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Southern trees bear strange fruit Southern trees bear strange fruit Blood on the leaves Blood on the leaves Blood at the root Blood at the root Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze Strange fruit hanging from the poplar treesStrange fruit hanging from the poplar trees Pastoral scene of the gallant south Pastoral scene of the gallant south The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth The scent of magnolia sweet and fresh The scent of magnolia sweet and fresh Then the sudden smell of burning flesh! Then the sudden smell of burning flesh! Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop Here is a strange and bitter crop. Here is a strange and bitter crop.

“Strange Fruit” (1940) written by Lewis Allen

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The Civil Rights The Civil Rights MovementMovement

Six Phases 1900-Present

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Civil Rights OutlineCivil Rights Outline

Key periods (Dates approximate and overlapping) Post reconstruction self segregation 1877-19201. Self-segregation no longer an option 1900-19202. Organization of pro-rights (and anti-rights)

groups and attempts at reform through lobbying and lawsuits 1908-1950

3. Expansion of some rights to African-Americans by a tiny few white leaders 1930-1960

4. Black individuals and organizations force confrontation over rights 1955-1970

5. Clear progress toward rights but frustration with the speed resulting in militancy and violence 1964 - 1975

6. Steady progress toward rights with retrenchment of society interest in the issue 1980 - Present

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1877-19001877-1900Post Reconstruction Self-SegregationPost Reconstruction Self-Segregation

Black Codes during Reconstruction

Jim Crow Laws after Reconstruction

In rural deep south –All black communities in some locales

In towns, “the other side of the tracks.”

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1. Development of Modern Black - White Conflict1. Development of Modern Black - White Conflict

Problem Identification :

Self-segregation no longer an option

Washington (traditionalists) vs.

Dubois (Niagara Movement) 1900-1920

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2. Organization of Activists2. Organization of Activists – African – African AmericansAmericans

Organization of individuals to address the problems of race

1. NAACP 1909

2. Universal Negro Improvement Association Marcus Garvey 1929

“Black is Beautiful”

3. Nation of Islam 1930

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2. Organization of Activists - 2. Organization of Activists - WhitesWhitesJoseph Simmons

“Birth of a Nation” – DW Griffith

Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank The 2nd KKK 1915

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3. White Power Structure Grants 3. White Power Structure Grants RightsRights

Powerful people support black Civil Rights for reasons of moral compulsion often at great risk, sometimes for personal advantage

FDRHarry Truman 1948Branch Rickey 1947

Jackie RobinsonThe Supreme Court

Sweatt v. Painter (1950)McLaurin v. Oklahoma (1950)Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

School Board Little Rock, Arkansas

Governor of Arkansas - Orval Faubus

Governor of Mississippi- Ross Barnett

Governors of Alabama- John Patterson- George Wallace

From Kentucky (1798) and Virginia (1799) Resolutions- Nullification- Interposition

Powerful people must then actively oppose black Civil Rights for reasons of moral compulsion or for personal advantage

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4. Direct Action - 4. Direct Action - ConfrontationConfrontation

African-Americans discover a set of tools to force the power structure of the nation to:a) confront their own racism and make a conscious decision to accept or reject that racismb) reject racism for their own economic self-interests

Rules about segregation of busses – Montgomery 1955

Rosa Parks

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4. Direct Action - 4. Direct Action - ConfrontationConfrontation

Local Church Leaders reluctant to respond:• Martin Luther King - Ralph David Abernathy

“Powder Keg” Crisis required a response• Organized and peaceful vs. spontaneous and

violentBoycott – 2/3 of Montgomery Busline

RidershipNewly discovered power in the “powerless”Demands

1. Integration of busses2. Hire black drivers3. White drivers courteous to black riders

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4. Direct Action - 4. Direct Action - ConfrontationConfrontation

Effects of Montgomery Bus boycott1. New Leadership2. New Organization – SCLC3. New emphasis in tactics and

philosophy:1. Non-violence2. Civil Disobedience3. Passive-resistance4. Direct ActionSummarized by King in the phrase:

“Let no man bring you so low as to hate him…. We must confront physical force with a new force, ‘Soul Force.’ “

Jesus ChristHenry David ThoreauMohndas K. GhandiJim Lawson

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4. Direct Action - 4. Direct Action - ConfrontationConfrontation

1955 – Murder of Emmett Till (14) – His mother’s defiance:

The “first great media event” of the Civil Rights Movement (David Halberstam)

Photos of the Chicago Funeral in national magazines

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4. Direct Action - 4. Direct Action - ConfrontationConfrontation

Lunch Counter “Sit-ins” Downtown department stores

• Greensboro• Nashville• Atlanta, etc.

First Direct Action demonstrations SNCC National boycott of chain stores

“Freedom Rides” Interstate Bus service CORE Not actually “Civil Disobedience”

because …?

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4. Direct Action - 4. Direct Action - ConfrontationConfrontation

Death of Medgar Evers Protest Marches in Birmingham Bull Connor

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4. Direct Action - 4. Direct Action - ConfrontationConfrontation

The March on Washington Aug 1963 – the famous “I Have a Dream” speech

Civil Rights Act of 1964

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4. Direct Action - 4. Direct Action - ConfrontationConfrontation

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Selma, Alabama – Voting Rights March Edmund Pettus Bridge

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5. The Violence of Frustration5. The Violence of Frustration

Clear progress toward rights

But frustration with the pace of change

Result – Militancy and violence 1964 - 1975

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5. The Violence of 5. The Violence of FrustrationFrustration

The Good Voting Rights exercised Martin Luther King – Nobel Peace

Prize LBJ appoints:

1. Robert Weaver –1st Cabinet member (HUD)2. Thurgood Marshall – 1st Justice SC

For the first time, African-Americans in the Public Arts in ways

1. Visible2. Powerful

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Oscar Best Actor

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5. The Violence of 5. The Violence of FrustrationFrustration

The BadRaised Hopes and ExpectationsBut economic equality is decades away

Spontaneous riots in non-southern cities Example - Watts Riots (LA)1965A move in Calif. to block the fair housing

provision of the Civil Rights Act built tensionsExploded after a routine traffic stop escalated6 days, hundreds of buildings, 4000 arrests, 34 dead

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5. The Violence of 5. The Violence of FrustrationFrustration

The Bad – Continued Organizations

The Nation of Islam (The “Black Muslims”)•Elijah Mohamed•Cassius Clay (Muhamed Ali)•Malcolm “X ”

–Freedom “By any means necessary”•Louis Farakhan

The Black Panthers•H. “Rap” Brown (Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin)

– Re: Cambridge, MA - “Burn this town down” •Huey Newton

– “Political power comes from the barrel of a gun”

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5. The Violence of 5. The Violence of FrustrationFrustration

The Bad – Continued again The Assassination of Martin

Luther KingCross reference with 1968 from next presentation

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6. Progress and Retrenchment6. Progress and Retrenchment

The natural historic “rhythm” Change followed by reactionism

• A period of social reform followed by• A period of materialism followed by • A period of spiritual awakening (and so

on)

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6. Progress and Retrenchment6. Progress and Retrenchment

Affirmative Action Consideration of race, ethnicity, or sex in

the acceptance of qualified applicants First in policy by Nixon Administration Publicly popular in 1970’s Declared constitutional by Regents of

University California v. Bakke (1978) Opposition builds in 1980’s – 00’s

California ends Affirmative Action in all state programs

Bush 43 administration supporting private lawsuit to overturn affirm. action at Univ. of Michigan

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6. Progress and Retrenchment - 6. Progress and Retrenchment - ContinuedContinued

Poverty Rates Post WWII national average approx.

12% For Afr. Americans

•1998 – 1st year below 30%•2000 – 22%, a record low

– Also 2002 – 7.5% for Whites Incarceration Rates

Chance of a black male spending some time in jail in his lifetime • 28.5%

Chance of a white male• 2.5%

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Legacies of the Legacies of the Civil Rights Civil Rights MovementMovement

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Legacies of the Civil Rights Legacies of the Civil Rights MovementMovement

1. Inspiration for other movements

a. Hispanics, Latinos, Mexican Americans Caesar Chavez

b. Native Americans AIM

c. Women NOW ERA

d. Gays and Lesbians Stonewall Riot

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Legacies of the Civil Rights Legacies of the Civil Rights MovementMovement

2. Economic growth More complete use of ALL our

resources Especially in South

3. Object lesson for other forms of prejudice

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SourcesSources

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