CIVIL RIGHTS:

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CIVIL RIGHTS
A few last notes
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WATTS RIOTS OF 1965
AUGUST 11-16
MORE THAN 35 WERE KILLED, SEVERAL HUNDRED INJURED
IN 6 DAY RIOTS IN LOS ANGELES NEIGHBORHOOD.
ENTIRE BLOCKS WERE BURNED, AREA STORES LOOTED
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1966 MILITANT BLACK PANTHERS FORMED BY NEWTON AND
SEALETHEY HAD THEIR OWN NEWSPAPER AND CLAIMED
THE RIGHT TO CARRY WEAPONS. THEY ALSO RAN A FREE
BREAKFAST PROGRAM FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHLDREN.
THE DEMANDED GREATER OPPORTUNITIES AND BENEFITS
INCLUDING FULL-EMPLOYMENT, DECENT HOUSING AND
EDUCATION.
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JUNE 12, 1967 LOVING V. VIRGINIA PROHIBITING
INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE IS JUDGED UNCONSTITUTIONAL
BY THE SUPREME COURT
In 1958, two residents of Virginia, Mildred
Jeter, a black woman, and Richard Loving, a white
man, were married in the District of Columbia.
The Lovings then returned to Virginia and was
charged with violating state law., They were
found guilty and sentenced to a year in jail (the
trial judge agreed to suspend the sentence if the
Lovings would leave Virginia and not return for
25 years).
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RACE RIOTS OCCURRED IN WASHINGTON D.C. AND OTHER
CITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AFTER KINGS DEATH
IN D.C. RIOTING AND LOOTING OCCURRED. 6 WERE
KILLED AND 350 INJURED DURING 2 DAYS OF DISORDER.
RACIAL VIOLENCE OCCURRED IN 125 CITIES. BETWEEN
45 AND 50 PEOPLE DIED AND MORE THAN 2,600 WERE
INJURED AND DAMAGE EXCEEDED 65,000,000.
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SWANN V. CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG BOARD OF EDUCATION
(1971)
The Supreme Court upholds busing as a legitimate
means for achieving integration of public schools
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1992AFTER COPS SEEN ON VIDEOTAPE ARE FOUND NOT
GUILTY OF BEATING RODNEY KING, RIOTS ERUPT IN LOS
ANGELES
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SOME ACCOMPLISHMENTS AFTER 1965
1967 THURGOOD MARSHALL IS FIRST TO BE APPOINTED
TO SUPREME COURT
1989 COLLIN POWELL APPOINTED FIRST BLACK
JOINT-CHIEF-OF-STAFF FOR THE ARMED SERVICES/ IN
2001 NAMED FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN SECRETARY OF
STATE
1989 FIRST ELECTED STATE GOVERNOR (VA) DOUGLAS
WILDER
2005 CONDOLEEZA RICE IS FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN
FEMALE SECRETARY OF STATE
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IN 2008, BARACK OBAMA WAS THE FIRST
AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAN TO BE ELECTED PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES.
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IN 1983 THE FEDERAL HOLIDAY MARTIN LUTHER KING,
JR. DAY WAS ESTABLISHED
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AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRMAS INCREASED MINORITY
REPRESENTATION IN COLLEGES, PROFESSIONS, AND
BUSINESSES. THIS ACT, HOWEVER, HAD SOME
UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. SOME SAW THIS AS
REVERSE DISCRIMNINATION. IN 1978s UNIVERSITY
REGENTS V. BAKKE CASE, THE SUPREME COURT UPHELD
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, BUT NOT THE USE OF RACIAL
QUOTAS.
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LIKE AFRICAN AMERICANS, MEXICAN AMERICANS ALSO
FACED DISCRIMINATION IN THE 1960s, A CHICANO
MOVEMENT EMERGED WITH ITS FOCUS ON ISSUES LIKE
FARM WORKERS VOTING AND POLITICAL RIGHTS.
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LEADERS OF THE MOVEMENT FOR HISPANIC CIVIL RIGHTS
INCLUDED
HECTOR PEREZ GARCIASURGEON, WW2 VET. HE
NOTICED MEXICANS IN HIS TEXAS COMMUNITY
RESTRICTED FROM POOLS, HOSPITALS AND
RESTAURANTS, AS WELL AS LIMITED VOTING AND
EMPLOYMENT. WHEN A SOLDIER KILLED IN WWII
WAS REFUSED BURIAL BY A TEXAS FUNERAL HOME, HE
ARRANGED FOR BURIAL AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL
CEMETARY. HE WAS THE FIRST MEXICAN AMERICAN
TO SERVE ON THE U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL
RIGHTS.
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CESAR CHAVEZAN ORGANIZER OF FARM WORKERS IN
CALIFORNIA. MIGRANT WORKERS USUALLY PERFORM
SEASONAL FARM WORK AND TRAVEL FROM FARM TO
FARM AS WORK APPEARS. CHAVEZ STARTED A GROUP
TO SUPPORT FARM WORKERS RIGHTS AND DEMANDED
INCREASED WAGES AND BETTER CONDITIONS. HE
EMPHASIZED RELIANCE ON NONVIOLENT MEANS
(STRIKES, FASTSTO ACHIEVE GOALS.) HE
ORGANIZED NATION-WIDE CONSUMER BOYCOTTS
(EXAMPLE GRAPES).
DELORES HUERTAWORKED CLOSELY WITH CHAVEZ. SHE
HELPED FORM THE NATIONAL FARM WORKERS
ASSOCIATION (UNITED FARM WORKERS) SHE SPEND
HER LIFE USING STRIKES, MARCHES, BOYCOTTS AND
HUNGER STRIKES TO CAMPAIGN FOR LEGISLATION TO
EXTEND AID TO FARM WORKERS. IN THE 1980s SHE
EXPANDED HER EFFORTS TO INCLUDE WOMENS
RIGHTS, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND IMMIGRATION
POLICY. SHE WAS AWARDED THE MEDAL OF FREEDOM
BY PRESIDENT OBAMA IN 2012.
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MEXICAN AMERICANS ALSO EXPRESSED THEMSELES
THROUGH A GREAT APPRECIATION OF THEIR CULTURE.
COPYING GREAT MEXICAN MURALISTS OF THE 1930s LIKE
DIEGO RIVERA, MEXICAN-AMERICAN ARTISTS BEGAN
PAINTING MURALS IN BARRIOS (ETHNIC NEIGHBORHOODS)
THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHWEST IN THE 1960s. MURALS
BECAME AN IMPORTANT ARTISTIC MEDIUM TO SUPPORT
IDENTITY AND JUSTICE. IN EL PASO ALONE, MORE
THAN 100 WALL MURALS WERE COMPLETED.
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AMERICAN INDIANS ALSO PUSHED FOR CIVIL RIGHTS IN
THE 1960S... IN 1963, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
REVERSED A POLICY FROM 1953 THAT MADE
RESERVATIONS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF STATE
GOVENRMENTS. THEY BEGAN ENCOURAGING TRIBAL LIFE
ON RESERVATIONS. THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964
PROHIBITED DISCRIMINATION AGAINST NATIVE
AMERICANS. IN 1970, NIXON ANNOUCNCED THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT WOULD HONOR ITS TREATY OBLIGATIONS.
HOWEVER, AMERICAN INDIANS STILL FELT MISTREATED.
UNDER THE SLOGAN RED POWER, THEY FORMED THE
AMERICAN INDIAN MOVEMENT. THEY SOUGHT GREATER
RESPECT FROM THEIR HERITAGE. THEY PUSHED FOR
USAGE OF THE TERM NATIVE AMERICAN AND FOUGHT
BIASED PORTRAYALS IN TEXTBOOKS, TELEVISION AND
MOVIES. THEY GAINED ATTENTION BY OCCUPYING
GOVERNMENT MONUMENTS ON ALCATRAZ ISLAND AND
WOUNDED KNEE, SOUTH DAKOTA.
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IMPORTANT COURT CASES EXTENDING CIVIL RIGHTS
INCLUDED
MENDEZ V. WESTMINSTER SCHOOL DISTRICT (1947) In
some California schools, Mexican-American
children were segregated. It was ruled in this
case that separation within a race was not
permitted if not required by a specific state law
and avoided the issue of the Fourteenth
Amendment. (Later that year California repealed
its school segregations laws which applied to
Japanese and Chinese children)
DELGADO V. BASTROP ISD (1948)Based on the
previous case, the Texas Attorney General
decided that segregation of Mexican-American
children was illegal. Delgado sued Bastrop ISD,
claiming that separation of Mexican-American
children without a specific state law was a
violation and the U.S. District Court agreed.
Segregation of Mexican-American children was
ordered to stop in Texas.
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HERNANDEZ V. TEXAS (1954)After a conviction for
murder Hernandez appealed to the Supreme Court
because no Mexican-American jurors had served in
his county for more than 25 years. The court
ruled that Mexican Americans were entitled as a
class to protection under the 14th Amendment (he
had the right to be tried by a jury from which
his class was not excluded)
WHITE V. REGESTER (1973)Required single-member
districts in Dallas and Bexar counties, so local
groups could elect their own representatives.
(Texas did not have the right to discriminate by
setting up multi- member districts)
EDGEWOOD ISD V. KIRBY (1984)Required school
finance to increase funding for students in
poorer districts. (Kirby was the Texas Education
Commissioner)