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Local politicians were generally more opposed to racial justice than the national politicians. Local politicians in the North were opposed to civil rights campaigns. Mayor Daley was effective in preventing progress in campaigns such as the Chicago Campaign in 1 966 but his tactics were more sophisticated than those of Rival Faustus who used a combination of violence, propaganda and legal measures to stop the integration of Little Rock Central High School in 1957.
Daley biblically agreed to negotiate with King, however, without anyone knowing, his lawyers managed to legally prohibit further large-scale protests and he also made a series of promises which after the campaign was over and his position was secure he did little to implement them. Public opinion was a significant airier to racial equality in the late ass. Although a most Americans supported the end to legal segregation, they didn’t want black people to live in their neighborhoods.
This is shown in ‘white flight’ which was when the white population of America’s major cities declined by 9. 6% between 1960 and 1970. In 1 968 alone, 16. 8% of the white population left America’s biggest north-eastern cities for the suburbs. Those leaving these cities were the more well-off people who were professionals, because of this, the tax revenues of America’s cities decline which therefore the provision of public services offered, further disadvantaging urban black communities who relied on these services.
Opposition to economic equality and fair housing was also evident in the violent reaction of many of Chicago white population to King and the Chicago campaign in 1966. The local police both helped and hindered the civil rights movement. Police forces in the south were some of the main obstacles to racial equality in the ass and ass. They adopted a variety of tactics to oppose the civil rights campaign, for example in the Birmingham campaign in 1 963, Eugene ‘Bull’ Cocoon authorized the use of water cannons as a weapon against the protestors.
However, Connors tactics were counterproductive and led to significant civil rights victories because the violence attracted media attention which in turn forced the federal government to support the protests. Although, the police force didn’t always help the movement. The tear gas attack and use of batons in the Memphis in 1968 did not provoke government action. On the other hand, there was some help given to the civil rights movement by groups such as certain presidents and congress. Overall, presidents helped the civil rights movement because without Johnson and Kennedy, the civil rights acts of 64 and 68 wouldn’t have en passed.
Eisenhower and Kennedy could have done more for civil rights but Kennedy died before we had any evidence towards him being for or against civil rights. Congress backed the civil rights act of 64 and the voting rights of 65 which gave the government significant power to force desegregation and support voter registration. In conclusion, opposition hindered more than helped the civil rights movement but only slightly due to the local police both helping and hindering the movement, the FBI, public opinion and local politicians hindering and congress and presidents helping the movement.