I.The Civil Rights Movement
A. The sit-ins and Freedom Rides
1. Sit-in: a demonstration in which protesters sit down in a location and refuse to leave, NON-VIOLENT a. Greensboro, North Carolina: 2 African
Americans sat at a “whites only” Woolworth’s lunch counter and refused to leave until served.
Ella Baker
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee a. Trained protesters, organized rights demonstrations
Freedom Rides: black riders would use the
“whites only” facilities and the white riders would use those for African Americans a. 1 st ride began in Washington, DC b. often attacked by angry mobs c. on Nov. 1 st , 1961 segregation was banned on buses and railroads, (not the 1 st time,
Montgomery Bus Boycott)
Working for freedom
1. Martin Luther King Jr.
a. 1963: began working with SCLC holding boycotts, sit-ins and demonstrations
b. while in jail wrote Letter from Birmingham Jail, explaining his belief for NONVIOLENCE
c. when released 2,500 marchers walked through
Birmingham streets, were sprayed with high pressure hoses and attacked dogs, with TV crews watching
2. JFK signs a new civil rights bill, the pressure was raising
3. March on Washington: African Americans showed their support by holding a nationwide demonstration
a. “I have a Dream Speech” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smEqnnklfYs
President Johnson(who took over because JFK was killed 2 months after the March on Washington) passes the Civil Rights Act of 1964
a. Banned segregation in public places, prohibited employers from discriminating based on sex, religion, and national origin
1. Freedom Summer: A campaign in Mississippi to register African Americans to vote
June 21, 1964…3 of the volunteers disappeared (2 white men from the north, 1 black man from Mississippi)
Their bodies were found in early August
2. SCLC organized a march from Selma, AL to
Montgomery (capital)
a. were ordered to stop by state troopers
b. dozens were injured, became known as
Bloody Sunday
TV images drew 50,000 people to the state capital
3. Voting Rights Act of 1965
Passed by President Johnson
Allowed the government to inspect voter registration procedures and protect voters
1. Malcolm X
a. Leader of the Nation of Islam Black Muslims
b. supported black separation and encouraged all-black communities
c. Unlike King, Malcolm X insisted that African
Americans had to protect themselves from violence, using force if necessary
d. after he split from the Nation of Islam, he informed the Organization of Afro-American
Unity, changed some views after traveling to
Mecca in Saudi Arabia
e. Malcolm X was assassinated by 3 members of the Islam Nation
2. Stokely Carmichael a. Black Power movement: wanted African
Americans to have greater economic and political power b. Black Panther Party : tried to “police the police”, eventually broken up
Watts, Los Angeles 1965 a. black motorist arrested sparked a riot b. National Guard called in to restore order, 34 died
Poor People’s Campaign, announced by MLK in
1968 a. wanted the poor of all races to join to fight economic problems b. traveled to Memphis, TN to support striking sanitation workers c. April 4, 1968 while talking with supporters was fired at and killed instantly d. ex-convict James Earl Ray was arrested e. riots broke out in over 100 cities, 50 people had died
Anti-busing protests in Boston, 19674 a. Because school segregation continued, judges ordered forced busing
Affirmative Action: some businesses gave special considerations to nonwhite to make up for the past a. University of California v. Bakke: court ruled that
Allen Bakke (white) had been unfairly denied admission to medical school because quota was set b. race could be a factor to admissions, but setting quota was illegal c. despite this ruling, it helped many African
Americans
Political Activism a. Hector P. Garcia: U.S. Army surgeon, formed the American GI Forum to defend the rights of
Mexican Americans b. League of United Latin American Citizens, formed in 1929 continued to fight toward school desegregation
The United Farm Workers
Majority of migrant laborers were Mexican Americans and Mexicans a. earned low wages and unhealthy working conditions
Cesar Chavez, organized migrant farm workers,
NONVIOLENTLY a. joined with Dolores Huerta to form the National
Farm Workers Association 1962 b. 1966 combined the NFWA with Filipino workers to create United Farm Workers c. Used boycotts and hunger strikes d. Agricultural labor Relations Act gave migrant farm workers the right to strike and bargain collectively
Hispanic Civil Rights Leaders
1. Reies Lopez Tijerina a. argued that state and local governments were taking some Mexican American land grants in
New Mexico b. occupied part of a national forest, claims it was part of the land grant c. raided a county courthouse, arrested d. before convicted, lead a group of Hispanics in the
1968 Poor People’s March on Washington
Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales a. young activist who called for reforms in education, employment, housing , and land b. poem Yo Soy Joaquin (I am Joaquin)
Inspired by Gonzales, tried to turn the word
“Chicano” into a word of pride (used to be derogatory) a. more attending high school and college, called for bilingual education
The Mexican American Youth Organization a. formed in 1967 by Jose Angel Gutierrez b. supported walkouts until the schools agreed to reforms
La Raza Unida Party (United People’s Party) a. worked to register voters and gain new party members b. members actually won seats on school board and city council
Education a. 1968 Elementary and Secondary School Act acknowledged the needs of non-English speaking students b. Bilingual Education Act of 1974 gave federal funds for bilingual education programs
Voting a. Voting Rights Act of 1975: allowed voters in areas with large immigrant populations to have ballots in the voters’ preferred language
New Frontiers for Women
1. Women were being paid less for the same job
2. Were given fewer opportunities for advancement
3. Comission on the States of Women; started by
Esther Peterson to study workplace inequality
4. Equal Pay Act: 1963, forced employers to pay men and women the same wages for the same job a. many received back pay because of this act
The Movement Begins
1. Feminism: the belief that women should have the same economic, political, and social rights as men
2. Betty Friedan (mother/journalist) published The
Feminine Mystique a. challenged the idea that women only need a husband and family to be happy and fulfilled
Many agreed, founded the National Organization for
Women a. worked for equality with men in education, government, household responsibilities and job opportunities3 b. created the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission to look into and evaluate discrimination complaints
Women’s Equity Action League joined the fight a. sued more than 300 colleges and universities for paying female professors less than male
Attracted some critics a. nonwhite women thought these organizations did not meet their needs not likely to join these groups
“Second Wave” of female activists were younger and more radical
Many already worked in student or civil rights movements
Mad with male leaders
Wanted not only equal rights, but “women’s liberation” a. organized “consciousness-raising” groups to help women become more aware of discrimination that they faced
Women strike for equality: marched in cities across the country
National Women’s Political Caucus a. founded by Bella Abzug, Shirley Chisholm, and writer Gloria Steinem b. wanted to increase role in politics
Betty Bella Gloria
1972 Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was sent to Congress - Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied by the US or by a State on account of sex
Opponents believed that feminism destroyed women’s true nature
Phyllis Schlafly: mostly outspoken critic of ERA, founded STOP (Stop
Taking Our Privileges). She warned that if ERA passed, a. women would have to serve in the military b. husbands would have to stop providing for their wives c. separate restrooms for men and women would be illegal
Due to such arguments the ERA fell 3 state short of ratification by its
June, 1982 deadline
Gloria Steinem founded Ms Magazine a. promoted the women’s movement
Title IX passed; prohibited any college or university that received federal aid to discriminate against women
More women were attending male schools, and entering politics
1968 Shirley Chisholm: 1 st African American women elected to Congress
American Indian Rights
1954-1960 government ended its support for 61 groups of American Indians a. lost support for education, health, and social services
1961 gathered in Chicago to find answers
The National Congress of American Indians helped pass the
Indian Civil Rights Act a. 1968 helped protect the constitutional rights of
American Indians and affirmed their right to selfgovernment on reservations
Some thought too moderate, started the “Red Power”
Movement”
American Indian Movement a. led by Russell Means fought to protect rights and inspire cultural pride b. organized dramatic protests, frightened many non-
Indian supporters
Other American Indians fought more successfully using the legal system a. government started Indian self-determination; right to governed themselves on reservations
Ed Roberts, a disabled student, challenged the
University of California at Berkley because they would not let students with disabilities attend because the buildings were not made for wheelchairs a. was admitted and started the Physically
Disabled Students’ Program
Judy Heumann: denied a teaching certificate because she was a quadriplegic-both arms and legs were paralyzed a. founded the group Disabled in Action to help with reform efforts b. helped pass the rehabilitation Act of 1973: illegal for any federal agency to discriminate against persons with disabilities c. Education for All Handicapped Children Act 1975; ordered public schools to provide a quality education for children with disabilities