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10 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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1. The NAACP.
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The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) was one of the earliest organisations created to help black people gain better civil rights in America. It fought against racism and segregation.
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2. World War II and civil rights.
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Over a million black people fought for the US armed forces in World War II. The army appointed black officers but it was segregated until 1948. After the war, black people hoped for more equality and less racism, but were disappointed as little changed. As a result there was a surge in support for civil rights groups such as the NAACP and CORE (the Congress for Racial Equality) after the war.
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3. Voter registration.
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Civil rights groups worked hard to get black people registered to vote. Politicians would be more likely to support civil rights if many black people could vote for them.
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4. Peaceful protest.
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Early civil rights groups stressed peaceful protest: picketing, boycotts, sit-ins and freedom rides. Martin Luther King said it should be clear who were the oppressed.
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5. Martin Luther King.
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He was a Baptist minister and world famous leader of the US civil rights movement. He set up the civil rights organisation the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957 after the success of the Montgomery bus boycott. He was a very inspiring speaker who believed in non-violent direct action.
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6. The Montgomery Bus Boycott.
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Happened in Montgomery, Alabama. Rosa Parks, a middle aged black woman, provided the spark for the boycott when she was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus for a white person. The NAACP organised the initial part of the boycott, but planning was later taken over by the MIA (Montgomery Improvement Association) which had been set up to improve integration. Segregated buses were boycotted for over a year. The state government would not change the law so the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on buses was unconstitutional. The boycott was Martin Luther King's first major success.
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8. Little Rock (1957).
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School officials were trying to integrate Little Rock High School in Arkansas. 9 black students tried to enrol at the school. Teh governer, Orville Faubus opposed integration and tried to stop them by using state troops to keep them out and 'protect the school'. The students also received violent and intimidating threats by racist gangs. The incident achieved worldwide publicity. President Eisenhower felt he should act to force the integration of the school. He put the Arkansas troops under federal control and had them guard the students.
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9. Sit-ins.
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Sit-ins were a new type of protest: black people sat in places like snack bars reserved for whites. The first occurred in Greensboro, North Carolina. Many sit-ins were organised by students who met violent aggression. The SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) was set up in March 1960 to help organise the growing movement.
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10. Freedom Rides.
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In 1961, the Supreme Court passed a law to desegregate the facilities in bus stations. CORE and SNCC organised 'freedom rides' - buses that would drive through the South 'testing' the facilities in bus stations to make sure they were integrated. The groups ensured there were both white and black people on the buses, but they recieved a very hostile response - buses were attacked and firebombed, riders were arrested, beaten and three were killed.
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11. Opposition to the Civil Rights movement.
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Opposition was common.The Ku Klux Klan had judges and police as members and was widespread, as was the White Citizens' Council. Many southern states defied federal law.
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