Hundler's History: The Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s

Goals of the Lecture:

1. Explain how and why various groups responded to the calls for civil rights expansion (1960-1980).
2. Explain how the federal government responded to these calls.

Civil Rights Movement Overview:

• 1940s & 1950s Foundation:
  • Integration of armed forces.
  • Brown vs. Board of Education: School segregation ruled unconstitutional.
  • Resistance from southern states; slow integration.

Key Events & Personalities of the 1960s:

Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955):

• Trigger: Rosa Parks refused to give seat to a white customer.
• Outcome: Year-long boycott led to desegregation of buses.
• Emergence: Martin Luther King Jr. became a leader, advocating non-violent civil disobedience, inspired by Gandhi.

Sit-In Movement:

• Tactics: African Americans sat at "whites-only" lunch counters demanding service.
• Response: Mass arrests, national media coverage, eventual policy changes.

Birmingham Campaign (1963):

• Action: Martin Luther King and activists staged peaceful protests.
• Response: Brutal police tactics led by Bull Connor.
• Impact: Public sympathy grew, aiding legislative changes.

March on Washington (1963):

• Event: Over 200,000 activists gathered.
• Highlight: Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.

Militant Branch of the Movement:

• Key Figure: Malcolm X advocated for black separatism and militarism.
• Groups: Black Panthers formed to secure rights "by any means necessary."

Federal Government's Legislative Response:

Civil Rights Act of 1964:

• Made discrimination based on race, religion, or sex illegal.

Voting Rights Act of 1965:

• Outlawed literacy tests and poll taxes.
• Authorized federal oversight in areas with low black voter turnout.

Supreme Court Cases:

• Loving vs. Virginia (1967): Invalidated laws against interracial marriage.

Conclusion:

• End of an era with MLK's assassination in 1968.
• Despite legislative victories, racial tensions and race riots revealed ongoing struggles.

Additional Resources:

• For more information on Unit 8, check related playlists.
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