The African American CIVIL RIGHTS Movement (1960s) [APUSH Review 8.10] Period 8: 1945-1980

Summary

This Heimler's History video delves into the key events and transformations within the African American Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s, highlighting the tactical and ideological evolution within the movement itself. From the landmark Montgomery Bus Boycott and Martin Luther King Jr.'s rise to prominence advocating for non-violent civil disobedience, to the more militant approaches led by figures like Malcolm X and the Black Panthers, the video illustrates the multifaceted nature of the movement. It discusses how these efforts culminated in significant legislative achievements, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, despite ongoing racial tensions and violence even after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination.

Highlights

• The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a turning point powered by Rosa Parks and led to national attention and changes in segregation policies. 🚌
• Martin Luther King Jr. became a key figure, advocating for change through peaceful means and delivering his iconic 'I Have a Dream' speech. 🌟
• The March on Washington in 1963 was a significant demonstration for racial equality and civil rights, highlighted by King's oratory. 📢
• Malcolm X encouraged resistance through more assertive means, challenging the status quo with his separatist rhetoric. 🔥
• Major legislative achievements included the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act, critical successes in the movement. 🏛️
• Despite successes, racial tensions and riots indicated that the journey towards equality was far from over. ⚖️

Key Takeaways

• Martin Luther King Jr. championed non-violent civil disobedience inspired by Gandhi to make monumental strides in civil rights. 🕊️
• Rosa Parks' refusal to surrender her bus seat sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a pivotal event accelerating the movement. 🚍
• Malcolm X and the Black Panthers represented a more militant, separatist branch within the civil rights movement. ⚡
• Federal legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 were major victories but racial tensions persisted. 📜
• The tragic assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. marked a turning point, but his legacy endures in the ongoing fight for equality. 💔

Overview

In the 1960s, the African American Civil Rights Movement saw rapid advancements fueled by both peaceful protests and more militant actions. Martin Luther King Jr., inspired by Gandhi, led the charge for non-violent resistance, becoming a central figure with his profound influence and leadership, notably during the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the famed March on Washington where he delivered the 'I Have a Dream' speech.

The movement wasn't homogenous, with figures like Malcolm X advocating for a different approach through separatism and the defense of black rights by any means necessary. This divide showcased the varying philosophies on achieving equality, with groups like the Black Panthers at the forefront of more aggressive advocacy. Despite internal differences, the push for civil rights pressured the government to enact pivotal reforms.

Significant legislative strides were made with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, legal milestones that prohibited racial discrimination. However, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. marked a sorrowful chapter in the movement's history, highlighting that while a legal framework for equality was established, societal acceptance and integration faced hurdles, as seen in the continued racial tensions and riots that followed.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Overview The chapter titled 'Introduction and Overview' begins with a friendly welcome to the audience, indicating a continuation of discussions from previous sessions on AP U.S. History, specifically focusing on Unit 8. The discussion progresses from the foundations of the civil rights movement in the 1940s and 1950s, moving towards its culmination in the 1960s. The goals for this chapter are to explore the responses of various groups to the expanding civil rights movement between 1960 and 1980, setting the stage for a detailed examination of this pivotal era.
• 00:30 - 02:00: Early Civil Rights Movement and Key Events The chapter discusses the early civil rights movement and how the federal government responded to the push for expanded civil rights. Beginning in the 1940s and progressing into the 1950s, the movement achieved key victories, such as the integration of the armed forces and the pivotal Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education. This landmark case declared that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional. However, the chapter also highlights the significant resistance faced in the effort to integrate schools.
• 02:00 - 03:30: Montgomery Bus Boycott and Emergence of MLK The chapter describes the slow and painful process of civil rights movements in the southern states of the U.S. during the 1960s. It focuses on one of the initial significant efforts, the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955. In Montgomery, Alabama, public transportation was segregated as per state laws and company policies. The movement was ignited by Rosa Parks, a woman who was arrested for refusing to give her seat to a white person. Her arrest led to a city-wide bus boycott that lasted for about a year.
• 03:30 - 05:00: Sit-in Movement and Birmingham Campaign The chapter "Sit-in Movement and Birmingham Campaign" discusses the financial impact of the Montgomery Bus Boycott on the bus company, leading to the policy change of not requiring black passengers to give up their seats for white passengers. The chapter also highlights the rise of Martin Luther King Jr. as a significant leader in the civil rights movement. Influenced by Gandhi, King advocated for change through civil disobedience and non-violent protests to combat injustice.
• 05:00 - 06:00: March on Washington and MLK's Speech The chapter discusses the involvement of a younger generation of activists in the civil rights movement during the 1960s, who initiated the sit-in movement by occupying 'whites-only' lunch counters and demanding service, which resulted in mass arrests. These events gained significant media coverage, leading to a change in restaurant policies. The chapter also touches on Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's major campaign in 1963 in Montgomery, Alabama, aimed at ending racial discrimination.
• 06:00 - 07:30: Militant Branch of the Movement and Malcolm X The chapter focuses on the militant branch of the movement for civil rights, highlighting Malcolm X and the events surrounding the peaceful protests in a city led by civil rights devotees. During these protests, the city’s public safety commissioner, Bull Connor, refused to tolerate demonstrations, leading the city police to use high-pressure fire hoses, police dogs, and other brutal tactics to disperse the crowd. These actions were directed not only against adult protesters but also against children participating in the children’s crusade. The cruelty of these tactics, captured on video, deeply impacted the American public, highlighting the violent resistance faced by the civil rights movement.
• 07:30 - 09:00: Legislative Achievements and End of Era The chapter titled 'Legislative Achievements and End of Era' discusses key events and milestones in the civil rights movement, focusing on how public sympathy helped drive legislative successes. A pivotal highlight is the 1963 March on Washington, where over 200,000 activists gathered. This event is renowned for Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech, which powerfully articulated a vision of an egalitarian society.
• 09:00 - 10:00: Conclusion and Ongoing Challenges This chapter, "Conclusion and Ongoing Challenges," discusses the complexities of the civil rights movement, highlighting a more militant branch that diverged from the non-violent approach championed by leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. It introduces Malcolm X as a key figure in this faction, known for his compelling and incendiary rhetoric. Malcolm X advocated for black separatism and militarism, opposing King's vision of integration. He argued against non-violent resistance, promoting the idea that achieving equality necessitated responding to white violence with black violence.

The African American CIVIL RIGHTS Movement (1960s) [APUSH Review 8.10] Period 8: 1945-1980 Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 hey there and welcome back to hundler's history now we've been going through unit 8 of the ap u.s history curriculum and a few videos ago i started talking about the foundations of the civil rights movement during the 1940s and the 1950s and in this video it's time to talk about the fruition of that movement in the 1960s so buckle up and get them brain cows ready for milking let's get to it so in this video we're going to try to do two things and they are as follows number one explain how and why various groups responded to calls for the expansion of civil rights from 1960 to 1980 and second we're going to try to
• 00:30 - 01:00 explain the various ways in which the federal government responded to the calls for the expansion of civil rights so the civil rights movement itself and how the government responded to it so let's start with the civil rights movement recall in the 1940s and the 1950s that the civil rights movement began in earnest with a few victories implemented by the federal government including the integration of the armed forces and the landmark supreme court case brown versus the board of education which ruled that school segregation by race was unconstitutional but also recall that there was significant resistance to the integration of schools
• 01:00 - 01:30 by southern states and the process went excruciatingly slow and so now in the 1960s the civil rights devotees engaged in a fresh movement to claim the rights that have been promised to them one of the first major engagements was the montgomery bus boycott in 1955. so in montgomery alabama public transportation was segregated by state law and company policy and what sparked the movement was a refusal of a woman named rosa parks to give up her seat to a white customer she was subsequently arrested and that led to a city-wide bus boycott which lasted for about a year and due to the
• 01:30 - 02:00 financial pressure of the boycott the bus company ended the policy of requiring black passengers to yield their seats to white passengers and maybe even more significant than this victory was the personality it produced martin luther king jr who was a preacher from atlanta joined the montgomery bus boycott and soon ascended to prominence as one of the most powerful voices for a non-violent movement to secure civil rights to king the best way to force change on the corrupt system was by means of civil disobedience to unjust laws and he learned that from gandhi's campaigns of civil disobedience in india
• 02:00 - 02:30 now by the 1960s a younger generation of activists was joining the movement as well they staged the sit-in movement in which their members would enter restaurants and sit at lunch counters which were for white customers only and demand service for their efforts they were met with mass arrests and this reaction ended up being on the front pages of many national newspapers and the increasing pressure and eventually led restaurants to change their policies now by 1963 martin luther king and the southern christian leadership conference launched another major campaign in montgomery alabama to end racial discrimination to this end the civil
• 02:30 - 03:00 rights devotees gathered for peaceful protests in the city but the public safety commissioner by the name of bull connor would not tolerate such demonstrations under conor's direction city police used high-pressure fire hoses to disperse the crowd along with police dogs and other manifestations of brutal force and this was carried out not only against adult protesters but against the children who are participating in the children's crusade as well it was truly an awful thing to behold and that was actually the point as footage from these brutal tactics was consumed by the american public the
• 03:00 - 03:30 civil rights protesters found themselves in their sympathy and this went a long way in getting legislation passed in their favor over the next couple years and then the crowning moment in the civil rights protest came in 1963 with the march on washington on that day more than 200 000 civil rights activists gathered on the lawn of the washington monument in front of the lincoln memorial it was here that king delivered the speech we all know as the i have a dream speech in which king expressed his desire for a society defined by equality with great pathos and some of the most moving phraseology in american history
• 03:30 - 04:00 however just like everything in history the civil rights movement was more complicated than just that there was also a more militant branch of the movement and the name to associate with that is malcolm x he also was a magnificent and fiery orator and he tried to persuade black americans that integration with white society like king rhapsodized about was not the way to freedom instead the way to freedom involved separatism and militarism malcolm x threw non-violent resistance to the side and said that the only way to equality was to counter white violence with black violence and in the
• 04:00 - 04:30 same vein we also saw the rise of black militant groups like the black panthers which formed to secure black rights through violence if necessary now even with this complication in the civil rights movement the government did respond with significant legislation for which the civil rights activists had been fighting for years first was the civil rights act of 1964 which made discrimination on the basis of race religion or sex illegal in the next year came the voting rights act of 1965 which prohibited racial discrimination in the voting booth by outlawing literacy tests and poll taxes additionally the voting
• 04:30 - 05:00 rights act authorized the federal government to oversee voting in counties which had historically low black voter turnout and even the supreme court jumped in on all of this with a few cases that expanded civil rights including loving versus virginia in 1967 which struck down state laws that made interracial marriage illegal so this era of the civil rights movement basically came to an end in 1968 when in memphis tennessee martin luther king the most beloved leader of the non-violent branch of the movement was assassinated it was certainly a time of national mourning
• 05:00 - 05:30 but in the years following despite the legislative and judicial victories won by the civil rights movement racial tension endured and as the 1960s came to a close race riots erupted in many cities across the nation which made plain that the movement was not yet over okay thanks for watching if you need more videos on unit 8 then click this playlist right here and if you need help getting an a in your class and a 5 on your exam in may then right here view packet which will make all your dreams come true additionally if this video helped you you want me to keep making them to subscribe and i shall oblige heimler out