CRM

Question 1

Background (2)

Answer 1

• End racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans
• Based on the notion of non-violent protests such as boycotts, freedom rides, registration drives and marches

Question 2

Organisations

Answer 2

• Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
• National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People
• Southern Christian Leadership Conference
• Congress of Racial Equality

Question 3

Civil Resistance

Answer 3

Between 1955 and 1968, acts of civil disobedience created crisis situations to which the government was forced to respond to. This highlighted the discrimination African Americans faced.

Question 4

Successful Actions

Answer 4

• Montgomery Bus Boycotts
• Greensboro Sit-Ins
• Selma to Montgomery Marches
• The March on Washington

Question 5

NAACP

Answer 5

• Formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavour to advance justice for African Americans and eliminate race-based discrimination.
• Political lobbying, publicity efforts and litigation strategies
• Worked through legal system rather than through direct action.
• Thurgood Marshall (part of the team) later became the first African American Supreme Court justice in 1967
• Targeted education inequality. Plessy v Ferguson allowed the “separate but equal” model.
• African American schools were severely underfunded and provided lackluster education

Question 6

Brown v Board of Education of Topeka, 1954 (7)

Answer 6

• Landmark case that became the cornerstone of other cases.
• Ruled that segregation in schools was no longer allowed
• Little immediate change as the timeframe for desegregation was not created
• Southern Whites: Backlash. Councils created that opposed desegregation
• KKK: INcrease in violence. The lynching of Emmett Till in 1955
• Politicians: Senator Byrd and other Southern Congressmen issued the Southern Manifesto which resisted desegregation
• Eisenhower refused to endorse the Brown decision and felt that protestors wanted too much too soon

Question 7

Significance of Brown (3)

Answer 7

• Outlawed racial segregation in schools
• Showed that the Supreme Court was sympathetic to the CRM however de jure didn’t equal de facto change
• No widespread desegregation and 97% of schools were still segregated by 1957

Question 8

MLK and Peaceful Protest

Answer 8

• MLK believed peaceful protest would highlight the dignity of the protestors and the barbaric nature of racists. Put moral pressure on govt. to enact change and recognise African Americans
• Formed SCLC in 1957 with other Southern ministers

Question 9

Montgomery Bus Boycott, 1955-1956

Answer 9

• Rosa Parks arrested in December 1955 after refusing to give up her seat on a bus
• Local activists organised a boycott to protest the segregation of public transport
• NAACP was fighting Browder vs Gayle at the same time which challenged racial segregation on public transport.
• MIA formed by MLK. The boycotts were to show the power of growing self-respect to animate the struggle for civil rights

Question 10

Reactions to Boycotts

Answer 10

• City penalised black taxi drivers for helping boycotters
• MIA organised meetings with city officials but no agreements were reached
• 80 leaders arrested under 1921 law that prohibited conspiracies against lawful businesses.

Question 11

Results of Bus Boycotts (2)

Answer 11

• 1956: Browder v Gayle ruled that bus segregation was unconstitutional
• King’s role garnered international attention and nonviolent protest with Christian ethics became the model of protest against segregation in the South

Question 12

Significance of Bus Boycotts (3)

Answer 12

• Showed economic power of African Americans as the company lost $250,000 during the boycotts.
• Launched MLK’s career and the SCLC
• Showed effectiveness of peaceful protest

Question 13

Sit-Ins

Answer 13

• African Americans wouls sit at counters and they would be refused service.
• They would then remain there and occupy the seat of a would-be paying customer.
• This had a negative economic effect for the business as they lost profit

Question 14

Why Sit-Ins? (2)

Answer 14

• Businesses would either throw out offending customers or legislation would be passed to end segregation.
• Greensboro Woolworth sit in. 4 students sat in and eventually had 300 students that gained media attention and forced Woolworths to change its policy

Question 15

Significance of the Sit Ins (3)

Answer 15

• Formed SNCC
• Showed nonviolent civil disobedience was effective in enacting change
• Eisenhower was shown to be sympathetic to the CRm

Question 16

Freedom Rides (4)

Answer 16

• Started by CORE
• Disregard segregation laws to draw attention to discrimination faced by African Americans
• Gained significant media coverage as violence erupted against the protestors - shaped public opinion on the side of the riders
• 600 federal troops sent in to defend 1000 protestors in Dr King’s church from white mobs