Summary Civil Society Protest Finals Notes

Civil Society Protests: 1960s to 1990s

What are civil rights?
 Civil rights are the rights that are (or should be) enjoyed by all
citizens of a country. They revolve around the basic freedoms
that people should have in order to enjoy their daily lives
without interference
 These rights have been summarised into “the four freedoms”:
o Freedom of speech (which includes freedom of the press)
o Freedom of worship (to practice the religion of your
choice)
o Freedom from want (basic needs such as water, food,
shelter and clothing)
o Freedom from fear (of being under attack or being
threatened)
 Two more of these “freedoms” could be added:
o Freedom of assembly (the right to gather to discuss an
issue or protest against a grievance)
o Freedom to vote (everybody has a say in a democratic
government)

What is civil society?
 Civil society is a grouping that is separate from government and
business
o There is always a struggle for control between the state
and the people it governed and it is the function of a civil
society to challenge the power of the state
o The state and civil society stand in opposition to one
another
 Civil society includes NGOs (Trade unions, Civic organizations,
Student movements) and social and political movements that
protect civil rights

What are civil society protests?
 Civil society protests are about ordinary people standing
together against the state/ government
o In the 1960s, ordinary people engaged in fights to secure
these rights
o Political opposition was no longer left to the political
parties or the elite

, o Popular mass protests were very effective in bringing
about change
 This action took place in the form of protest marches,
demonstrations, civil disobediance or strikes
 In most cases these protests involve non-violent action
undertaken to put pressure on authorities or influence public
opinion

To what extent did African Americans achieve equality in civil rights
in the 1950s and 1960s?
 After the American civil war in the late 1800s, former slaves
believed that freedom was attainable and they would be able to
enter American society as full and equal citizens
 Congress passed 3 major amendments to protect these new
freedoms
o The 13th Amendment
 Abolished slavery
o The 14th Amendment
 Made black Americans full US citizens
 They were guarenteed full and equal protection
under the law
o The 15th Amendment
 Guarenteed the right to vote
 People could not be denied this on account of race,
colour or previous conditions of servitude

Discrimination Against Black Americans
US government policy followed the idea of “separate but equal”
 African American were given the right to vote however various
practices prevented them from voting
o Threats of violence, intimidation or lynching
o Excessively difficult literacy tests targeted at African
Americans
 Police officers failed to stop attacks on black people
o Police brutality often left black people dead
o In addition white juries often acquitted whites accused of
killing blacks
 From the 1880s into the 1960s a majority of American states
enforced segregation and disemfranchisement through “Jim
Crow” laws

, o Marriage
o White people were prohibited from marrying
people of colour
o Harsh punishments for sonsorting with members
of another race
o Enforced Separation
o Buses had separate seating areas, waiting rooms
and ticket windows for whites and people of colour
o Trains had different carts for different races
o Restaurants were required to serve different races
in different rooms
o Toilets were divided by race and then by gender
o Cohabitation
o Any mixed race pair of people, of opposite genders
and who are not married but stay in the same
room, would be imprisoned
o Education
o The schools for white students and students of
colour were to be conducted separately

Why did African Americans challenge discrimination so actively from
the 1960s?
By 1960 a platform had been created from which to launch intense
protest action. Three major factors can be identified to explain this:
 Education
o Despite inequality, many African Americans realised the
value of education and many became doctors, lawyers
and teachers
 Howard University became an important symbol of
academic success and achievement for black
people
 Many of its graduates became leaders in various
fields and provided leadership in challenging
racism in society
 Organisation
o African Americans realised that they needed to be
organised in order to fight discrimination
 Eg: the NAACP
 See later notes
 Leadership

, o A number of individuals provided direction and
leadership to the civil rights struggle
o Many of them preached different messages and divisions
arose amongst different supporters
o However they were all united by the common goal to end
discrimination and inequality

Varied Examples of Leadership
 Booker T Washington
o A former slave
o Believed that blacks should accept segregation and their
existing conditions but said that they should work
gradually for change
 He was criticised for accommodating white racism
 WED Du Bois
o Disagreed with Washington
o Believed black people should have access to higher
education
o He helped set up the NAACP and edited the newspaper
“Crisis”
o He believed in activism and especially challenging the law
 Marcus Garvey
o He encouraged a sense of “black pride” (the beginning of
“black nationalism”)
o He strongly believed that black people should develop
and celebrate their own separate identity from white
people – especially economically
 He helped African Americans set up their own
businesses
 He was supported by many working class African
Americans
 Martin Luther King Junior
o A minister
o Developed a mass following through his charisma and
ability to reacg the people through hus persuaive
speeches
o His actions personified the “non-violent movement”

The Beginning of the Civil Rights Movement