4.2.3
1966 - 1968
1966
1966
From 1966, the Civil Rights movement began to experience more divisions.
The Meredith March, 1966
The Meredith March, 1966
- James Meredith was the first black person to be accepted into the University of Mississippi.
- In June 1966, Meredith began a 220 mile march from Tennessee to Mississippi in a bid to encourage African Americans to vote.
- He was shot, but Civil Rights organisations continued the march. Those marching included the leader of SNCC (Stokey Carmichael) and Martin Luther King.
Divisions in the movement
Divisions in the movement
- Despite having nearly 400 members, the march was affected by divisions with the Civil Rights movement, particularly those over the new Civil Rights Act.
- The SNCC became more militant and wanted to exclude white activists from their movement. This clashed with Martin Luther King’s views.
- Stokely Carmichael (Chair of NSCC) was arrested during the march. He began to advocate for violence, Black Power and burning down courthouses.
- King still promoted a strict non-violence approach.
- The government refused to send in troops to protect the marchers.
Affirmative action
Affirmative action
- From late 1966, Martin Luther King advocated affirmative action.
- This was the idea that the government should actively help those who had a disadvantaged start in life, and positively discriminate against them in a bid to help them.
- Whilst King thought that giving black people the vote was important, it cost the US government little and he thought they needed to start actively trying to improve the lives of black citizens.
- He argued that the US government needed to invest money into black communities to make a greater change to their lives.
Lack of support
Lack of support
- King tried to organise a march to promote affirmative action but it attracted little support.
1968
1968
In 1968, Martin Luther King was killed and the Fair Housing Act was passed.
Martin Luther King's assassination
Martin Luther King's assassination
- King went to Tennessee to join in a march to support African American workers.
- Black Power activists became involved and the march turned into a riot.
- Hours after the march, King was shot by a white racist.
- His murder caused riots across African American ghettos.
- King had undoubtedly played a monumental role in the Civil Rights movement. His skilful exploitation of the media gained the movement much-needed publicity and public sympathy by exposing the racism of the south.
King's legacy
King's legacy
- President Johnson called for a day of mourning and King was immortalised as a hero.
- Johnson passed the Fair Housing Act after King's death.
- King was also was instrumental in encouraging President Johnson to pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act and later the 1965 Voting Act.
- Although his later campaigns were less successful, King still has to be credited for championing affirmative action as this policy continued after his death.
Other figures in the Civil Rights movement
Other figures in the Civil Rights movement
- King, however, was not alone in his campaign and much of credit of the successes of the Civil Rights movement must also be given to the NAACP, CORE and the SNCC, not to mention local churches and ordinary grassroots groups.
- President Kennedy and Johnson must also be recognised for their work in helping African Americans as they both supported Civil Rights despite facing extreme criticism.
1968 Civil Rights Act
1968 Civil Rights Act
- Before 1968, President Johnson had tried to pass bills in Congress to ease the African Americans housing crisis but these were blocked by congress.
- 70% of voters didn’t want to have large numbers of African Americans living in their neighbourhoods.
1968 Fair Housing Act
1968 Fair Housing Act
- Johnson did however successfully manage to pass the 1968 Fair Housing Act.
- This prohibited discrimination in housing sales and rentals to African Americans.
- Although the act was passed, it received heavy criticism from white racists.
1‘Free at Last’ 1865-77
1.1The Thirteenth Amendment
1.2Radical Reconstruction, 1867-77
2The Triumph of ‘Jim Crow’ 1883-c1890
2.1Jim Crow Laws & Civil Rights Cases
3The New Deal and Race Relations, 1933–41
3.1Failure to Address Black Grievances
3.2The New Deal
3.3The Second World War
4‘I have a dream’, 1954–68
4.1Civil Rights Activities, 1954–63
4.2Civil Rights 1964-68
4.3Malcolm X & The Black Panthers
5Obama's Campaign for the Presidency, 2004–09
5.1The Late 20th Century
5.2Barack Obama & his Political Career
5.3Reasons for Obama's Victory
Jump to other topics
1‘Free at Last’ 1865-77
1.1The Thirteenth Amendment
1.2Radical Reconstruction, 1867-77
2The Triumph of ‘Jim Crow’ 1883-c1890
2.1Jim Crow Laws & Civil Rights Cases
3The New Deal and Race Relations, 1933–41
3.1Failure to Address Black Grievances
3.2The New Deal
3.3The Second World War
4‘I have a dream’, 1954–68
4.1Civil Rights Activities, 1954–63
4.2Civil Rights 1964-68
4.3Malcolm X & The Black Panthers
5Obama's Campaign for the Presidency, 2004–09
5.1The Late 20th Century
5.2Barack Obama & his Political Career
5.3Reasons for Obama's Victory
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