The 1960s Dissent and Discontent Civil Rights in the 1960s What is a civil right o Personal rights or freedoms o Including Free speech Due process of law Equal protection under the law In the US civil rights are protected by Constitution or acts of congress o Examples 1st amendment 14th amendment Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Civil rights protect individual freedoms o Allow people to participate in politics and society o Generally provide for equality of opportunity Rights determined by law or custom o Not always spelled out directly Example right to privacy Not explicitly listed in US Constitution Supreme court has used legal rulings to protect that unwritten right Griswold vs Connecticut 1965 Discrimination in economics politics or society can violate civil rights o Example segregation in access to facilities Civil rights cannot be taken away by government or private interests Idea evolved over time o What is included as a civil right o How to protect civil rights o Government seen as enforcer of civil rights What role should government play o In US federal government often responsible for protecting civil rights Example 14th amendment o Enforcement poor or non existent Example segregation disenfranchisement Plessy vs Ferguson What happened what changed In US minorities have had less protection of civil rights o Examples Jim Crow segregation housing Protesting movements have long history o African American community worked against discrimination Examples NAACP Double V Campaign legal challenges Civil Rights Movement in 1950s and 1960s part of history o Forcing government to recognize violations and address them o 1950s 1960s distinguished by Mass protest Direct action tactics Non violent passive resistance Sit ins boycotts marches Court cases bus boycotts in 1950s expanded scope of protest Activists took on discrimination by public and private interests o Government retail stores restaurants transportation Example Greensboro North Caroline February 1960 o Sit at lunch counter not served not addressed they return they next day and many people went to observe o Brings attention to the issue of discrimination in restaurants Other examples o May 1961 Freedom Rides Organized by Congress of Racial Equality CORE Protesting segregation in transportation Attacked and beaten in Montgomery AL Arrested in Jackson MS o Summer 1961 Voter Education Project Sent blacks and whites on buses through south Committee SNCC Worked in south to register blacks to vote Met with violence and arrests o Spring summer 1963 Birmingham AL Organized by groups such as Student Nonviolent Coordination Protests calling for integration of public facilities Organized by Martin Luther King Jr and Southern Christian Leadership Conference SCLC Very effective direct action campaign Violently resisted police dogs and high power water guns Broadcasted on the news Prompted change in city laws o One of the largest demonstrations March on Washington August 1963 Organized by Big Six coalition Attended by 200 300 000 people Called for civil and economic rights for blacks August 28 King gave his I have a dream speech Rally successful in drawing attention Did not stem resistance or violence 1964 voter registration drives heavily resisted o Murders assaults church burnings arrests 1965 Selma march Bloody Sunday o 3 killed others beaten Response by government Federal level o Both John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson reluctant Needed southern democrats in congress Promised to address civil rights Often reacted rather than acted on own initiative Kennedy sent troops to protect Freedom Riders Johnson sent National Guard to Selma in 1965 Increasingly hard to ignore pressure Images on television broadcast to entire nation o Johnson able to use political clout growing public support Also used memories of Kennedy after his assassination o In July 1964 Johnson signed The Civil Rights Act of 1964 Guaranteed access to public accommodations Also education employment and voting Banned discrimination based on race in employment Wages hiring promotion Largely supported by northern politicians Largely opposed by southern politicians Signaled the end of the Jim Crow South Also began shift of southern states away from democratic party Johnson aware of risk but pursued it anyway o Activists kept pressure up o August 1965 congress passed Voting Rights Act of 1965 Response to ongoing disenfranchisement Law designed to protect voting rights Established federal oversight for elections Banned state or local governments from discriminating against minorities Outlawed literacy tests Set up special provisions aimed at specific jurisdictions Places with history of discrimination Required them to clear laws with the Justice Department Extremely successful law Further contributed to shift in political alignments Influence beyond civil right legislation Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act huge victories Movement began to fragment after 1965 though o Criticisms that legal equality not enough o Growing demands for economic equality too Faced job housing discrimination o Some civil rights leaders said nonviolence wasn t working Also said laws integration fell too short o Leaders such as Malcolm X advocated black nationalism Separation and autonomy from white society o Grew into black power movement Reject integration embrace independence Press paid attention to more radical groups o Blamed for riots in 1965 1967 1968 Rioters responded to specific grievances Labeled as lawbreakers Violence radicals stirred fear in white Americans Provoked backlash support declined o Groups never commanded the same kind of power as King Expressions or pride critiques held widespread appeal o Activists such as King recognized importance of economic issues 1968 planned a march against poverty before assassination Efforts tactics by blacks in 1960s encouraged other groups o Native Americans Hispanics women All had long histories of protest against discrimination o Tactics or nonviolence litigation adopted o 1963 Northwestern Native Americans organized fish ins o 1968 American Indian Movement formed o 1972 Trail of Broken Treaties caravan to DC to protest o Activists managed to get some goals met o Increased sovereignty enhanced education restoration of lands Women agitated for more equal treatment too o Increasing economic power and access to education contributed Challenged discrimination in jobs education society o 1966 National Organization for Women NOW founded Betty