11th Annual Report Page: 5
3 of 36 v. 27 cmView a full description of this book.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
CIVIL RIGHTS, PROTESTS, AND DISORDER
The Civil Rights Movement
The civil rights movement which began to accelerate
early in the decade and was continuing as 1969 drew to
a close, disclosed major weaknesses and produced major
strains in patterns of intergovernmental relations in the
United States. Continued violation by some State and
local governments of basic precepts laid down in the
Fourteenth Amendment could have but one solution:
National action. These actions by the National Government
left relationships bruised in many quarters of the
country.
One of the major products of the civil rights
movement was the restoration of political rights of the
Negro in the South and in some other isolated areas
where they had suffered abridgment. The constitutional
amendment outlawing poll taxes, and the Voting Rights
Act of 1965 were 100 years-late implementations of the
intent of the Fourteenth Amendment. Exercise of the
franchise by Negroes has already brought many changes
in the political structure of a number of southern States,
including the election of Negroes to local office and to
State legislatures, and has made racism considerably less
of an overt issue in political campaigns in that region.
The Politics of Confrontation
The success of civil rights protests in achieving
governmental change was a lesson quickly learned by
many other groups dissatisfied with the status quo. By
the end of the decade, the march, the demonstration,
the sit in, and the takeover of college buildings all had
become a familiar part of the American scene. A
continual nagging question was the extent to which the
politics of protest and confrontation should be subjected
to governmental regulation and if so, by what level of
government. Attempted actions by the Congress, city
and county governing bodies, and State legislatures to
"keep protest within bounds" were frequently
countered by questions of constitutionality in terms of
freedom of assembly and speech.The immediate response generally was one of
bewilderment and often outrage coupled with uncertainty
as to what could be done to restore social
health to the stricken cities. Contributing most to this
uncertainty was the apparent lack of a clear link of cause
and effect. A history of neglect and disregard for the
welfare of minority groups in Newark contrasted with
Detroit's record of considerable concern with, and
apparent improvement in race relations over a period of
several years. Yet both suffered greatly from the rioters
and looters. There was concern at all levels of government
lest accelerated action on programs for central city
rebuilding be construed by some as "rewarding the
rioters." In general, the effect of the riots upon Federal,
State and local governmental action was to discredit
"welfare" proposals and to popularize "police"
measures.
From the standpoint of federalism, a significant
feature of the rising tide of racial unrest and civil
disorder was the tendency of local officials and news
media to speak almost entirely in terms of remedial
action by the Federal Government, occasioned perhaps
by the feeling that only through access to Federal
financing could sufficient resources be mobilized. This
view was also put forth forcefully by the President's
National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (the
Kerner Commission). Paradoxically, the apparent reason
for much of the dissatisfaction of minority groups in the
cities was and is rooted in local government structure
and fiscal arrangements-including the "white noose" of
the suburbs, under-financing of central city schools,
inadequate housing, unbalanced patterns of State aid,
and repressive restrictions upon the administration of
public welfare. These and other sources of unrest stem
primarily from State constitutions and statutes and are
not directly controllable by Federal law or regulation.
POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC
FRAGMENTATION OF URBAN AMERICA
Seeds of The Urban CrisisPopulation Migration: Farms to the
Riots and Civil Disorder Cities-Cities to the SuburbsSucceeding the nonviolent protests in the civil rights
movement and the peaceful demonstration was an
increasing resort to group violence in the mid
and
late-1960's. The 1965 Watts riot in Los Angeles was
followed in 1967 by serious outbreaks in Newark,
Detroit, and scores of other places. In 1968 a wave of
disorders ensued upon the assassination of Martin Luther
King, Jr.The pace of urbanization in the United States
quickened in the '50s and remained rapid through the
'60s. During this period and especially in the '60s, two
streams of humanity were flowing in diverse directions
with contrasting motivations. Middle
and low-income
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Book.
United States. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. 11th Annual Report, book, January 1970; Washington, D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1160/m1/15/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.