March on Washington
August 28, 1963 “I Have a Dream
Speech” Over 250,000
people in attendance
Helps pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964
March on Selma
Dr. King marches to bring awareness about voting rights in the South Alabama Governor
George Wallace opposes the march
LBJ protected marchers w/ federal troops
Brought about Voting Rights Act of 1965
Freedom Summer
1964, a campaign to register voters in the South 1000 College
Students went to Mississippi
June 21- 2 white New Yorkers and an African-American were abducted and killed
1964-6.7% Miss. Blacks registered to vote
1969-66.5% Miss. Blacks registered to vote
Watts Riots
August 11-16, 1965 Frustration when a
routine arrest by an LA police officer turned into a riot.
National Guard restored order- 34 dead, 898 injured, 4000 arrested $100 million in damage
Kerner Commission-white racism was responsible for the tensions that led to the riots
Civil Rights Legislation
1. Civil Rights Act of 1964 Made it illegal to discriminate in employment
and public accommodations Began to enforce the Brown vs. the Board
Decision of 1954 2. Voting Rights Act of 1965
Brought the entire voting and registration process for voting under Federal Control
LBJ – “We have lost the South for a generation.”
Dr. Martin Luther King
Challenged racism & segregation w/ non-violence and passive resistance-
Beliefs of Gandhi
Malcolm X Family moved to Lansing,
Michigan to escape racism Dad murdered at 3,
“reported suicide” Orphaned, life of crime,
while in jail met Elijah Mohammed-Nation of Islam
God was Black & great war would occur between races
Believed in Black Power African-American
movement that focused on gaining control of economic and political power, by force if necessary.
Malcolm X continued
Beliefs The white man was
the devil with whom blacks could not live.
“Integration was dead. Absolute segregation of the races was the goal.”
Killed Feb. 21, 1965 after he broke w/ the nation of Islam