HIST 2112 Lecture 17Outline of Last Lecture I. Welcome to LevittownII. Economic Growth in the 1950s A. GrowthB. What made all this growth happen?a. Cold War Military Spending1. The creation of “military-industrial complex”2. The interstate highway systemb. Deliberate Government Policy1. The continuing influence of the New Deal idea of “activist government”2. 1950s: “corporate liberalism”3. The “Liberal Consensus”- Example: Dwight Eisenhower, JFKIII. 1950s Corporate Liberalism in ActionA. Highway construction and Federally-backed mortgages.a. Goalb. Mortgages and racial discrimination IV. “Hyperconsumerism”A. Consumerism as “Freedom”a. The “kitchen debate” (1959)V. Cultural Critics of Corporations, Consumerism and SuburbiaA. Sloan Wilson, Man in the Grey Flannel Suit (1955)B. C. Wright Mill, White Color (1951)C. David Riesman, The Lonely Crowd (1951)D. William Whyte, The Organization Man (1956)E. Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique (1963)VI. Consumerism and the TeenagerOutline of Current Lecture I. The “Fabulous” Fifties?A. The Civil Rights Movement: The “Second Reconstruction”II. Why the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s?A. WWIIB. Cold WarC. Expectations in a consumer societyIII. The Legal Approach: early 1950sA. The NAACP and Brown vs. Board, 1954a. “Massive Resistance”1. George Wallace, Lester Maddox, “School choice,” “segregation academics,” etc.2. Civil Rights as “communism”B. Little Rock High School Desegregated, 1957IV. The “Civil Disobedience” Approach: 1955-1965A. Major Inspiration: murder of Emmett Till, 1955B. Montgomery bus Boycott: 1955a. Debut of MLK and the founding of the Southern Christian Leadership ConferenceC. “Sit-Ins”: early 1960sD. Nonviolence” as official strategya. Birmingham Protests, 1963b. Freedom Rides, 1961E. Mississippi Freedom Summer, 1964I. A Successful Legacy?A. Civil Rights Act of 1964B. Voting Rights Act of 1965C. Success on the ground… but “massive resistance” goes onCurrent Lecture: “To Redeem the Soul of America”: The Civil Rights MovementII. The “Fabulous” Fifties?A. The Civil Rights Movement: The “Second Reconstruction”- Sharecropping: tar-paper shacks… legacy of civil war 80 years later- 14th amendment: black people are citizens (slaves)- 15th amendment: black men can vote- 19th amendment: women can vote- These are not really enforced until the civil rights movement and afterIII. Why the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s?A. WWII- War changes things- Lot of black men who are in military in WWII, go to Europe and are not allowed in combat- Seriously segregated US military… black soldiers walk into streets of Europe to find no segregation there D: This is what life could be like in the US!!- Come back from WWII wearing your uniform, you have contributed to defeating Nazi’s… gives you huge pride… how come I can fight for this country and come home to be a second-class citizen??- Blacks had to form their own unionsB. Cold War- Russians/Soviets: not really models of democracy- Soviets comment about how America is not really free… just look at your blacks who are enslaved.- Civil Rights people fight to have their ducks in a row as far as democracy goes… fight for equality and freedomC. Expectations in a consumer society- 1950s, economic growth is so intense, that everybody makes more money and are doing better… creates a sense of the sky is the limit!- Everything is possible… Blacks think why not improve race relations while improving the economy?IV. The Legal Approach: early 1950s- Robert Frank picture… The Americans - Takes pictures of everyday people in the 1950s… bus with whites in front and blacks in the back- If you can get laws supporting segregation in places like schools abolished, then that will bring equality. - You go out & violate segregation laws… get trial… trial becomes law about laws itself because they’re Unconstitutional laws… removes keystones of segregation. A. The NAACP and Brown vs. Board, 1954- NAACP: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People- Most hated organization in the south- Goes after school segregation laws- Brown vs. Board: segregation in schools (Topeka, Kansas) 1954o Supreme Court rules that segregation in school is unconstitutionalo Separate but equal is automatically make a judgment about who is better and who is not… it is neither separate nor equalo Panic in the south…o 1955: Supreme Court says get moving will all deliberant speed on this…a. “Massive Resistance”: segregationists try to resist de-segregation 1. George Wallace, Lester Maddox, “School choice,” “segregation academics,” etc.o People absolutely refuse and say “MAKE ME!”- George Wallace during 1930s was a strong liberal when it came to race... joked that he was a socialist… judge who made it where you had to respect blacks in the court room by calling them Mr. and Mrs.o Government… wants to be Governor (tried to win with social programs, loses) and eventually president… o Needed issue to become elected… rabid support for segregation… gets elected as governor o Goes and apologizes to all civil rights people when he has an epiphany after almost being assassinated 2. Civil Rights as “communism”o MLK… at Communist training school… a guy sneaks in and takes pictures of ito Little communists in the 1950s… attached themselves to the civil rights movement- how little number of people there areB. Little Rock High School Desegregated, 1957- Federal order: you’ve waited long enough… now desegregate- it’s been three years- Fall of 57’ is the year we’ll desegregate- A large white mob surrounds the school to physically prevent the 9 black students that are coming.- Orval Farbis (governor) decides that maybe he can be the strong segregationists and makes a stand… orders Arkansas national guard to physically surround the school to prevent them from entering.. This goes against the Supreme Court- What is the president going to do?? : He doesn’t like the threat to the federal government and executive power by Orval Farbis… He will not be pushed around by a governor…- He nationalizes the national guard which he sends home… send in the 101 airborne division and escorts those 9 to school for the entireyear- The school board shuts down the year after (for a year) so they don’thave to desegregate… - Legal Approach is not working… have to do something more than