Free at Last

Free at Last? Civil Rights in the USA, 1918-1968

In this Unit of the N4/5 History course, you will be making a study of race relations in the USA during the years 1918 to 1968, illustrating a number of themes, including those of ideas, identity and power.

Your learning will focus on four particular areas

 The “Open Door” policy and immigration to 1928 - this refers to the idea that, at first, almost anyone could enter the USA from outside. We’ll look at how this changes as well as the social, political and economic status of ethnic minorities within the USA around the end of World War One.

 “Separate but Equal”, to 1939 – this is the idea that, between the First and Second World Wars, black people and other ethnic minorities faced changing attitudes and legal and social discrimination as well as persecution from groups such as the Ku Klux Klan.

 The Civil Rights Campaigns, 1945-1964 – this area will look at the reasons for, growth and impact of the various civil rights groups and their activities on American society.

 The Ghettos and Black American radicalism- this section will explore the reasons behind as well as the more militant (violent) activities of some civil rights groups and individuals, such as Malcolm X, the responses of government to these activities and their impact on society in the USA.

Activity 1

a) Using the “Free At Last” booklet, page 11, write a definition of “race relations”. b) Which is the major ethnic group whose race relations will be involved in this unit of study?

It is important to make sure you understand some key terms you will come across again and again in this course.

Activity 2 Copy and complete the “Heads and Tails” below. The first one is done for you!

discrimination Unfairness, inequality or bigotry. ghetto To do with the national government of all the states in the whole USA, usually controlled by laws made in Washington DC. segregation The set of rules for the government of the United States decided by those who first created an independent America.

amendment The bullying or victimising of a particular individual or group. federal A change to a term/law of the Constitution persecution a very poor area, usually occupied by a particular ethnic minority. constitution The policy of keeping different ethnic groups separate from each other. immigration Restricted area set aside for Native American settlement. reservation The act of coming into a country and settling there permanently. Section 1 – The “Open Door” Policy and Immigration to 1928.

Activity 3 – The Melting Pot and the Salad Bowl. a) Explain the difference between the ‘Melting Pot Theory’ and the ‘Salad Bowl Theory’. b) Can you give two ways in which Sources A and B agree with each other about what an American is?

Source A

Source B, Thomas Jackson, politician, 1920 “The motto of the USA is “E Pluribus Unum” which is Latin for “Out of many comes one”. Although America is made up of people from all over the world I hope that the different groups will mix together to become American – in other words from lots of different people one type of person – an American – will emerge.” Activity 4 – Changing Immigration

Using the John Kerr “Free at Last?” textbook pages 8 & 9 and your own knowledge, answer the following questions. a) Where did most early immigrants into the USA come from? b) Which large group of people were forced to immigrate into the USA? c) Which ethnic groups began to immigrate into the USA in larger numbers in the late 19th century? d) Write a sentence or two summarising this CHANGE in your own words. e) Use the pushing hand and magnet pictures below, to create two separate spider diagrams to show - the factors pushing people out of Europe - the factors attracting people to the United States.

Pages 13-17 in the “Free at Last?” booklet and pages 8 & 9 in the textbook will help with this.

Immigrants who came to the United States had different experiences, depending on where they came from, when they arrived, their religion, race and level of education. This next section looks at these different experiences. The Immigrant Experience

Activity 5 - The American Dream (Use Chapter 2 in your textbook and pages 11-13, 21 in your booklet)

a) One of the attractions of coming to America was “the American Dream”. Use your own words to explain what this means. b) Where did most European immigrants arrive in the USA? c) Most immigrants would see the Statue of Liberty from the decks of their ships as they arrived. What does the inscription on the Statue of Liberty mean?

Activity 6 - Immigrants in a New Land (Use Chapter 2 in your textbook, pages 21-23, 27-8 of your booklet and the DVD “Filthy Cities”)

Using the resources above, EITHER create a mind –map OR write a letter home to relatives in Europe describing and explaining about your experiences as a new immigrant in the USA. Whichever format you choose, you must do the following a) Describe what happened to immigrants on Ellis Island. b) Describe the problems faced by new immigrants to the USA. c) Explain why immigrant towns or areas, such as ‘Little Italy’ or ‘Irishtown’, developed. d) Describe living and working conditions for poor immigrants and others at this time. e) Explain the similarities and differences between the experiences of different ethnic groups. f) Explain the ways in which immigrants got involved with politics, referring to both positive and negative aspects.

You could look at http://www.victoriana.com/history/irish- political-cartoons.html to find out about how Irish immigrants were viewed by some Americans. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tammany_Hall gives information about Irish political activity in New England. There is more general information about immigration if you start at http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentation sandactivities/presentations/timeline/riseind/immgnts/ This 1917 cartoon relates to WASP anxiety about immigration.

Activity 8 - Changing Attitudes to Immigration (Use pages 17 – 20 in your text book and pages 30 – 31 in your booklet)

a) Define prejudiced and racist. b) An important change took place in this period in people’s attitudes to immigration and immigrants. There are 6 reasons for changing attitudes to immigration in America (the 6 bullet-points on pages 30 – 31 of your booklet). Think of a suitable title for each one and then use your own words to explain them in a colourful and memorable way in your jotter. Activity 9 - Restrictions to Immigration in the 1920s

a) What was the ‘Open Door’ policy that had existed before the 1920s? b) Explain the terms of the 1921 Immigration Act. c) Explain the terms of the 1924 Immigration Act. d) What effects did these acts have on immigration? Section 2 – “Separate but Equal” to 1939. 1865 – The passing of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution which abolished slavery in the United States.

1868 – The passing of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution which said that all people born or naturalised in the United States are citizens and that “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge [ reduce] the privileges [rights] …..of citizens of the United States.

1870 – The passing of the 15th Amendment which said that no citizen of the USA could have the right to vote taken away from them just because of their colour or race.

Activity 10 – The End of Slavery

Copy and complete the following passage, using the word bank.

In the War of 1861 – 1865, the northern states of America fought eleven southern states. One of the main causes of this war was that the southern states wanted to keep and the northern states wanted to end it. After the war the northern and southern states were united and slavery was abolished by President

. The American was amended to state that all slaves were now free and had the right to

Abraham Lincoln, American Civil, vote, slavery, constitution These changes to the Constitution seemed to give black people their freedom and the same rights – to vote, for example – as whites. However, the reality for black people was very different. This was because individual states used their own powers (known as “states’ rights”) to pass laws which applied only within their own state to create a segregated society. These laws were often known as “Jim Crow” laws.

Activity 11 – The Jim Crow Laws

a) Use the two flowcharts on p.40 of your booklet to write an explanation of the difference between federal laws and states’ rights.

b) Write a brief paragraph explaining how states used states’ rights and “Jim Crow” laws to create a society in which black and white people were kept segregated (separate). c) Describe, in detail, several examples of such laws.( pps 37 & 41 in your booklet and pps 26 & 27 in your textbook are useful for this.) In the southern United States, 342 Jim Crow laws were passed between 1865 and 1967. However, states in every region of the country passed similar laws which discriminated against black people – and, indeed, against Native Americans and other ethnic minorities. Discrimination became more widespread and was enforced even more strongly after the Supreme Court, the highest federal law-making court in the whole USA, made a landmark (ie history-changing) decision about segregation and the Jim Crow laws.

Activity 12

a) Collect a copy of the “Separate but Equal” flowchart.

b) Complete the various stages, using pps 27&8 in the text book and p.44 in the booklet. You should include - Who Homer Plessy was and why he was arrested - What Plessy argued in the Supreme Court - What the Supreme Court decided - What the effects of this ruling were for both black and white people in America.

c) Stick or staple your flowchart into your jotter. How and why black voting was stopped.

Although slavery had been abolished, most Southerners still believed in it. Southern Whites, hating the supposedly racially inferior blacks, called for their vote in elections to be taken away. Whites claimed that Blacks were childlike, unintelligent and open to being bribed. White supremacist groups (believing in white superiority) used violence to stop Blacks from voting in elections. Blacks were intimidated and threatened. Income and literacy qualifications for voting were brought in. These rules said how much money you needed to be able to vote and insisted that you had to be able to read well. This penalised Blacks far more than Whites. Even Whites who couldn’t read were often allowed to vote through the ‘grandfather clauses’.

As a result of all these laws and restrictions, by the early 1900s, only 3 per cent of southern Blacks could vote. Below are typical examples of how states’ rights, voter registration and Jim Crow laws restricted the voting rights of black people, even though the Constitution had granted them such rights years before.

Name of State Year Number of Black people able to vote Alabama 1900 180,000 1902 3,000 Louisiana 1896 130,000 1900 5,300

Even when the 19th Amendment to the Constitution gave white women the vote, there seemed no possibility of improvement in the position for Blacks.

Activity 13 – Voting Restrictions

a) Why do you think white Southerners were so determined to prevent Blacks from voting? (You should give at least two reasons.) b) Why did the use of literacy qualifications to restrict voting affect Blacks more than Whites? c) Why did the use of “grandfather clauses” to restrict voting affect Blacks more than Whites? d) Copy and complete these sentences, using the figures above and – probably - a calculator! - By 1902, only ______% of the black people in Alabama able to vote in 1900, were still able to vote. - By 1900, only ______% of the black people in Louisiana able to vote in 1896, were still able to vote.

The Ku Klux Klan

Source A Source B

Source C “The history of the world is the fight for survival of the White race. Either we win or we die. The Klan will not die.” Hiram Wesley Evans, Imperial Wizard, Ku Klux Klan

Activity 14 – The Ku Klux Klan Using the sources above, the KKK information sheet, the textbook ch.7, the booklet pps 48-51 and any other available resources, work in groups of 3-4 to produce a detailed information poster on this organisation. You should include information on - when it was set up and by whom, in both main phases of its existence - beliefs/ideology - uniform - membership / leadership - activities( this should be a section in which you should refer to examples of violence and terrorism against black people, especially lynchings, cross- burnings and beatings.) - why the KKK usually went unpunished for its crimes - the impact and effects of their activities on black people. - Make sure that everyone in your group has a copy of this poster for their jotters. Activity 15

Create “tweets” on any TWO of the following aspects of this section of the “Free at Last?” course. a) The importance of the “Separate but Equal” decision for black Americans.

b) The impact of “Jim Crow” laws on black Americans.

c) The methods used by southern states to prevent black Americans voting.

d) The terrorist methods used by the Ku Klux Klan.

Activity 16

Collect and complete the “Separate but Equal” word – search.

Activity 17

Listen to and discuss the Billie Holiday song “Strange Fruit” at http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/billie+holiday/strange+fruit_20017859. html Section 3 – Civil Rights Campaigns, 1945-64.

Although the 1920s and 1930s were a very difficult time for black Americans, there were some positive developments. The lives of many of them changed for two main reasons –

 After a number of scandals, the influence of the Ku Klux Klan declined in the late 1920s, though it did not disappear completely, murders and assaults still took place and many still supported its beliefs.

 Many southern Blacks decided to move north, believing that the north would offer more opportunities for jobs as well as less discrimination. This population redistribution was known as “The Great Migration”. The map below shows this movement. Activity 18 – The Great Migration a) Collect the map entitled “The Impact of the Great Migration” and stick it into your jotter. b) Using this new map, the map on the previous page (p.14) as well as pps.55-59 of your booklet and p44-5 in your textbook and the next page of this booklet, create a table , like the one below, about the Great Migration.

From: To:

Push factors: Pull factors:

Effects:

A southern family living in Chicago during World War One  Although the north seemed to offer more opportunity for black people to achieve “the American Dream”, the reality was that there were also many problems in the northern cities. The north did not have “Jim Crow“ laws or segregation as such, but there was still massive discrimination and prejudice. This was particularly noticeable in the areas of jobs and housing.

 Black people tended to have fewer skills and less education than their northern counterparts. In addition, employers usually chose white people over Blacks for employment, regardless of any other factors. These issues meant black Americans could only get the lowest-paid and worst jobs.

This then restricted their ability to better themselves and move towards achieving “the American Dream”.

 Because of their poverty and the discrimination against the incomers in the northern cities, Blacks found themselves segregated into the poorest areas where the housing was cheapest and of a very poor standard. These areas became known as ghettos. The word “ghetto” is defined by Wikipedia as “a part of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure. The term was originally used in Venice to describe the part of a city to which Jews were restricted and segregated.”

Activity 19 – Race Riots

Use p45 in your textbook to write descriptions of a) the East St. Louis riot of 1917 and b) the Chicago riot of 1919.

Riots such as these reflected how bad things were for black people in the north at a time when the situation for them in the southern states remained dreadful. It is not surprising, then, that new ideas about how to improve the position of black people in American society began to develop. Leaders who were determined to achieve real change also began to emerge from the black community.

Activity 20 – Early Civil Rights Campaigners a) Collect a copy of the “Early Civil Rights Campaigners” fact sheet. b) Use Chapter 8 in your textbook to complete the fact-sheet. c) Stick the completed sheet into your jotter. The Second World War – A Turning Point

The next major turning-point in the struggle for civil rights came at the time of World War Two (1939-1945, though the USA didn’t join the war until December, 1941). There was movement towards change for a number of reasons-

 Many new jobs were created because of wartime production of munitions. Blacks got very few of these jobs because of discrimination, causing anger.

 As more people flooded into already over-crowded cities, tension grew even more between Whites and Blacks, resulting in more race-riots eg. in Harlem, New York, in 1943.

 There was a surge in unrest in the South as well – as many as 75 lynchings took place in the war years.

 Thousands of black Americans enlisted in the US armed forces, fighting against Germany, Italy and Japan all over the world. Yet the million or so black troops who fought for democracy abroad continued to face discrimination at home. Not only that, but they fought in segregated units, were led by white officers and had separate facilities in army bases both at home and when stationed in foreign countries such as Great Britain.

Activity 21 – A Philip Randolph

Use chapter 10 of your textbook to answer the following questions about A. Philip Randolph and Executive Order 8802.

a) What is a trade union? b) What is a sleeping car porter? c) Why was this an important job in Black communities? d) Who was A. Philip Randolph? e) What were Randolph and other Black leaders demanding when they met with President F.D. Roosevelt in1941? f) What was agreed in Executive Order 8802? g) How successful was this order in meeting the demands of Randolph and other community leaders? Were there limitations?

Another significant development which took place during WW2 was the creation of the Congress of Racial Equality or CORE. CORE was founded in 1942 and was one of the earliest organisations to campaign in an organised way for civil rights in the USA. Although early membership was mostly white and northern, it would grow and play a major role in the civil rights campaigns of the 1950s and 1960s. Members of CORE believed that non-violent protest and passive resistance could be used to achieve equality and civil rights for Black Americans. You will remember from looking at the three early civil rights leaders that not all Black leaders believed in the same approach to achieving equality and civil rights. For example, during WW2, some Black Americans belonging to the Nation of Islam refused to serve at all in the US forces, believing, as they did, in the complete separation of the white and black races. Activity 22 – The Impact of The Second World War

Using the template, which your teacher will project, make a spider- diagram explaining the impact of the Second World War on Black Americans.

The Civil Rights Campaigns of the 1950s- A Crucial Decade.

The 1950s were a time of massive change and progress in civil rights in the USA. Much of the change focussed on two main areas- a) education and b) segregated facilities eg public transport.

Activity 23 – The De-Segregation of Education

Using Chapter 11 of your textbook, pages 63-8 of your booklet and the You Tube clips, copy and complete the table below. You will need more space – do it one row at a time.

Name of What was What was the What was the Case/Place the issue? outcome?(ie was significance? a law (ie long-term passed/changed?) importance in the civil rights struggle) “Brown vs the Topeka Board of Education” 1954 Little Rock, Arkansas, 1957 James Meredith and Mississippi Law School, 1962 Although these cases saw some improvements in the educational civil rights for black Americans, it did not necessarily mean that everyday life improved for all black Americans. Racial violence, the Jim Crow laws and segregation persisted, as was shown most shockingly in the case of Emmett Till.

Activity 24

Create a fact-file about the Emmett Till case, explaining  who he was  what happened to him ( NB You may find some of the pictures distressing.)  what happened during his court case  why the verdict in this case was so significant.

The next major phase of the civil rights struggle was to target the segregation of public facilities and would be dominated by the leadership of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Activity 25 – Martin Luther King

1. Brainstorm with the class to see what you already know about MLK. Write each fact on a post-it and stick it around his picture on the board. 2. Watch the youtube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ank52Zi_S0 3. Collect and complete the fact-file about MLK. 4. Use your book to LIST what MLK’s main beliefs were- you should have 9 points on your list. The Montgomery Bus Boycott – 1955

Martin Luther King, Jr first achieved national recognition during the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955. This particular campaign also marked a turning point in the civil rights struggle because it showed that black Americans, working peacefully together, could make a genuine difference and change their lives for the better.

Activity 26 – The Montgomery Bus Boycott

a) Read ch.12 in your book and pps 68-72 in your booklet b) Watch the Youtube clips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQcmCl63GwI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoOd5ltjj8g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaaKTD2QOBI c) Collect a copy of the Rosa Parks storyboard blank template. d) Create a story-board which tells the story of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Make sure your captions and pictures include the key facts of what happened throughout the campaign and its successful outcome. e) Stick your completed storyboard in your jotter. f) Collect a copy of the flow chart entitled “The Importance of the Montgomery Bus Boycott” and stick it in your jotter. g) Copy the terms of the 1957 Civil Rights Act, below.

The events in Montgomery and Little Rock led the government to introduce the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Although the President at the time, Dwight Eisenhower, was not convinced it would work, the first national civil rights act for nearly 100 years was passed, mainly due to the efforts of a Texan politician, Lyndon B. Johnson.

The Civil Rights Act of 1957 In practical terms, however, the Civil Rights Act made little real difference to the everyday lives of Blacks. Few new voters were added to voting registration lists, so politics, particularly in the South, remained dominated by Whites who were determined to retain segregation in all its forms for as long as possible. Even Supreme Court decisions didn’t help as much as many had hoped. As a result, the various black pressure groups, organisations and individuals decided to begin a new phase and new types of protest. Although the Bus Boycott in Montgomery was a successful forerunner of other types of civil rights protests, Sit-Ins and Freedom Rides were new types of non-violent civil disobedience which proved very effective in drawing attention to the civil rights campaigns against some of the worst aspects of segregation and discrimination.

Activity 27 – The Sit-ins and the Freedom Rides

a) Use ch.14 (textbook)and pps 76-78 (booklet) and the You Tube clips, to create either a spider-diagram, or a bullet- pointed explanation of the events of the sit-ins. Your teacher will project a template with the appropriate headings. b) Collect and stick in a copy of the Freedoms Rides map. c) Use ch.15 (textbook)and pps 78-80 (booklet) and the You Tube clips, to create either a spider-diagram, or a bullet- pointed explanation of the events of the Freedom Rides. Your teacher will project a template with the appropriate headings.

The sit-ins and freedom rides gained massive publicity and increased support amongst many Americans for the civil rights cause. However, many of their new supporters were northern, white Americans. It was felt that Blacks needed to get more power for themselves to make changes and to challenge the racists in Washington DC and in local and state governments. Two key episodes in this process took place in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963 and in Selma, Alabama in 1965. Martin Luther King, Jr was to play a key role in both.

Activity 28 – Birmingham

In groups of no more than 4, you will prepare a presentation, drama or speech about the events of the 1963 Birmingham protest. (Ch 16 textbook, pps 81-3 booklet) Activity 29 – The March on Washington

a ) Listen to MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech at

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIshI_qxxew

b)Imagine you are a newspaper reporter writing an account of the March on Washington DC in August, 1963. Using your textbook pps 78-80 and the booklet pps84-5 and any other available resources, write a newspaper article about the march. You should include – - a name for your newspaper - a suitable headline - pictures - an explanation of the reasons for the March - who and how many people attended - an account of MLK’s speech, with suitable quotes. - an explanation of the impact and importance of the March.

Not long after the March on Washington, a number of other events took place which would also have impact on the struggle for civil rights.

Activity 30 – A Bombing, an Assassination and a Prize

Copy and complete the table below in your jotter. You will need more space, do it one row at a time.

Date Event What Important happened… because.. !6th Street Church Bombing, Birmingham, Alabama The November 22, assassination of 1963 President John F. Kennedy

The award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Martin Luther King, Jr.

Activity 31 – The 1964 Civil Rights Act a) Collect a copy of the Civil Rights Act fill in sheet. b) Using your textbook p81 and booklet p90, fill in the blanks to explain the terms of the act and stick it in your jotter.

Activity 32 – Selma Alabama and the Right to Vote a) Use the book C18, and the booklet pps 89-91 and the You Tube clips to make a summary sheet, describing the key events of the protest at Selma, Alabama. b)

Activity 33 – The 1965 Voting Rights Act a) Collect a copy of the Voting Rights Act fill in sheet. b) Using your textbook p86 and booklet p90, fill in the blanks to explain the terms of the act and stick it in your jotter. c) Copy and complete the table on the next page. Name of Act Successes of Act Limitations of Act

The Civil Rights Act, 1964

The Voting Rights Act,1965

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 marked the end of a very successful phase of the civil rights campaigns - They had succeeded through the efforts of organisations and individuals using tactics of non-violence, passive resistance and civil disobedience. - This part of the struggle had also focussed very heavily on eroding or eliminating segregation through court cases, persuasion, the winning over of public sympathy and federal government action. - The campaigns were dominated by charismatic individuals, such as Dr King, and organisations such as the SCLC and NAACP. - Most of the protests and activities had been based in the southern states and had tackled problems of segregation and discrimination which were experienced by black people living in those southern states.

The next phase of the civil rights campaigns would move north and, crucially, move away from the non-violent tactics promoted by Dr King and towards something much more militant – Black Power. Activity 34 – The Non-Violent Campaign

Create a timeline of the events below, putting them into the correct chronological order. Use colour and pictures to make your timeline more interesting.

Events at Little Rock, Arkansas Brown vs Topeka Court Case The Voter Registration March at Selma The 1957 Civil Rights Act The Montgomery Bus Boycott The Freedom Rides Civil Rights March in Birmingham Creation of SCLC The March on Washington The Voting Rights Act The Sit-In Campaign The Creation of SNCC The Civil Rights Act of 1964 Section 4 – The Ghettos and Black Radicalism

The period between 1945 and 1965 had seen many successes for the Civil Rights movement in the United States, achieved largely by non-violent protest, civil disobedience and the actions of individuals, institutions and organisations. However, the period after 1965 saw a very significant change and development in the movement which would change its nature fundamentally.

Activity 35 – The Civil Rights Movement Splits

a) Collect the blank template entitled “The Civil Rights Movement Splits”. When complete, this diagram will summarise how the civil rights movement developed in the last few years of the period we are studying. b) Allocate the statements, names etc below to one side or the other of the template. The first two have been done for you. (P98 in booklet, P90 in textbook will help with this.)  1945-1965  1965-  Focus on segregation and discrimination in the southern states  Focus on poverty and inequality in the northern states  Martin Luther King, Jr  Stokely Carmichael and Malcolm X  Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Student Non-Violent Co-ordinating Committee  The Black Panthers and the Nation of Islam  Non-violence, civil disobedience and passive resistance  Greater willingness to threaten and use violence  Co-operation with Whites, including the US government, to achieve goals  Support amongst many for Black Separatism, even Black Supremacy. Open anger at, resentment of and attacks upon the US government and other institutions eg the police. c) Stick the completed template into your jotter. The most significant issue to emerge in this phase of the civil rights movement was that of the poverty and inequality experienced by the black Americans living in the cities of the northern states. The activities of the campaigners in the southern states had had little effect on the lives of those in the north, where discrimination often took a different form from the Jim Crow laws and segregation enforced by individual states such as Alabama and Tennessee. While Blacks now had the right to vote, this vote in itself seemed to many not to offer a way out from the poverty, disease and squalor which blighted their lives in those areas within cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago known as GHETTOS.

Activity 36 – The Ghettos

a) Define the word “ghetto”. You should refer both to its original use and to its modern use in the context of black Americans. b) Listen to and discuss the Elvis Presley song “In the Ghetto”. (Interestingly, this song was originally entitled “The Vicious Circle) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2En0ZyjQgU4 c) Look carefully at the diagrams on P105 of the textbook and P93. Both diagrams explain about life in the ghettos and about the “vicious circle of poverty” in which most northern, urban Blacks were trapped. d) Take at least one page of your jotter and do your own version of these diagrams. You should take particular care to make sure you label your diagram properly. Use a ruler for neatness and colour to make your diagram more memorable. e) If you choose to do your diagram on a piece of blank A4, take care to stick it into your jotter.

It was becoming clear that “freedom” no longer meant simply the freedom to vote; it increasingly meant freedom from inequality and poverty. As Martin Luther King, Jr himself said “The main issue is economic”. It was only a matter of time before those living in the ghettos rose up in what Dr King called “A class revolt of underprivileged against privileged”. The first flashpoint would be the Los Angeles ghetto of Watts. Activity 37 – The Race Riots of the 1960s

Use your textbook P106 and booklet Ps 95-97 to describe and explain what happened in Watts in August 1965. You should take care to mention - how many Watts residents felt about the police and why - the weather at the time (yes, it WAS a factor!) - the event which set off the riot - what actually happened - numbers of casualties - the significance of the riot.

The Watts riot was the first of many similar riots in the United States over the next few years – there were 43 in 1966 alone. These events both reflected and stimulated a move away from the previously peaceful approach to civil rights. Even the great hero of the movement, Dr King, seemed unable to find a way to manage the anger and violence emerging from the ghettos and seemed to some to be increasingly out of touch. The next city to experience violent unrest was Chicago, a city which the US Commission on Civil Rights called “the most racially segregated large city in the nation.” Activity 38 – Chicago and the Kerner Commission a) Use both Source 22.5 and other information on P 107 of your textbook to give 5 pieces of evidence that prove how bad the situation was for black Americans in Chicago. b) Describe and explain the events of the Chicago riot of July 1966.(P106) c) What was the impact of the riot on - the people of Chicago - the position and influence of Dr King? d) Copy - One of the worst riots of 1966 took place in Detroit. Afterwards, President Johnson ordered an official governmental investigation into the riots in general.

e) What was this investigation known as?(P109-10) f) The picture above shows the first meeting of this Commission. Who is the man turning round? g) Bearing in mind what the Commission was supposed to do, do you notice anything surprising about the people above? h) What conclusions did this Commission come up with? i) Copy the terms of the 1968 Civil Rights Act from Page 110 of the textbook. j) What were the main criticisms of this act? In the meantime, however, the frustration and anger of many black Americans, particularly young urban Blacks, led them to turn away from the approach and activities of organisations such as the SCLC and individuals such as Dr King. Increasingly, they turned towards individuals and organisations with much more radical and confrontational ideas and plans.

Activity 39 – Malcolm X

a) Watch the Youtube clip of Louis Farrakhan, the modern leader of the Nation of Islam. http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=58e5Z5xjtxcT b) Create a fact-file on the Nation of Islam. Use P 90 in your textbooks to help with this. You should describe their beliefs, activities and leadership.

Activity 40 – Malcolm X

a) Use the booklet pps 98-100 and the textbook Chapter 19 as well as any other suitable materials to write a bullet-point short biography of Malcolm X. b) Watch the Youtube clips of Malcolm X ‘s speech in which he mocks the leaders of the peaceful civil rights protests. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDWZWSPUX1k and the speech where he encourages Black Americans to use their votes more effectively to force government to improve the situation for Black people. http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=MZUdY4xCt-Q Explain why - many black Americans found Malcolm X an attractive leader - many white Americans found him threatening. Though very significant, Malcolm X was not the only leader with radical and militant views to emerge in the mid-1960s.

Activity 41 – Stokely Carmichael

a) Watch the Youtube Clip of Stokely Carmichael speaking. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_QbWDoJBvk b) Use Pages 102-3 in the booklet and Ch. 20 to create a detailed spider diagram about Stokely Carmichael. You should describe his background, beliefs, activities and involvement with SNCC. (You will do another task about the Black Panthers, so you don’t need to include details about them in this task.) c) Write a “tweet” explaining what you think Stokely Carmichael meant by “Black Power”.

The mid- to late 1960s saw significant changes to some of the organisations which had played crucial roles in the earlier phase of the civil rights movement. The SNCC was renamed the Student National Co-ordinating Committee (removing the “Non- violent”) and expelled its white members and white staff. CORE took similar action. Even though these groups were less influential than they had been, the changes showed that the more radical wing of the civil rights movement was increasingly hard-line and moving, some believed, towards separation of Blacks and Whites or even Black revolution. Activity 42 – The Black Panthers

Collect a copy of the “Black Panthers” bubble diagram. a) Create your own version of the diagram on a double page in your jotter. b) Using information from Ch. 21 of the textbook, complete your diagram in detail. c) Use colour and pictures to make your diagram even more interesting and memorable.

Activity 43

Compare and contrast the two songs named below 1) “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-X9JkM9Bgo and 2) “Say it Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud” by James Brown http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/talktome/sayitloudimblackandi mproud.htm

There is no doubt that the message of Black empowerment and self-respect was very attractive to, and strongly supported in principle by, many black Americans. However, few were willing to use the violent methods encouraged by groups such as the Black Panther Party. For many black Americans, the everyday struggle for survival in the ghettos remained a greater priority than anything else, while America as a whole was experiencing the traumas generated by the Vietnam War and the assassinations of key political figures.

Activity 44 – Muhammad Ali and the Impact of the Vietnam War

a) Use Page 105 in the booklet and the Youtube clips http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UDBziEsn0Y and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl5uc88CtnU to write a paragraph in which you explain why Black Americans were particularly unhappy about U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

b) Complete a fact file on Muhammad Ali, using the key dates on the bubble diagram that your teacher will project.

c) Use pages 112-13 in the textbook to further help you explain what impact Dr King’s speech and anti-Vietnam activities had on how he was seen by the US government (including the FBI) and some white Americans.

By 1968, therefore, Dr King’s influence in US politics and within the civil rights movement seemed to be declining. He continued to believe firmly in non-violence and to oppose the Black Muslim demand for a separate black state. He focused more on broader ideas about human rights around the world as well as on poverty faced by black Americans at home. This second issue led him to get involved in supporting striking garbage-collectors in Memphis, Tennessee. Most of the strikers were poorly-paid black men.

Activity 45 – The Assassination of Martin Luther King a) Watch the documentary on the assassination of Dr King at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhjnYtmDmdY . You should take notes from the video, particularly in relation to the assassination itself. b) Collect the blank storyboard template for this activity, entitled “The Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.” c) Collect copies of the information booklet (p106-8) and the textbook(ch.23) d) Create a story board on the assassination, taking care to include specific factual detail about exactly what happened. e) Copy the box below.

Activity 46

Although the killing of Dr King was enormously important, it was not the only or the last controversial episode in the civil rights struggle in 1968. The militant Black Power movement continued to promote its message and the most powerful and famous example of this took place at the Olympic Games in October of that year.

Activity 47– The Olympic Protest

a) Watch the documentary about the 1968 Olympic Games, taking notes about the Black Power protest made during the games by Tommie Smith and John Carlos. b) Collect a copy of the sheet entitled ”Activity 46-The 1968 Olympic Games”. c) Annotate the diagram using your knowledge from the documentary. Each bubble points to something you have to explain (ie clenched & gloved fists, heads bowed, badges worn by all three athletes, beads wore by John Carlos, tracksuit legs rolled up, no shoes). d) Stick the annotated photo sheet into your jotter. 1968 was also the year in which Robert F. Kennedy, the brother of the assassinated president John F. Kennedy, was himself assassinated while campaigning for election to the presidency. The murders of two major figures who had supported civil rights and the turmoil in American society created by the Vietnam War seemed to show a United States on the verge of anarchy or revolution. Perhaps surprisingly, this did not happen.  The militant civil rights organisations, such as the Black Panthers, lacked widespread support, even amongst Black Americans.  Laws had already been passed to give Black Americans the key civil rights regarding education, voting, transportation, etc.  Many Americans, black and white, became increasingly involved in the anti-war movement.  Once the key civil rights had been achieved, the issues of poverty, crime and unemployment became the primary concern for many Black Americans.

Activity 48 – Black Radicalism

Create a timeline of the events below, putting them into the correct chronological order. Use colour and pictures to make your timeline more interesting. -The Assassination of Malcolm X -The Olympic Games Protest -SNCC and CORE expel their white members and staff -The Civil Rights Act 1968 -The setting up of the Kerner Commission -Thurgood Marshall is appointed as the first black Supreme Court Justice -The Watts Riots -The Assassination of Dr King -The setting up of the Black Panthers -First black mayor of a major US city elected in Nov.’67 (Carl Stokes, Cleveland, Ohio) This unit of learning is entitled “Free at Last?” The ? is very important because it makes the point that, although the people we now refer to as African – Americans did make a lot of progress during the period we have studied, many issues still remained and the struggle to achieve justice and equality in American society would continue.

Activity 49 a) Collect a copy of the sheet entitled “Free at Last? Yes/No” b) Divide up a page of your jotter into two columns, one entitled “Free at Last? Yes” and one entitled “Free at Last? No” c) Read the statements on the sheet and copy them into the appropriate column, depending on whether you believe that they show Black Americans were/are “free at last” or not.

Activity 50 Write a paragraph summing up your conclusion about whether or not Black Americans really were / are free at last, using Activity 49 and any other appropriate resources.

Activity 47- The 1968 Olympic Games