Martin Luther King & Birmingham, Alabama, 1963 (AQA GCSE History)

How Important were Events in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963 to the Civil Rights Movement? - Summary

Events in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963 were crucial to the civil rights movement. Birmingham was one of the most segregated cities in the United States. The campaign in Birmingham aimed to challenge segregation and promote civil rights. The campaign included sit-ins, marches and boycotts. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) organised these events.

The events in Birmingham drew national attention to the struggle for civil rights. The police attacked peaceful protesters with police dogs and fire hoses. This shocked the nation and gained support for the civil rights movement. The campaign also included the arrest of Martin Luther King. The events in Birmingham highlighted the urgent need for change. It inspired people across the country to join the fight for racial equality.

The pressure from protests and the public reaction caused Birmingham officials to negotiate with civil rights leaders. They agreed to desegregate public facilities. The campaign in Birmingham built pressure, contributing to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The Emergence of Martin Luther King & the SCLC

• A Christian minister, Martin Luther King believed in promoting non-violent, direct action

• After being elected President of the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) Martin Luther King led the Montgomery Bus Boycott

• Martin Luther King became a respected and significant civil rights activist as a result of:

  • The successful organisation of the Montgomery bus campaign

  • His involvement in the creation of the Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC) in 1957

  • His support of the Greensboro sit-in

• The SCLC were key to achieving the aims of the civil rights movement

• The SCLC focused on improving the number of black voters who passed the voter registration tests

  • This had an impact in the 1958 and 1960 elections

Segregation in Birmingham, Alabama

• By 1963, the SCLC wanted a new civil rights cause to back

• It needed to raise more publicity without using violent protestMartin Luther King and the SCLC targeted Birmingham, Alabama for their next campaign

• Birmingham was an ideal area for the SCLC because:

  • Every aspect of life in Birmingham was segregated

    • Alabama was a Deep South state that strongly believed in segregation

  • There were frequent violent attacks on Black Americans in the city

    • Some Americans even nicknamed the city ‘Bombingham.’ This was due to the regular attacks on churches, homes and businesses owned by African-Americans

  • The Chief of Police was a man called ‘Bull’ Connor

    • Connor supported the KKK

    • The SCLC believed that they could provoke Connor to use violence against a peaceful protest

The Events & Impacts of Campaign 'C'

• On 2nd April 1963, the SCLC began Campaign ‘C’

  • The ‘C’ stood for ‘Confrontation’

• Campaign ‘C’ involved:

  • Sit-ins

  • Peaceful marches

  • Boycotting shops

• On 3rd May, thousands of demonstrators marched through Birmingham

  • Many protestors were students

  • Some people involved in the march were as young as six

• ‘Bull’ Connor ordered the police to:

  • Arrest protestors, no matter how young they were

  • Set dogs on protestors

  • Blast protestors with water from fire hoses

• Campaign ‘C’ achieved the SCLC’s aims because:

  • The pictures and news reports of the events in Birmingham shocked people worldwide

    • President Kennedy stated that the pictures made him feel shocked and ashamed

  • The USSR used the events in Birmingham to make the USA look bad in the Cold War
    

AWAITING IMAGE
A picture showing a protestor being attacked by a police dog in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963