USHS_LM_46.qxp:Layout 1
4/16/07
N O T E B O O K
12:08 PM
Page 441
C H A P T E R
G U I D E
46
Redefining Equality:
From Black Power
to Affirmative Action
How did civil rights activists change their strategies and goals in the 1960s
and 1970s, and how successful were they in achieving racial equality?
K e y
C o n t e n t
SNCC in 1960
T e r m s
Integration of human
endeavor [activity]
represents the crucial
first step towards such
a society. Through
nonviolence, courage
displaces fear; love
transforms hate. Acceptance
dissipates [drives away] prejudice;
hope ends despair.
As you complete the Reading Notes, use these
Key Content Terms in your answers:
black power
Watts riot
Kerner Commission
Nation of Islam
Black Panther Party
Civil Rights Act of
1968
Swann v. CharlotteMecklenberg Board
of Education
Regents of the
University of
California v. Bakke
—SNCC Statement of Purpose, 1960
P R E V I E W
SNCC in 1966
Compare the two sets of quotations and campaign
buttons from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating
Committee (SNCC). Then answer these questions in
your notebook:
1. What was SNCC’s goal in 1960? What strategy or
strategies does SNCC identify as the way to achieve
this goal?
2. What was SNCC’s goal in 1966? What strategy or
strategies does SNCC identify as the way to achieve
this goal?
3. How do SNCC’s goals and strategies differ between
1960 and 1966? What might have happened to cause
these differences to develop?
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
Black power means proper representation and
sharing of control. It
means the creation of a
power base from which
black people can work to
change statewide or nationwide patterns of oppression
through pressure from strength—instead of weakness . . .
It does not mean merely putting black faces into office . . .
The power must be that of a community, and emanate
[come] from there.
—Stokely Carmichael, SNCC chairman,
“What We Want,” 1966
Redefining Equality: From Black Power to Affirmative Action
441
USHS_LM_46.qxp:Layout 1
N o t e b o o k
4/16/07
12:08 PM
G u i d e
R E A D I N G
Page 442
4 6
N O T E S
Sections 46.2 to 46.4
Turn to the timeline you began in Chapter 44, and cut
the eight Event Cards from Notebook Handout 46. As
you read Sections 46.2 to 46.4, add to your timeline by
doing the following:
• Decide which event from the list below each card
represents.
• On the card, write the name of the event, the date
it occurred, and two or three important facts about
the event.
• Tape the card in an appropriate place along your
timeline. Draw a line connecting the event to its
location on the timeline.
Then use the information from the reading and your
timeline to answer the reflection questions below on
a new page of your notebook.
Section 46.5
In a well-written paragraph, respond to this question:
Is affirmative action still necessary? Make sure your
paragraph includes these things:
• a clear topic sentence that communicates the main
idea of your paragraph
• one or two pieces of evidence (facts, data, quotations,
or examples) from the reading and class discussion to
support your topic sentence
• one or two sentences that explain how your evidence
supports your topic sentence
P R O C E S S I N G
Create a cover for an issue of Civil Rights Today magazine. Your cover should clearly express your view on
the degree of success you think civil rights activists
have had in achieving racial equality. Include these
things on your cover:
Timeline Events
• a subtitle that will catch the reader’s attention
Black Panther Party founded
The Hate That Hate Produced aired
• two or more visuals (photographs, illustrations,
symbols, or graphs) with brief captions explaining
what each visual reveals about racial equality in the
United States
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
• powerful words to communicate your point of view
Civil Rights Act of 1968
Congressional Black Caucus formed
Roots aired
Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
Watts riot
Reflection Questions
1. What were the goals of civil rights activists up to
the mid-1960s? What strategies did they use to
achieve those goals?
2. What were the goals of civil rights activists after
the mid-1960s? What strategies did they use to
achieve them?
3. Why do you think these goals and strategies changed?
Which individuals or groups advocated this change?
4. When were the most significant accomplishments
made in achieving racial equality: 1940 to 1954, 1955
to 1965, or 1966 to 1979? Explain your answer.
442 Chapter 46
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
USHS_LM_46.qxp:Layout 1
4/16/07
12:08 PM
Page 443
N o t e b o o k
4 6
Event Cards
Facts:
Facts:
Date:
Date:
Event:
Event:
Facts:
Facts:
Date:
Date:
Event:
Event:
Facts:
Facts:
Date:
Date:
Event:
Event:
Facts:
Facts:
Date:
Date:
Event:
Event:
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
H a n d o u t
Redefining Equality: From Black Power to Affirmative Action
443
USHS_LM_46.qxp:Layout 1
S t u d e n t
4/16/07
12:08 PM
H a n d o u t
Page 444
4 6 A
Primary Sources
Review these perspectives on racial equality in the 1960s and 1970s to
help you address Critical Thinking Question A.
Our gospel is Black Nationalism . . . and the gospel of Black
Nationalism, as I told you, means you should control your own—the
politics of your community, the economy of your community, and all
of the society in which you live should be under your control.
—Malcolm X, “The Ballot or the Bullet,” 1964
The fact is that all black people often question whether or not they
are equal to whites, because every time they start to do something,
white people are around showing them how to do it. If we are going
to eliminate that for the generation that comes after us, then black
people must be seen in positions of power, doing and articulating
for themselves.
—Stokely Carmichael, Black Power, 1966
If something isn’t done, and done in a hurry, to bring the colored
peoples of the world out of their long years of poverty, their long
years of hurt and neglect, the whole world is doomed. Now, I’m just
happy that God has allowed me to live in this period to see what is
unfolding . . . We mean business now, and we are determined to gain
our rightful place in God’s world. And that’s all this whole thing is
about . . . We are saying that we are determined to be men. We are
determined to be people.
—Martin Luther King Jr.,
I’ve Been to the Mountaintop, 1968
But today, you know, we have reached the place where people say,
“We’ve come a long way.” But so [have] other people come a long
way . . . Has the gap been getting smaller? It’s getting bigger.
Everybody’s been doing better.
—Thurgood Marshall, speech at
Howard University Law School, 1978
444 Chapter 46
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
USHS_LM_46.qxp:Layout 1
4/16/07
12:08 PM
Page 445
S t u d e n t
H a n d o u t
4 6 B
Statistics
Review these statistics on racial equality to help you address Critical
Thinking Question B.
• Of registered voters, African Americans reported the highest voting rate
of any minority group in the November 2004 election (89.4%).
• In 1961, four members of the U.S. Congress were African American.
In 2005, there were 43 black members.
• Homeownership among blacks was 48.2% in 2005, up from 42.7% in
1995. Homeownership among whites was 72.7% in 2005, up from
68.7% in 1995.
• In 2003, the average life expectancy for blacks was 72.7 years. For
whites, it was 78.0 years. The difference of 5.3 years between the two
races was a record low level.
• The number one cause of death in 2002 for blacks was heart disease
(26.8% of total deaths). For whites, it was also heart disease (28.9%).
African Americans were seven times more likely than whites to die from
homicide, and whites were twice as likely to die from suicide.
• In a 2003–2004 study of diversity in the workplace, 65% of American
workers surveyed said that a diverse workforce improves creativity and
innovation in the workplace. When asked whether their company had a
favorable diversity program, 32% answered positively.
• Between 1996 and 2005, the unemployment rate dropped 0.53% for
African Americans and 0.30% for whites. The highest unemployment rate
for blacks in 2005 was 10.8%, in February. The highest unemployment
rate for whites in 2005 was 4.6%, also in February.
• A 2005 study found that teachers with less than 3 years’ experience teach
in minority schools at twice the rate than in white schools.
• That same 2005 study revealed that test scores of black and white students
ages 9 and 17 in nine subject areas showed little difference.
• The median income of black households increased 29% from 1970 to 2004.
White households saw about a 22% increase. In 2004, the median income
was $30,134 for black households and $46,697 for white households.
• Between 1970 and 2004, the poverty rate for African Americans declined
8.8% (from 33.5% to 24.7%). During the same time period, the poverty
rate for whites increased 0.9% (from 9.9% to 10.8%).
Sources: Library of Congress Congressional Research Service; National Center for Health Statistics;
National Urban League; U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
Redefining Equality: From Black Power to Affirmative Action
445
USHS_LM_46.qxp:Layout 1
4/16/07
I n f o r m a t i o n
12:08 PM
Page 446
M a s t e r
4 6
Discussing Racial Equality
Use information from the reading and the handouts to respond to these questions:
Critical Thinking Question A: How would you define racial equality?
Critical Thinking Question B: What level of racial equality exists in the United
States today? Mark the spectrum to show your group’s decision.
No Equality
446 Chapter 46
Some Equality
Full Equality
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute