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Johnson Civil Rights - Coggle Diagram
Johnson Civil Rights
How He Got Kennedy's Civil Rights Bill Through
Black Activists had drawn attention to the nation
NAACP and other organisations lobbied against Congress
Kennedy had won over the Republican minority leader before his death
The nation was saddened by Kennedy's death
Important Congressional Leaders such as Hubert Humphrey worked hard on the bill
He made emotive appeals to national traditions and ideals, and to Kennedy's memory
Johnson won over a few Southerners by appealing to their self interest
The act had increasing national support
Factors that Stopped Him Helping
Congress
Rejected the 66 Civil Rights Bill. Hard to enforce things because of white discrimination
Local Officials
Johnson had to rely on them to carry out what he wanted and there was sometimes backlash to this
White backlash
This was too the riots that happened in black ghettos from 64-68 and gun sales soared. Media made it out to be much worse
Vietnam War
Rising Taxes
Attempting the Impossible
Educational Acts and Medical Help
Hoped his Elementary and Secondary Education Acts would help children out of ghettos
Poorer states such as Mississippi benefitted greatly from federal funding
By the end of the 1960s, the percentage of black people with a high school diploma increased from 40-60%
His Higher Education Act was more successful and gave significant aid to poor black colleges
Black infant mortality rate halved within a decade
Significance of the Civil Rights Act
Signed it in 1964 on television
Gave the federal government the tools to end de jure segregation in the South
Prohibited discrimination in public places, furthered school desegregation, and established an Equal Employment Commission
HOWEVER
Did little to facilitate black voting
Did little to improve race relations
Black people felt like the act had not gone far enough
A legislative Revolution
Happened from 64-65 because of what Irving Berstein calls a 'unique set of circumstances'
He was very good at getting things through Congress because of his 24 years of experience in it
He had an unusual 2/3 of Congress on his side
He was very persuasive and determined
Johnson and Executive Authoruty
The Manipulation of Federal Funding
Offered federal subsidies to Southern districts that were cooperative with school desegregation
By 65 the number of black children attending desegregated schools tripled
Black Appointments
Used black advisors including future Congresswomen Barbara Jordan
In 1967 he appointed Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court
The Call for Affirmative Action
Said that what was needed was positive discrimination
Voting Rights Act
How and why the bill was passed
There were gaps in the 1964 Civil Rights Act but Johnson feared uncooperative Southerners in Congress
Selma and Bloody Sunday forced Johnson to ask Congress for the voting rights bill
Did a speech to Congress that Martin Luther King said brought tears to his eyes
What the act said and did
Disallowed literary tests and 'constitutional interpretation tests' and established federal registrars
Had a dramatic effect on the South and by late 1966 only four of the old Confederate states had fewer than 50% of eligible black people registered to vote