The Struggle for Black Civil Rights: 2 Trivia Quiz | History

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1. Seen to be tackling the issues of both economic and social equality, schools were often targeted as places of demonstrations. Which city in Arkansas saw 9 Black families enroll their children in an "all-White" school in 1957?

Answer: Little Rock

This action was suggested to the families by the NAACP, who were frustrated by the lack of enforcement of desegregation following the Brown ruling of 1954.
White hostility stemmed from the Governor of Arkansas, Orville Faubus. He used the National Guard to physically prevent the Black children's entry to the school. Ten days later, President Eisenhower took action, demanding Faubus remove the guard. This was of course done. However, the Black students were now exposed to the hostile white students. With mobs described as "uncontrollable", Eisenhower was once again forced to take action, dispatching 1000 paratroopers who were to guard what became known in the US media as the "Little Rock Nine".
The significance of this demonstration was exactly that - media coverage. This allowed sympathisers in the North to see how Blacks were treated in the South.

2. Although Eisenhower took positive action (in the sense of furthering the Black cause), his civil rights acts of 1957 and 1960 were delivered half-heartedly and were not particularly effective. The result of this was demonstrations such as the sit-ins staged by a group of students in February 1960. The positive outcomes of this demonstration were that White attention was yet again drawn to the inequality in America as well as the setting up of the SNCC. In which shop in North Carolina did this sit-in take place? This resulted in the desegregation of all of its eating counters by 1961.

Answer: Woolworth's

The idea of sit-ins began in the 1940s as carried out by the civil rights group CORE. However, those staged in the 1960s were far more effective in attracting attention. They triggered White violence, and with it, to extensive media coverage. With the inhumane treatment of Blacks continuously broadcast to Whites in the North it became clearer now than ever before that something had to be done.

3. In May 1961, a campaign started by CORE challenged desegregation in public transport in the South and how effectively it was being carried out. Once again, the violence that it triggered meant that federal action was taken by Bobby Kennedy who publicly declared the Supreme Court ruling of desegregation should be upheld. What were these demonstrations known as?

Answer: Freedom Rides

Although segregation remained in the Deep South, the attention from the North and, most importantly, from the government meant the Black voice was now being heard. This demonstration was significant as large organisations such as CORE, the SNCC and the SCLC (founded by Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1957) worked together.

However, there were tensions present as many of the leaders in CORE believed King had received too much publicity and too much credit for an idea that was originally theirs.

4. As the campaign to target public transport continued the next target was the bus station in Albany, Georgia, in 1961. This was chosen by the SNCC as Albany did not comply with the ruling concerning desegregation in Browder vs Gayle in 1956 and Boynton vs Virginia in 1960. Was this campaign in Albany a success?

Answer: No

Tensions once again arose as the SNCC disliked the involvement of King and the SCLC in their campaign.
Despite a promising march at the beginning support petered out as police chief Pritchett avoided much media coverage by preventing a violent white backlash.
Albany therefore failed to gain the attentions of the Kennedy administration.
Furthermore, the situation for Blacks could be seen as worsened by this campaign as many public places were closed as a result.

5. The next demonstration concerned the issue of segregation in schools. However, this time it was not started by a major civil rights group, but rather an individual. Which man refused to be chased out of Mississippi University by angry White mobs in 1962?

Answer: James Meredith

The stand Meredith made was an inspiration to many. The fact that he had previously served in the US Air Force stood him in good stead in the face of vicious discrimination and set a precedent for all Black students.
One of the major reasons for the "angry mobs" Meredith faced was the failure of Governor Barnett to provide protection for him as previously instructed.

6. Knowing that bringing about a violent White reaction to their demonstrations seemed the most effective way of furthering their cause, King and the SCLC who previously followed others in campaigns now began their own campaign in Birmingham, Alabama. Birmingham was a wise choice as the largely racist population of the time along with a notoriously "hot-headed" police chief promised to provide the media attention the civil rights campaign needed. Who was the police chief in question?

Answer: Eugene "Bull" Connor

King's campaign in Birmingham initially failed to attract the desired attention, even after his famous "letter from a Birmingham jail".
It is a sad and shocking fact that the media coverage required to make this a successful campaign was only brought about after Connor's use of fire hoses and dogs on a children's march.
However, once again the government was forced to act, demanding all department stores in Birmingham be desegregates within 90 days. Also, the pressure generated helped to push the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
King therefore showed he could lead a campaign successfully as well as applying his great oratory skills.

7. The next demonstration was to be on a scale never before seen in the Black civil rights movement. Organised by A. Phillip Randolph this campaign in 1963 is best known for the "I have a dream" speech delivered by King. In which city did this demonstration take place?

Answer: Washington D.C

Intended to achieve a meaningful civil rights act, 250,000 supporters (both Black and White) turned out at the Lincoln memorial to listen to King's speech.
This, along with the Birmingham campaign was the key factor in the passing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. This act prohibited discrimination in all public places and set up an equal opportunities commission to combat discrimination in hiring.
This was extremely promising to those who had fought for equality, however a bomb planted in Birmingham later that year by people opposed to Black civil rights killed four girls and reminded many of the barriers still to be overcome.

8. In 1964, CORE, the NAACP and SNCC collectively organised what became known as a freedom summer. Intended to stop the political disenfranchisement of Black Americans, this campaign succeeded in doing much to further education, as thirty "freedom schools" were established. These schools taught Black history and the philosophy of civil rights. In what southern state did this freedom summer predominantly take place in?

Answer: Mississippi

The success in Black education as well as the raising of public awareness on the issue of Black voting is to the testament of the demonstrators.
However, there were little in the way of immediate benefits for Black voters. Due to President Johnson's hesitation to take action over the issue, only 6% of Black-Americans in Mississippi could vote by the end of 1964.

9. With the issue of voting now at the forefront of most of the civil rights campaigners, the demonstration in Selma, Alabama was concerned with exactly that. Just as Birmingham had a hot-headed racist police chief, the sheriff in Selma was just as racist. The campaign mainly led by King and the SNCC eventually made enough of an impact to bring about a voting rights act in 1965. However, why had King lost credibility with many Black Americans by the end of this campaign?

Answer: He abandoned a march under pressure from Johnson

The 1965 Voting Rights Act was extremely significant as it abolished poll taxes and literacy tests which had been put in place to discriminate against Black voters. This meant that by 1968 even Mississippi had 59% of eligible Blacks voting.

10. The minor tensions between different groups began to show more clearly now. Although achieving improved social equality as well as giving many Blacks the vote, there had been little improvement in terms of Black economic problems. Despite Selma, King remained the key figure in the Black civil rights movement and many looked to him to tackle the economic problems many Black Americans faced. Many disliked King's gradual methods to bring about change and so groups such as CORE and the SNCC began to radicalise. Which young man became the leader of this newly radical SNCC?

Answer: Stokely Carmichael

Carmichael (a.k.a. Kwame Toure) also later became the "Honorary Prime Minister" of the Black Panthers. He was young and dynamic and so could relate to the new generation of civil rights campaigners more easily.

By this point Black organisations such as CORE, NAACP and SNCC as well as individuals such as James Meredith, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King had successfully used campaigns for Black civil rights to bring about legislation such as the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Byy 1965 Black Americans had significantly more power than their ancestors following the American Civil War.

Source: Author doublemm

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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The Struggle for Black Civil Rights: 2 Quiz

These quizzes look at the events and leaders of the Civil Rights Movement in Black America.

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