Challenges and Changes to the Movement

1. Challenges and Changes to the Movement OR… …I see klukies coming! Chapter 29 section 3

2. Northern Segregation • Northern Segregation (pg 924): • Two Types of segregation faced blacks moving north: • De facto segregation:seg. that exists by customs or practices (“That’s how it’s always been…”) • Required changing people’s attitudes, harder than changing people’s laws • Activists found it dif in mid 60s to convince whites to share economic and social power, (hard to accept African Am. managers bosses etc,) • White flight: whites left cities largely to African Americans (cities decayed) • De jure Segregation: Segregation by law • A surprise Failure of the Civil Rights MLK Soul Force!: • Chicago 1966: MLK and 600 activists wanted to create an “open city” • met with rocks and bottles, • MLK vows to return…

3. Urban Violence Erupts: • *NY City 1964 :urban violence erupts, 15 yr old killed in encounter with police, Harlem riots • *Los Angeles, Watts, one of the worst race riot in nation’s history, 34 killed, hundreds of millions in damages to property, (mostly black owned property) • *1967 more than 100 cities see riots erupt • *“Rage baffles whites”…. • …some realized needed “economic equality in the availability of jobs” • *1964 Pres. Johnson starts his “War on Poverty” • *By 1967 Dr King proclaims “the great society shot down on the battlefields of Vietnam” money went into fighting in Vietnam instead of USA neighborhoods…

4. African American Solidarity (pg 925): • Malcolm Little becomes Malcolm X • Went to jail for burglary at age 20, studied Islam in jail, began to believe in Black superiority and black separation from whites…. • Joined Nation of Islam under Elijah Muhammad • His calls for “armed self defense” scared most whites and moderate Afr Am. • Attention he was getting upset other Nation of Islam members…

5. Bullets or Ballots? (pg 926) : • 1964 Malcolm broke with Elijah Muhammad’s teachings over diff in strategy and doctrine. • Pilgrimage to Mecca in April 1964…saw white muslims, came home more moderate…. • Began preaching more tolerance and use of ballots (now saying take part in society with the whites) • Feb 21 knowing his life in danger, he gave a speech in Harlem and was shot and killed by two black assassins •  “It has always been my belief that I, too, will die by violence. I have done all that I can to be prepared”

6. King’s Death • April 3rd 1968, MLK addresses crowd and foreshadows his death in speech “I might not get there with you…” • Shot and killed at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis Tenn. by James Earl Ray from window across the street • Reactions to King’s Death: • Riots! Lots of riots across US cities • in spite of calls from Bobby Kennedy for calm • Over 100 cities up in flames • Adding to the chaos: in June 1968: Robert Kennedy Pres. Candidate killed by Jordanian immigrant SirhanSirhan. Crazy times felt by all….more to come!

7. Black Power (pg 926): • July 1966 Meredith starts a march from Tenn to Jackson Miss but is shot in back and too wounded to continue.. • King and SNCC and CORE decided to complete his march with more people supporting it… • Stokely Carmichael leader of SNCC (Student Non violent Coordinating Committee) arrested for setting up a tent on campus, beaten by cops, comes to rally and proclaims “Black Power” (SNCCers proclaim “we shall OVERRUN” in famous change to civil Rights song… • militant stand advocated against MLK advice….SNCC urged to stop admitting whites • King thought this would provoke African Am. to violence and antagonize whites

8. Black Panthers • Formed in Oakland California, 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale.. • Formed to fight police brutality • Believed blacks should be exempt from military service (due to high numbers drafted in Nam) • Preached self defense; handed out Mao pamphlets • Also Panthers set up soup kitchens and charities to help residents in ghettos…helped them to gain support * Shootouts occurred between them and police FBI investigated them numerous times

9. Legacy of Civil Rights/Civil Rights Gains: • * March 1st 1968: • * Kerner Commission appointed to study why blacks rioted • Found white racism the main cause. • * Findings: Needed New jobs, new housing and end de facto segregation • * Civil Rights Act of 1968: ended discrimination in housing. • * After school segregation ended the numbers of African Americans who graduated and went on college went up…. Led to better jobs and business opportunities. • * By 1970 2/3 of eligible Afr Am voters were registered to vote (shows political power growing) …over 7,000 African AM officials elected by 1992 • Present Day : Barack Obama elected President in 2008 election shows huge gain in acceptance in 40 years!!!

10. Unfinished Work • Public support for Civil Rights movement declined by the 1970s. (frightened by the riots and growth in militant groups like Black Panthers) • By 1990 white flight had reversed the progress toward school integration (Neighborhoods left to Af Am majority) • affirmative action: programs that were created in the 1960s that involved making special efforts to hire minorities that had suffered discrimination, Business now have a quota number of minorities they must hire, • A.f. is criticized as reverse discrimination, deprived whites of opportunities • THE END…….?