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Civil Rights in the early 1960’s

Sit ins
April 1960 - student non-violent coordinating committee established SNCC
- In 1960 four black students asked to be served at a Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensborough - refused to be served.
- 2 days later 85 black and white students staged another sit in protest within 18 months - 70,000 taken part in similar sit ins against segregated services across the south - 3,000 arrested.

Freedom Riders
1946 - supreme court ordered that interstate travel should be desegregated.
In 1960 the Supreme Court also ruled that station waiting rooms and toilets should also be desegregated.
In 1961 the Congress of Racial Equality decided to put these ignored laws to the test.
The Congress of Racial Equality asked for volunteers - white people use black facilities, black people to use white facilities.
May 1961 - 9 black and white freedom riders in an Alabama bus were attacked by a mob of white people. Bus was firebombed - protesters savagely beaten
However CORE achieved its aim when Kennedy forced bus companies to integrate terminals - November 1961

Birmingham, Alabama
1962 - City authorities closed parks, playing fields, swimming pools and other public places to avoid integration.
1963 - MLK organised a campaign of marches and demonstrations to cause maximum media coverage.

Local police commissioner - Eugene ‘Bull’ Connor was determined to take strong action against black campaigners. He set dogs on demonstrators when they refused to disperse - used fire hoses. These demonstrations were broadcast around the world this led to horror at police brutality. During the campaign MLK was jailed.
The horror and violence led to JFK announcing that he would submit a civil rights bill to congress

MLK continued the campaign for civil rights in summer 1963 and organised a march on Washington DC in support of Kennedy’s civil rights bill. It was here that he made his famous ‘I have a dream’ speech.
Kennedy’s bill was talked out of congress, filibustered.