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16.3 - Civil Rights Movements (Urban Riots, Malcolm X, Black Power, etc.)

Terms in this set (28)

The Long, Hot Summer
Nickname for a series of urban riots that took place in African American neighborhoods of major northern and western cities between 1964 and 1968. The cause of the riots was studied by the Kerner Commission.
Kerner Commission
Government commission appointed by President Johnson to study the urban riots of the late-1960. They found racism, lack of job opportunities, and poor education and social services as the root cause, but little was done to resolve the issues.
Malcolm X
Civil rights leader and spokesman for the Nation of Islam. He advocated African American self-reliance and was assassinated in 1965.
Nation of Islam
Organization of African American Muslims in the United States. It was led by Elijah Muhammad.
Black Muslims
Members of the Nation of Islam.
Elijah Muhammad
Leader of the Nation of Islam from 1934-1975. He and Malcolm X disagreed openly, leading to Malcolm X leaving the Nation of Islam.
Stokely Carmichael
Leader of SNCC who advocated for Black Power.
James Brown
African American soul singer and founder of funk music. His famous song "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud" was a hit during the Black Power era.
Black is Beautiful
Phrase that captured the self-pride element of the Black Power movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Black Power
Movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s which emphasized African American self-reliance. It deemphasized the nonviolent protests led by Martin Luther King, Jr. and was embraced by more militant, younger activists such as members of the Black Panther Party.
Huey Newton
Along with Bobby Seale, co-founder of the Black Panther Party.
Bobby Seale
Along with Huey Newton, co-founder of the Black Panther Party.
Black Panther Party
African American political organization founded by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in the late 1960s. They carried guns in an effort to protect African Americans from police and government violence.
Black Power Salute at the 1968 Olympics
Famous political statement made by Tommie Smith and John Carlos, two African American runners, who raised closed fists during the National Anthem after winning medals the 1968 Olympics.
Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Killing of Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. His death was followed by rioting in most major cities.
I've Been to the Mountaintop
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s last speech on April 3, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. In it he seemed to predict his own death.
Richard Nixon
Republican president elected in 1968. He gained the support of White Southerners by promising to reduce the involvement of the federal government in implementing civil rights laws in the South.
Southern Strategy
President Nixon's strategy to gain the support of White southern voters by promising to limit the use of federal power to implement civil rights changes. Because of this, White Southerners have mostly supported Republicans, while African Americans have mostly supported Democrats.
1968 Presidential Election
Watershed election in American history in which the coalitions that supported each party shifted. Due to Nixon's Southern Strategy, White Southerners switched to the Republican Party and African Americans switched to the Democratic Party.
Bussing
Government policy of transporting students from one area of a town to another to attend school in order to create integrated school populations when neighborhoods were mostly segregated.
Affirmative Action
Government program in which certain numbers of minorities are hired in order to match the racial makeup of the surrounding population.
War on Drugs
Nickname for a collection of programs and laws passed in the 1980s to fight the spread of crime related to the use and sale of drugs. It especially was known for the passage of strict sentencing laws that resulted in overcrowding of jails.
Three Strikes Laws
Nickname for state laws passed during the 1980s and 1990s that called for lifetime sentences for drug offenders convicted for their third time. It resulted in jails filling up with non-violent criminals and the social destruction of some neighborhoods.
Rodney King
African American man beaten by Los Angeles police officers during an arrest in 1991. The beating was filmed and when the officers were found not guilty, the LA Riots ensued. He is famous for saying, "Can we all just get along?"
1992 Los Angeles Riots
Urban riots that followed the not guilty verdict in the beating of Rodney King by officers of the LAPD.
Can we all just get along?
Famous question posed by Rodney King during the 1992 Los Angeles Riots.
OJ Simpson
Heisman Trophy winning running back who was accused and found not guilty of murdering his ex-wife and her boyfriend in 1995. His trial showed how racially divided the nation remained after the Civil Rights Movement.
Trial of the Century
The highly publicized trial of OJ Simpson in 1995 for the murder of his ex-wife and her boyfriend. He was found not guilty. The trial revealed how racially divided the nation remained.
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