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Peaceful Protests - Coggle Diagram
Peaceful Protests
FREEDOM SUMMER, 1964
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About 1,000 volunteers went to Mississippi to work with local campaigners on projects in the black community.
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Most volunteers were white college students from good families because they could pay their way. Also, their class and colour would make any violence against them bigger news.
Some taught in Freedom schools for black children, others held voter registration classes to teach locals how to pass the voter registration tests.
There was a lot of white opposition. Many white Mississippians called the project an invasion and argued that the northern students didn't understand the South.
There were over 10,000 KKK members who showed their anger and beat up countless volunteers and local black people.
There were also murders of white and black CORE, SNCC and volunteer members which became scandals as they were completely unprovoked.
SELMA, JANUARY 1965
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In Selma, people protested against the voter registration tests. Others tried to register to vote. There were confrontations with the police and violent arrests.
President Johnson - who was stressing the need for a Voting Rights Act to make voting tests fair and help black Americans to vote - spoke again in favour of voter registration and the number of protesters rose, as did the violence. One protester died.
Sunday 7th March, about 600 protesters set out to march from Selma to Montgomery. They were stopped at the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
They fired tear gas and attacked the protesters with clubs and electric cattle prods. The protesters fled, chased by the troopers. The USA made world headlines again for abuse of black Americans.
In Congress, many spoke in favour of voter registration and against the racial abuse. All over the country people marched in support of those attacked on 7th March on what came to be called 'Bloody Sunday'.
Johnson used an executive order to federalise the state national guard. They then escorted the marchers from Selma to Montgomery on 21-24th March. Martin Luther King led the march and gave a speech to a crowd of 25,000 in Montgomery on 25th March.
BIRMINGHAM CAMPAIGN, ALABAMA
On 2nd April 1963 SNCC, SCLC and ACMHR began Campaign 'C' (for confrontation to end segregation in Birmingham).
The target was Birmingham because it was completely segregated and because it was well known for the violent attacks against Black Americans that had happened there.
'Bull' Connor also lived there. He was the chief of police and it was believed that e could be easily provoked into using violence against peaceful protesters which would give needed publicity to the Civil Rights Movement,
Campaign 'C' included sit-ins, mass meetings, peaceful protest marches and a boycott of shops. Hundreds took part, inspired by Fred Shuttlesworth of the ACMHR and Martin Luther King.
Most adults who protested were arrested and in jail so James Bevel of SNCC trained young black people to demonstrate. On 2nd May, about 6,000 of them marched. Most were students, but some were as young as six years old. Over 900 people of all ages were arrested.
3rd May more young people marched. The jails were full however, so 'Bull' Connor ordered the police to use dogs and fire hoses on the protesters.
The news reports and photos of this event spread worldwide, causing horror. President Kennedy said that the photos made him feel sick and ashamed. It also gave the USSR Cold War Propaganda ammunition.
WASHINGTON MARCH, 28TH AUGUST 1963
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Washington DC was chosen as the location because the White House and Congress were there. Over 250,000 took part and about 40,000 of them were white Americans who took part
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It was broadcasted live on television. It begun with the National Anthem and a prayer. Then civil rights activists made speeches. Martin Luther King spoke last.
Martin Luther King's famous 'I have a dream' speech was powerful as it gained more support fro civil rights and meant that many people saw King as the leader of the movement.
The march was very significant because the crowd was a mix of black and white Americans who protested peacefully together. It also showed support for civil rights from all classes of society. Famous people such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, attended.