cause for the urban violence: white racism The report called for the nation to create new jobs, construct new housing, and end de facto segregation The Johnson administration ignored many of the recommendations because of white opposition to such sweeping changes Civil Rights Gains The Civil Rights movement ended de jure segregation by bringing legal protection to all AmericansThe major piece of legislation was the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which ended discrimination in housing, education, & transportationThe movement also provided African Americans with a sense of greater pride in their cultureIn addition African Americans gained greater political freedom as more than 2/3 of eligible African American voters were now registeredMany African Americans would go on to hold positions within government

Unfinished WorkAs the 1970s came into being the goals of the Civil Rights movement would change from political goals & desegregation to economic, housing, poverty, & racismPublic support for the movement would decline as white people would become frightened by the urban riots & the Black PanthersTo help combat these issues the government began following a policy of affirmative action or a special effort to give preference to special groups who had suffered discriminationTurn your sheet to the back page when youre done and wait for instructions. Answer the Following QuestionIn your opinion, did the Civil Rights Movement accomplish its overall goal or equality between the races? If you think yes state their overall goal and how they accomplished it. If you think no state their overall goal what they didnt accomplish.Be ready to share it in class tomorrow.