Ch.21.2--Civil Rights Strategies & Leaders
Transcript of Ch.21.2--Civil Rights Strategies & Leaders
Civil Rights Leaders & Strategies
Chapter 21.2
pp. 704-708
Civil Rights Leaders & Strategies
Civil Rights Group Features & Leaders
NAACP WEB DuBoisFocused on legal equalityAppealed to middle & upper-class
National Urban League
CORE
SCLC
SNCC
Early Events
1945—WWII ends1947—Jackie Robinson breaks color barrier in MLB1948—President Truman begins process of integrating
the armed forces1954—Brown v. Board of Education begins process of
integrating public schools1955—Emmett Till is murdered/Montgomery Bus
Boycott begins1956—Browder v. Gayle ends segregation on public
transportation
Emmett Till
14 year old African American boy was murdered for whistling at a white grocery store owner.
Till's murder helped give a cause to the Civil Rights movement in the U.S.
Laying the Groundwork
Civil rights movement was a grassroots movement; no central organization
Carried out by ordinary citizensGoals & tactics varied from group to group
− NAACP; National Urban League; CORE; SCLC; SNCC
NAACP
Est. in 1909; WEB DuBois=one of the original founders
Focused on challenging laws that prevented African Americans from exercising their full rights as citizens
Du Bois on the NAACP
“The main object of this association is to secure for colored people, and particularly for Americans of Negro descent, free and equal participation in the democracy of modern culture. This means the clearing away of obstructions to such participation…and it also means the making of a world democracy in which all men may participate.”
NAACP
Focused on lynching in 1920s & 1930s− Limited success due to southern senators
Later shifted focus towards ending segregation− Influential in areas of housing & education (Brown v.
Board)
Made up of educated, middle & upper class African Americans & liberal whites
Accused of being out of touch w/ socioeconomic troubles of African Americans
National Urban League
Est. in 1911Focused on economic issuesHelped people moving to major citiesFinding homes & landing jobsWorkers’ rightsHelped African Americans, other
minorities, immigrantsStill exist today, located in 35 states
CORE
Congress of Racial EqualityEst. in 1942 by pacifistsHoped to end segregation through
peaceful confrontationDemonstrations against segregation
during WWII− Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, &
Detroit
Led by James Farmer Jr.
SCLC
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Est. in 1957 by MLK & other clergymenAdvocated nonviolent protests“To understand that nonviolence is not a
symbol of weakness or cowardice, but as Jesus demonstrated, nonviolent resistance transforms weakness into strength and breeds courage in the face of danger.”
Made up of southerners; previous civil rights organizations were dominated by northerners
MLK Leads the Way
Baptist preacherQuick rise to forefront of civil rights movementBecame a symbol of nonviolence to the worldWon Nobel Peace prize in 1964Influenced by Gandhi of India & also Thoreau
(objected Mexican-American War of 1846-1848)− Civil disobedience=nonviolent refusal to obey a
law in an effort to change a law
MLK Leads the Way
Advised other activists17 rules to follow; nonviolent
approach “Be loving enough to absorb
evil & understanding enough to turn an enemy into a friend”
“If cursed, do not curse back. If pushed, do not push back.”
MLK Leads the Way
Nonviolent protests were a practical strategyQuotes from King:“To accept passively an unjust system is to
cooperate with that system; thereby oppressed become as evil as the oppressor.”
“Non-cooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good.”
SNCC
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, “Snick”
Student organizationEst. in 1960; Raleigh, NC Ella Baker at SNCC meeting: “They are asking us
to forget our laziness and doubt and fear, and follow our dedication to the truth to the bitter end.”
SNCC
MLK at SNCC meeting in regards to civil rights movement: “a revolt against the apathy and complacency of adults in the Negro community…”
Remained a permanent & separate organizationShifted focus away from church leadersDemanded immediate change
-Ella Baker helped found and run the SNCC
Robert Moses
SNCC leaderHarvard gradMath teacher in Harlem, NYSoft-spokenWorked in Atlanta, then MississippiHelped SNCC become a powerful force
• While Dr. King spoke with passion and eloquence, Moses was viewed as humble, ordinary, and accessible.