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Albany and BirminghamAfrican American HistoryHS 3892Albany, Ga., 1961-1962• Charles Sherrod, SNCC direct action wing– Test new federal desegregation rulings• Blacks arrested for violating segregation laws when they entered bus terminal– Protests (and arrests) continued at bus terminal, and was expanded to train station• remained in jail when arrested--‘fill up the jails’– Protests also spread to city hall and storesAlbany Movement• Police Chief Laurie Pritchett – Studied non-violence• had his officers show restraint--not harm protesters• kept hoodlums from harming protesters• made mass arrests– but made sure that his jails wouldn’t overflow– made provisions with other counties to use their jails • did not arrest people for violating segregation lawshttp://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/civilrights/buildings/mtzion2.jpgKing in Albany• Albany movement stalls– SNCC invites MLK to come and speak• King leads a march to City Hall and is arrested– announced that he would not accept bail, and would spend Christmas in the Albany jail, w/400 other protesters• Two days later, King accepted bail as part of a settlement with the city• SNCC upset with both King’s release from jail and the settlement http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/about_king/chronology/graphics/big/611216-001.jpgEnd of the Albany Movement• 1962, new protests in Albany– Mass arrests continue, but no violence• No media, no reason for Kennedys to intervene• King returned in July 1962 for sentencing– announced that he would serve his 45 day jail sentence instead of paying the fine of $178• But fine was paid (anonymously) and he was released• July, Albany gets a federal restraining order halting demonstrations– King did not want to violate federal law, and left city• Albany movement ends without desegregating the cityBirmingham, 1963• King chose Birmingham as site for his protests– would be initiated and run by him/SCLC• Fred Shuttlesworth, local leader• Birmingham well planned, learned from Albany– totally segregated city• parks had been closed to prevent integration– blacks had already started a boycott of downtown stores– had KKK violence– had a violent police chief, “Bull” Connor– had two governments“Project C”--April 1963• sit-ins, marches & boycotts throughout city– force change--force the issue of civil rights – provoke, not avoid, violence• “If it comes, we will surface it for the world to see”• Connor responded to demonstrations with arrests– what King wanted--brings media attention • But King has trouble persuading more people to go to jail, and he needed more people in jail (only 150 in jail first week)– movement bogs down, without filling jailsLetter from a Birmingham Jail• On Good Friday King was arrested – drew nat’l attention as he remained in jail a week• King criticized for leading an ill-timed movement – Wrote “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” as a response to white clergymen who criticized demonstrations• Stated that‘waiting never produced progress’ and that black Americans could no longer wait• Defended himself from being an ‘outside agitator’– Stated as a Christian he was bound to fight injustice everywhere• Condemned “white moderates” who were “more devoted to ‘order’ than to justice”– A shot at white ministers and KennedysChildren’s Crusade• King recruits high school students to march– then decided to use children as young as 6 as well• Many parents opposed the SCLC’s using of children• May 2, 700 children arrested--jails overflowed– next day, 1000 children stay out of school to protest• Bull Connor turns dogs and hoses on childrenQuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.http://www.hippy.com/trip/birmingham63.jpgJFK and Civil Rights• Violence in Birmingham forces Kennedys to intervene in Birmingham– Settlement reached on May 10• immediate desegregation of dressing rooms in stores• 30 day gap for integrated rest rooms and water fountains• 60 day gap before lunch counters would be desegregated• move to desegregate schools• all movement prisoners released from jailEffect of Birmingham• Showed nation and world brutality of the South– embarrasses the US• Moderate whites support the civil rights• Similar protests take place across the South– 930 public protests in 115 cities in 11 states – over 20,000 persons were arrested in these protests• 10 persons died• Change in the attitudes of King/SCLC– no longer wait for white politicians to do something• Forces JFK to deal with civil rightsMedgar Evers• June 11, 1963, JFK gives a TV speech on civil rights– influenced by Birmingham and other demonstrations– called civil rights a ‘moral issue’– asked Congress to pass a civil rights bill• Medgar Evers, NAACP chairman in Mississippi– assassinated evening of JFK’sspeechQuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.March on Washington• King proposed a March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom– put pressure on JFK to strengthen proposed Civil Rights Bill • include equal employment legislation– pressure Congress to pass Kennedy’s proposed civil rights bill• 200,000+ people march on the mall (25% white)• JFK met with civil rights leaders at White House after marchQuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.http://www.ncf.ca/~ek867/lincolnmarch.jpgJFK’s Civil Rights Bill• JFK’s proposed civil rights bill was weak– did not want to offend Southerners– did not want it to be so strong that it could not pass• Main provisions:– prohibit segregation in public accommodations– equality in education • Omissions:– equal employment– voting rights• Kennedy bill aimed at the South– ignored national civil rights problems• Housing, employment, povertyCivil Rights Act of 1964• JFK’s bill strengthened in the House– JFK assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963• Final provisions:– Segregation prohibited in public accommodations– Federal funding cut off to any educational organization that discriminates against race, creed, or color– Authorized Dept of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) to put together school desegregation plans– Authorized Justice Dept. to enter school desegregation suits– Prohibited job discrimination on basis of race, creed, color or


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ROCKHURST HS 3892 - Albany and Birmingham

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