1. An assessment of the
effectiveness of the Civil
Rights Movement in
meeting the needs of black
Americans, up to 1968.
USA - ESSAY 6
Similar content to essay 5 but
asking for the success of each
in meeting needs of blacks.
Not why CRM grew…….
2. Aims of essay 6
This essay is an assessment essay (like success of
Liberal & Labour reforms)
You have to argue how well each of the following
factors actually met the needs of African Americans
by 1968.
Include Key knowledge (what they did R.A.D), Analysis
of their success (successes and failures) and Evaluation
of what was most successful (compare how well each
factor did)
3. Factors
1. Roles of NAACP & CORE
2. Role of Martin Luther King & SCLC
3. Changes in federal policy
4. Social, economic and political changes
5. Rise of black radical movements
The order you write these
paragraphs should never
change
4. Marking Scheme
Read the marking scheme from the 2019 Higher Exam. Take a
highlighter and colour in the sections you know already and
things you would need to learn.
This will show you the key content you need to include in the
essay and also what you need to focus on learning.
Remember – the marking scheme is actually quite basic and only
includes Knowledge & basic Analysis. In your notes and essay you
need to show links between the factors (A), counter arguments
(A+) and evaluation of the success of each factor compared to
each other (E).
5. What were the aims of the CRM?
1) End Racial Discrimination (segregation)
2) Achieve social, economic & political equality
3) They wanted both Federal & State governments to
uphold the constitutional rights that had been granted
to them already.
6. Essay 6
Answer –
Met some of their needs by ending segregation and securing key
support and legislation from Federal Government, HOWEVER failed
to meet the social, economic & political needs and many blacks still
struggled as second class citizens particularly in the Norther ghettos.
Pupil Task
Read about the following key events that took place during the CRM. Rank them in order from
Most Effective ----------------------------------------------------------------- Least
effective
in meeting needs of black Americans
You must justify why you have placed it there and explain its successes and/or limitations
8. The Kerner Commission 1968 (LoA)
• The USA was a divided society: black people were generally poor
while white people were more prosperous.
• Unemployment among black men was double the rate for white men.
• 40 per cent of all African Americans lived in poverty. Poverty
was highlighted as one of the main causes of the Northern riots.
• The riots were ultimately caused by white society as it did nothing
to solve the problem of poverty experienced by African Americans.
9. Context (for intro)
African Americans had never been equal citizens in the USA. The CRM after
1945 had gained momentum and grew into a national movement that
gained support and sympathy worldwide. (B1)
The aims of the CRM were to end segregation and achieve equality for
African Americans socially, economically & politically. (B2)
There was some success with the passing of key legislation. However, for
many black Americans forced to live in the ghetto areas in the cities of the
north and west, social and economic hardships and inequalities remained.
10. Factors
1. Roles of NAACP & CORE
2. Role of Martin Luther King & SCLC
3. Changes in federal policy
4. Social, economic and political changes
5. Rise of black radical movements
The order you write these
paragraphs should never
change
11. For each factor;
Knowledge – key R.A.D information about how the CRM met the needs of AA’s. Key acts,
statistics, events.
Successes – how did they improve the life of AA’s “this was successful in meeting the needs of
AA’s because …….”
Failures – what problems still remained for AA’s “however this was not actually successful in
meeting needs of AA’s because problems like ………….. still remained”
Evaluation – compare each factor and how successful they were in meeting the needs of AA’s.
Link to line of argument.
In evaluation, ______ had some success and was able to ______. However it can be not be seen as
meeting the needs of black Americans because ___________. An example of this was ______________
12. NAACP (National Association for the
Advancement of Coloured People)
K - 1954 Supreme Court Brown vs Board of Education Justices ruled 9-0 that
‘Separate but equal’ had no place in modern America and that segregated schools
were unequal and should be desegregated. The Court’s decision was the first victory
for civil rights campaigners.
A - This was a huge breakthrough and gave a huge boost in the fight for civil rights, because
the highest, most respected court in the land, whose job it was to decide what the constitution
said, had decided that segregation in schools was unconstitutional. This case only meant that
schools should be desegregated, but the NAACP knew that if it took cases about segregation
in cafes, buses etc. to the Supreme Court it was likely to win
A+ - By the end of 1956, not one black child attended a white school in the South. By 1964,
only 3% of African-American children went to integrated schools. Some blacks even relied on
Freedom Schools set up by Civil Rights Schools in Mississippi to get an education.
13. Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)
K – 1960 Sit Ins - Intense television coverage of the Greensboro sit-ins sparked a sit-in
movement that spread quickly to college towns throughout the South and into the
North, as young blacks and whites joined in various forms of peaceful protest against
segregation in libraries, beaches, hotels and other establishments. By the end of March,
the movement had spread to 55 cities in 13 states
A - By the end of 1960, lunch counters had been desegregated in 126 cities.
The success of sit ins paved the way for further protests, further success and
de-segregation giving blacks more social freedoms.
A+ - Segregation was never a thing in the North of America. All the success of
sit ins, freedom rides and supreme court case did nothing to improve the life's
of blacks in the North who were suffering from poverty and unemployment,
not segregation and the KKK.
14. Evalution – CR Groups
In evaluation, the civil rights groups had some success and were successful
in challenging segregation in the South with non-violent protests putting
huge pressure on local and national governments. However, it can not be
seen as meeting the needs of black Americans because even with huge
victories like in the Supreme courts which made it the law blacks continued
to face barriers and not have access to the same facilities and opportune
cities as whites. An example of this was the fact that in 1964 Freedom
Schools in Mississippi had to be set up in order to give education to
thousands of black students who were received an inadequate education.
In 1962, the Tunica County School District spent an average of $172.80 on
each white pupil but only $5.99 on each of their black counterparts
proving that the success of the NAACP’s court case did little to improve
the life of black Americans.
15. Link to next paragraph
NAACP/CORE
MLK & SLCL
Another key part of the Civil Rights Movement was the work
of MLK. He rose to prominence as the head of the
movement and led the non-violent protest that made a
huge impact to millions of black Americans.
16. Martin Luther King
1963 March on Washington (250,000 protesters, 4 National TV stations, I have a dream)
1963 March on Birmingham (Kings letter form jail, children marchers, police dogs and cannons)
(A) Both events had a huge news presence and demanded action, President JF
Kennedy had just been elected and he was sympathetic to the Civil Rights
Cause, this made him demand action and put his words into action writing up
the Civil Rights Act before his assassination.
“My fellow Americans, this is a problem which faces us all--in every city of the North as well as the South.
Today there are Negroes unemployed, two or three times as many compared to whites, inadequate in
education, moving into the large cities, unable to find work, young people particularly out of work without
hope, denied equal rights, denied the opportunity to eat at a restaurant or lunch counter or go to a movie
theater, denied the right to a decent education, denied almost today the right to attend a State university even
though qualified. It seems to me that these are matters which concern us all, not merely Presidents or
Congressmen or Governors, but every citizen of the United States.”
President Kennedy said in a historic speech after Birmingham.
17. Martin Luther King
1965 March to Selma https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1_KtW-9tIg
(K) In March, King led a march from Selma to Montgomery to publicise the way in which the
authorities made it difficult for black Americans to vote easily. Once more, scenes of police
attacking marchers shocked TV audiences across the USA.
600 marchers tried to get from Selma to Montgomery, they were met with 200 police on horse
back who used tear gas, sticks and whips to stop the demonstrators from crossing the bridge
and completing their march. This day became known as Bloody Sunday.
(A) King was a worldwide celebrity who had just won the Nobel Peace Prize. This was
broadcast worldwide and again forced the US government into taking action to enforce the
rights that were being taken away from Black Americans.
In August, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act, which removed a number of barriers to
voting and gave federal authorities power over states which refused.
18. MLK - Evaluation
In evaluation, MLK had some success and was able to gain
worldwide recognition for the CRM and support from JFK which
was key to federal changes. However, he cannot be seen as
meeting the needs of black Americans because many blacks,
particularly in the North disagreed with his non-violent methods
and felt that King did nothing for them or their problems. An
example of this was in 1966 King and the SCLC proposed the
Chicago Plan, a non-violent action plan to improve the Chicago
area. Martin Luther King’s failure to prevent the riots which broke
out however suggested that his methods were irrelevant to black
Americans in the late 1960s.
19. Link to next paragraph
MLK
Changes in Federal Policy
The work of the Civil Rights Organisations
and MLK were instrumental in gaining
momentum but real change and success
could only come with support of Federal
action.
20. Changes in Federal Policy
K- Government intervention at Little Rock & James Meredith
Eisenhower sent in federal troops and National Guardsmen to protect nine African-American
students enrolled in Central High School, Little Rock. Kennedy sent troops to Oxford,
Mississippi to protect black student James Meredith.
A - Showed that Presidents were willing to support the CRM and back up laws that were being
ignored by Southern States with action.
A+ - “At a time when we face grave situations abroad because of the hatred that communism bears towards a system
of government based on human rights, it would be difficult to exaggerate the harm that is being done to the prestige
and influence and indeed to the safety of our nation and the world. Our enemies are gloating over this incident and
using it everywhere to misrepresent our whole nation." President Eisenhower, 1955
Not designed to actually improve the life of African Americans but instead to make the USA look better
during Cold War.
21. Changes in Federal Policy
1964 Civil Rights Act
Events at Birmingham & Washington spurred Presidents to take action.
The Act;
• Discrimination on the basis of race in any or all public places in the US was banned. This included petrol
stations, restaurants, hotels, movie theatres, airline terminals, etc..
• Equal opportunities in the work place: it was now unlawful for a business employing more than 25 people
to discriminate on the basis of ‘race, national origin, religion, or sex’.
• The Justice Department was allowed to take to court any state government that still discriminated against
black people.
A – Huge success in securing equal rights for black Americans. Particularly in the South this could
be seen as the aims of the CRM being met.
A+ - Made very little difference to blacks in the North where problems still existed. Also still did
not have equal access to voting and politics. (“The Civil Rights Act of 1964 gave Negroes some part of
their rightful dignity, but without the vote it was dignity without strength” MLK)
22. Changes in Federal Policy
1965 Voting Rights Act
• Voter obstruction still took place, the events of Selma in 1965 highlighted to the world the problems that
still remained.
• President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act and said “Every American Citizen must have the right to
vote.”
• Federal government now had the right to overturn ay decision made by states that tried to limit the voting
rights of black Americans.
A – By the end of 1965 over 250,000 new black voters were registered including 50,000 in
Alabama (the once most segregated state in the USA). This allowed blacks to have a say in
decision making and influence elections in the future to achieve further success.
A+ - Many argue that President Johnsons speech that granted Voting Rights was done out of
necessity during the War with Vietnam. USA relied on black soldiers and couldn’t afford more
refusing to fight due to a lack of voting rights.
23. Federal Policy - Evaluation
In evaluation, Changes in Federal Policy had some success and the fact that
they actively supported the Civil Rights Movement was a huge step
However it cannot be seen as meeting the needs of black Americans
because the support they gave them often was not backed up enough and
failed to tackle the real problems and challenge racism and discrimination
in society. An example of this was when JFK organised for soldiers to escort
James Meredith which allowed him to attend university in Mississippi.
Although this was a symbolic act of support he was still targeted and
abused for his skin colour and eventually during a freedom march he
organised shot and put in hospital. This showed the government wanted
to look like it was helping the Civil Right Movement but very little was
done to change the racist attitude in the South. Only then could success
for blacks be achieved.
24. Link to next paragraph
Changes in Federal Policy
Social, economic and political changes
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 resulted in big
changes in the South but were mostly irrelevant to the cities of the North
where segregation and discrimination had never been the main problems.
The Civil Rights Movement split due to disagreements regarding the
movement’s next steps. The main goals to end segregation and discrimination
in the South had been met. Some black Americans no longer supported
Martin Luther King’s methods and aims and became disillusioned by the
failure of the southern-based Civil Rights campaign to improve conditions in
the cities of the North.
25. Social, economic and political changes
(K) Northern Riots – Watts 1964 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRDvY_anJdc
Six day riots, 34 dead, 900 wounded, 4000 arrested over racial tension with police and growing discontent
with poverty levels.
(A) Highlighted that blacks in the North felt that the CRM was not meeting their needs and that the new 1964
Civil Rights Acts was again going to make no real difference to the life of poor blacks living in the ghettos.
(K) Kerner Commission 1968
In 1968, Johnson set up an investigation into the urban riots called the Kerner Commission. Its findings that
US society remained divided with one white society and one black society –one rich and one poor, shocked
people across the USA.
(A) This clearly shows that despite some successes the Civil Righst Movement can not claim to have met the
needs of black Americans, particularly in the North.
26. Evaluation
In evaluation, the social and economic changes in the 1960s proved that
the civil Rights Movement had failed to meet the needs of Black
Americans. Despite legal victories and federal support blacks were still 2nd
class citizens and struggled to gain social, economic and political equality.
Blacks turned against the Civil Rights campaigners and refused to
celebrate victories like the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Right Act
and instead turned to more radical groups. An example of this was Black
Panthers who were involved in self-help projects in the ghettos to help
black communities out of poverty. If the Civil Rights Movement had been
successful blacks would not have supported groups who were actively
involved in police shoot outs, however this was the only option for many in
the cities who felt let down by King and their own Government.
27. Link to next paragraph
Social, economic and political changes
Rise of black radical movements
In the North a new group of leaders came to the forefront of the
Civil Rights Movements that opposed Kings non-violent methods
and criticised the lack of attention he was paying poor blacks in
the North. They held much more radical segregationists aims and
attempted to meet the needs of black Americans in different
ways.
28. Rise of black radical movements
(K) Stokely Carmichael & Black Power (read p129-130)
Carmichael was a motivational, passionate speaker who went against Kings message of non-violence.
He used the phrase ‘Black Power’ which involved black Americans taking control of their political and
economic future without relying on white support to ‘give’ black Americans their civil rights.
(K) Black Panther Party (read p133-134)
Group that were prepared to use violence and regarded the police as the enemy of black Americans.
The Black Panthers were involved in self-help projects in the ghettos to help black communities
out of poverty. In 1966 they wrote a 10 point plan that highlighted how they wanted to improve the
lives of black Americans in ghettos.
(A) Both groups showed that the non-violent section of the Civil Rights Movement had not
been successful in truly meeting needs of Black Americans by 1968 and the number of
followers highlights this. There help in the community could be argued as a success but in reality
they did little to improve the position of black Americans in society with many arguing they
damaged the work of the peaceful protests and put politicians off supporting CRM (A+)
29. Intro (3)
Context. After 1945, the Civil Rights Movement was active in campaigning to improve the lives of
Black Americans and gained momentum from the continued racism and prejudice alongside new
effective black leaders and organisations. This mass movement focused on solving the problems
facing Black Americans up to 1968 by trying to end segregation and achieve equality for African
Americans socially, economically & politically.
Factors. There were many factors in this campaign such as the role of Martin Luther King,
Changes in Federal policy, social, economic and political changes and the role of groups such as
the NAACP.
Line of argument. Historians argue that the Civil Rights movement were successful to an extent
in improving some areas in the lives of black Americans, notably in the area of social civil rights in
the South, however significant barriers remained economically particularly in the northern
ghettos so it cannot be seen as meeting the needs of Black Americans by 1968.
30. Conclusion (3) Balance, Balance, Judgement
Overall, despite some successes the Civil Rights Campaign can not be seen as meeting the needs of
African Americans by 1968.
MLK & the CRO were successful at challenging Jim Crow laws and ending segregation in the South,
however……………….
Also Federal Changes such as the 1964 Civil Rights Act gave blacks legal protection from
discrimination, but again …………………
However, despite the legal victories blacks continued to face poverty, discrimination and police
brutality on which proved their needs were not fully met. The ghetto riots proved that blacks were not
happy with the leadership of MLK because his aims were not relevant to their needs so therefore his
successes in the South mad little difference to their life. Furthermore the Kerner commission………
31. Prelim;
Need to prepare 3 from each
Britain
Growth of Democracy
Democracy Assessment
Votes for Women
Liberal Motives
Liberal Assessment
Labour Assessment
USA
Attitudes against Immigration
Barriers to Civil Rights
Economic Crash
Why USA lost Vietnam
Growth of Civil Rights
Assessment of Civil Rights
Write ONE 22 mark
essay
Write ONE 22 mark
essay
Overall 44 marks
