Civil Rights movement and Vietnam

a) On February 1st 1960, 4 African American students were sitting on a whites-only lunch
counter and werent served by anyone, which sparks off Lunch Counter Sit-Ins protests
over the nation. 52 protestors including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were arrested for their
actions. On May 14th 1961, the Freedom Riders which included 7 African American and 6
white activists were stopped and attacked on their bus trip from Mississippi and Alabama;
President Robert Kennedy stepped in to solve the problem and show support to the
Freedom Riders by ordering the Interstate Commerce Commission to charge fines for
destroying buses and facilities. On October 1st 1962, James Meredith became the first
African American student in University Of Mississippi with the help of the Supreme
Court and President Kennedy sending US Marshals over to ensure his safety. Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. was arrested and put in solitary confinement on April 12th 1963 when he
was demonstrating and protesting segregation in Birmingham; this is where he wrote the
"Letter from a Birmingham Jail". President Kennedy at the same year in June 11th
released Speech on Civil Rights from the Oval Office, he would be assassinated later on
November 22nd and Lyndon B. Johnson continued pushing civil rights legislation for him
using the nations anger. 250,000 people marched in Washington to support the Civil
Rights Bill on April 28th 1963. The Civil Rights Act was passed on July 2nd 1964 which
forbidden discrimination of African Americans in public areas and work places. King was
awarded the Noble Peace Prize on December 10th 1964 and was assassinated on April 4th,
1968.
b) Most Civil Right Leaders opposed the war because they promoted peace. The losses and
death that US suffered was also not worth it, especially after Tet Offensive where
Americans found out the media wasnt being honest on the war being almost over but
was getting worst. The idea of a war against communism turning into a civil war in
Vietnam also upsets people.

1964 Civil Rights Act

a) Howard W. Smith opposed the Civil Rights Act since he pushed discrimination in work
place on sex more than race and would use this to constantly go against the Civil Rights
Bill. Richard Russell and James Eastland also opposed the Civil Rights Act. Some
business also worried that the bill would affect their business because customers wouldnt
like that.
b) First major conflict before the Civil Right Movement took place on December 1st 1955,
when Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat for a white man in the
colored section on the bus. This leads to the Montgomery Bus Boycott where The
Montgomery Black Community lead by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would boycott bus
services for a year until the bus desegregated on Dec. 21, 1956. The Lunch Counter Sit
Ins took place later in February 1st 1960 where protestors, mostly students, sit in lunch
counters as protest for 4 African students didnt get service in lunch time on a white-only
lunch counter; 52 protestors including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were arrested for their
actions. The 4 students were served six months later in the same lunch counter. On May
14th 1961, the Freedom Riders which included 7 African American and 6 white activists
were stopped and attacked on their bus trip from Mississippi and Alabama; President
Robert Kennedy stepped in to solve the problem and show support to the Freedom Riders
by ordering the Interstate Commerce Commission to charge fines for destroying buses
and facilities. On October 1st 1962, James Meredith became the first African American
student in University Of Mississippi with the help of the Supreme Court and President
Kennedy sending US Marshals over to ensure his safety. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was
arrested and put in solitary confinement on April 12th 1963 when he was demonstrating
and protesting segregation in Birmingham; this is where he wrote the "Letter from a
Birmingham Jail". President Kennedy at the same year in June 11th released Speech on
Civil Rights from the Oval Office, he would be assassinated later on November 22nd and
Lyndon B. Johnson continued pushing civil rights legislation for him using the nations
anger. 250,000 people marched in Washington to support the Civil Rights Bill on April
28th 1963. The Civil Rights Act was passed on July 2nd 1964 which forbidden
discrimination of African Americans in public areas and work places.