The Fight for Civil Rights
The 1960s marked the start of an era of social change. Many different groups of people began protesting for more rights and freedoms. These groups included minorities, women, and people with disabilities. These groups fought for civil rights. Civil rights is defined as the freedoms and rights that a person may have as a member of a community, state, or nation (worldbookonline.com).
The 1950s had been a time of social conformity. Women were expected to be submissive wives whose purpose was to bear and raise children. Many grew discontent staying at home and being treated as inferior to their husbands. The 1960s feminist movement aimed to achieve equality between men and women. Despite the victory of women's suffrage in the 1920s, women still faced discrimination. In the work force they were paid less than men, even if preforming the same task, and rarely received promotions even if they had the qualifications. The 1960s brought the birth of the National Organization for Women (NOW) founded by Betty Friedan. They fought for more child care facilities, improved education opportunities, and a ban on gender discrimination in the work force. In 1972 Congress passed the Higher Education Act which banned gender discrimination in education. In 1973 the Supreme Court Case Roe v. Wade made it legal for women to get abortions.
Two minority groups Latinos and Native Americans began to protest for more right during the 1960s. The Latino movement was led mainly by Cesar Chavez. He fought for equal opportunities for Latinos as well as a respect for their culture and heritage. Chavez believed in nonviolent methods of protest. He first worked to organize the Latino farm workers into unions. The United Farm Workers Organizing Committee was created, however the large fruit and vegetable companies of California refused to recognize them as a union. The UFWOC responded by boycotting the grape companies. In addtion, Chavez fasted fasted 3 weeks to protest the unfairness. In 1970 the UFWOC was finally recognized as a union. The workers began receiving higher wages and other benefits. Latinos also fought for better education for their children. Congress responded by passing the Bilingual Education Act which provided the means for schools to offer bilingual programs for non-English speaking students. The 1960s also brought the creation of the Mexican American Political Association which supported and sponsored Latino candidates for office.
The American Indian Movement was founded in 1968 to spread awareness of the unequal treatment of Native Americans. They wanted reforms that would restore their native lands to them and allow them to control and govern their lives. Congress eventually passed the Indian Education Act and the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. In addition, many groups went to court to battle for the their native lands that had been taken from them. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act would restore over 40 million acres of land to Native Americans.
The 1950s had been a time of social conformity. Women were expected to be submissive wives whose purpose was to bear and raise children. Many grew discontent staying at home and being treated as inferior to their husbands. The 1960s feminist movement aimed to achieve equality between men and women. Despite the victory of women's suffrage in the 1920s, women still faced discrimination. In the work force they were paid less than men, even if preforming the same task, and rarely received promotions even if they had the qualifications. The 1960s brought the birth of the National Organization for Women (NOW) founded by Betty Friedan. They fought for more child care facilities, improved education opportunities, and a ban on gender discrimination in the work force. In 1972 Congress passed the Higher Education Act which banned gender discrimination in education. In 1973 the Supreme Court Case Roe v. Wade made it legal for women to get abortions.
Two minority groups Latinos and Native Americans began to protest for more right during the 1960s. The Latino movement was led mainly by Cesar Chavez. He fought for equal opportunities for Latinos as well as a respect for their culture and heritage. Chavez believed in nonviolent methods of protest. He first worked to organize the Latino farm workers into unions. The United Farm Workers Organizing Committee was created, however the large fruit and vegetable companies of California refused to recognize them as a union. The UFWOC responded by boycotting the grape companies. In addtion, Chavez fasted fasted 3 weeks to protest the unfairness. In 1970 the UFWOC was finally recognized as a union. The workers began receiving higher wages and other benefits. Latinos also fought for better education for their children. Congress responded by passing the Bilingual Education Act which provided the means for schools to offer bilingual programs for non-English speaking students. The 1960s also brought the creation of the Mexican American Political Association which supported and sponsored Latino candidates for office.
The American Indian Movement was founded in 1968 to spread awareness of the unequal treatment of Native Americans. They wanted reforms that would restore their native lands to them and allow them to control and govern their lives. Congress eventually passed the Indian Education Act and the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. In addition, many groups went to court to battle for the their native lands that had been taken from them. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act would restore over 40 million acres of land to Native Americans.
Blacks and the Fight for Civil Rights
During the 1950s and 1960s African Americans fought hard for civil rights. They made progress when in 1954 the Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education ruled segregation in education as unconstitutional. The central leader of the movement was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In 1955 African Americans in Montgomery boycotted the city bus for 381 days to protest the arrest of Rosa Parks who had refused to give her seat up to a white man. In Chicago protesters took part in sit-ins in which they sat at segregated lunch counters until they were served. The freedom riders rode buses from the north to the south to challenge segregation. All protest efforts brought violent opposition. Many African Americans were arrested for their efforts. Others were severely injured and some were killed. On August 28, 1963 supporters of civil rights gathered to march to the Washington Monument. It was there that Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous I Have a Dream speech. In 1964 the Civil Rights Act was signed which banned discrimination of race, religion, national origin, and gender. In 1965 the Voting Rights Act was passed which eliminated literacy test for voters. Despite the progress the civil rights movement made, prejudice still existed. Frustrated, some African Americans turned to more violent methods of protest. Black Power became a slogan to represent black pride. Leaders of Black Power such as Stokely Carmichael and Malcolm X encouraged separatism and self-defense. On the west coast the Black Panthers emerged. They fought police brutality in the ghettos and promoted the communist teachings of Mao Zedong.
Watts Riot
The Watts Riot was the worst urban riot in 20 years and resulted in 34 dead, 1,032 injured, 4,000 arrested, and $40 million worth of property destroyed. The riot began on August 11, 1965 and lasted 5 days. The Watts neighborhood was a predominantly black neighborhood in Los Angeles. The riot started when 21-year old Marquette Frye, a black man, was driving with his brother while intoxicated. Marquette was pulled over by police. While Marquette was being arrested, his brother ran to get their mother. When the mother arrived she angrily lashed out at the officers, ripping one's shirt. The officers responded by beating Marquette and arresting all three of the Frye family. While this took place a crowd had gathered. As the situation intensified the crowd grew and rumors began to spread. They attacked police officers that tried to break up the crowd and began stoning cars, attacking white people, and destroying and looting stores. When the incident was finally over, investigators were sent to determine the cause of the riot. They concluded that the tension had built up over poor social conditions. The African Americans of the Watts neighborhood had been facing exclusion from high-paying jobs, affordable housing, and politics along with high unemployment. In essence, though they were not segregated by law they were segregated by every other way. The Watts Riot was a cry for economic equality for African Americans.
Meet Karen Chase Akagi
Karen Chase Akagi was born October 23, 1962 to John and Millie Chase in Inglewood, California. John and Millie Chase met and married in Los Angeles. Karen and her twin brother were the youngest of their family. Karen was only 3 when the Watts Riot broke out. The riots were about 10 miles from where their family was living. The riots made their family feel very unsafe, so in 1966 the family moved to the suburb of Palos Verdes, which was in the south bay. Karen's mother, Millie, recalls that is was a very scary time.
In the map above the red marker is where the Chase family was living. You can see how close it is to Watts.