A. 5/61 - Freedom Rides (Tactic)

E. 11/62 JFK orders federal housing projects desegregated

F. Birmingham Campaign - April 1963

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  ORGANIZATION - SCLC, SNCC, NAACP
  
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  TACTIC - Civil Disobedience - March and boycott
  
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    100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation
    
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  Most segregated city in South - 20 bombs in 6 years
  
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  1. King protest against segregation and voting registration problems in Birmingham
  
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    protests filled up the jails - 2000 arrested
    
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      white opponents had learned self-restraint while tv cameras were rolling
      
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      participants would lose income while in jail - how long could they continue?
      
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    MLK gets himself arrested along with 325 others to try and shake things up
    
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      violations of marching without a permit
      
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      criticized by some in the black community who call for him to back off
      
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      he writes - Letters From A Birmingham Jail
      
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        a defense of non-violence and passive resistance
        
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      lawyers provided by NAACP - lawsuit filed
      
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  2. Children's Crusade
  
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    began using kids as young as 6
    
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    over a 1000 participated
    
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    they could be arrested without the family losing income
    
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  3. Bull Connor - police dogs, tear gas, cattle prods, fire hoses
  
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    direct challenge to Connor - he lost his temper
    
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    public horrified by images of police brutality against children
    
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  4. militants begin to question non-violence - losing patience
  
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    SNCC also involved
    
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    why should they continue to be arrested and beaten - they have done nothing wrong!
    
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  5. Birmingham gave in on segregation
  
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    TV focused national public attention on Birmingham
    
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      JFK pressured National Retail Merchants Association to pressure their Southern outlets to desegregate
      
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      JFK ordered end to segregation in federal housing projects
      
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        MLK accuses President of tokenism and calls for him to do more
        
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  6. series of bombings targeting black leaders led to riots by blacks targeting whites
  
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    MLK's hotel room was bombed
    
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    the home of MLK's brother was bombed
    
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    blacks responded by burning white owned businesses in black areas
    
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      This marked the beginning of what became more and more common
      
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      blacks responding to white violence with their own
      
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    federal troops sent to restore order
    
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  7. RFK/JFK decide to support civil rights bill
  
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    "If an American, because his skin is dark, cannot eat lunch in a restaurant open to the public, if he cannot send his children to the best public schools available, if he cannot vote for the public officials who represent him, if , in short, he cannot enjoy the full and free life which all of us want, then who among us would be content to have the color of his skin changed and stand in his place?"
    
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    "The time has come for this nation to fulfill its promise"...that all men are created equal!
    
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    Medgar Evers killed the same night that JFK announces the civil rights bill