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= Black Mobilization. = Black mobilization is defined as black individuals looking to change the balance of power through collective action. Two of the most well known examples of black mobilization are The Civil Rights Movement and The Black Lives Matter movement. These movements hope that by changing the balance of power they can enact policy that achieve equality. Black Mobilization is responsible for the staying power of these and similar movements.

Content


 * 1) Civil Right Mobilization


 * 1) Background
 * 2) Role of Media
 * 3) White Backlash
 * 4) Cold War Influences
 * 5) 1960 Election

Background
Political mobilization takes place when a group of people with a common identity rally behind a single cause or influential figure. From the 1940’s to the 1970’s this cause was equality for Black Americans.

Role of Media
The media played a key role in the unity and continued political actions of black Americans. Black newspapers  were the media of choice for both black activist and politicians seeking the black vote in the early years of the civil rights movement. Newspapers played an important role in the 1960’s presidential election as both Nixon and Kennedy had several interviews with black newspapers looking to get black voters support.

Television was used in the later years to great effect to gain popular support from both apolitical black voters and white voters.Charismatic activist used the new technology to show unarmed and non-violent black protesters being attacked by white police with batons and fists.

White Backlash
Violence was not an uncommon occurrence during the civil rights movement.Politically mobilized supporters of black equality were often assaulted and occasionally killed. These attacks were intended to create enough fear to silence Black Americans and stop them from becoming politically active.

White backlash came in forms other than physical though, attacking the quality of life of black americans through policy was also popular. The economic attacks on black mobilization took place from 1940 to 1960. These attacks included automating jobs that were primarily done by Black americans, Welfare systems that were stacked against jobs done primarily by Black women, and zoning laws that discourage investment in black neighborhoods. These policies were intended to create divisions between black workers and destroy the unified black front that mobilization had created.

Cold War Influences
Cold War influence had varying effects on black mobilization and unity. Domestically the Cold War made labor movements and social welfare programs appear unappealing as they were similar to communist policies. This caused american labor policies to become more conservative. This greatly weakened the black labor front.

1960 Presidential Election
The Black vote became an important voting bloc in the 1960’s election due to black mobilization.While black Americans gained the right to vote in 1870 with the 15th amendment few were able to exercise this right in reality, untilblack mobilization. Richard Nixon and John F Kennedy both made various appeals to the black community looking to gain their support. Nixon played heavily to his long history of policy that supported civil rights and history of Abraham Lincoln being a Republican. Kennedy attempted to make up for his lack of Civil rights support with phone calls to key black figure and monetary support for black educational programs. Kennedy was able to arrange funding for 3 plane loads of African Students to study in America at time when kennedy was unable to. Through political mobilization Black Americans not only were able to bring African students to america to get a higher education but created a political climate where they were a coveted vote and wielded political power.

Hyperlink references.

1960 presidential election: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1960

John F Kennedy:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy

Richard Nixon:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Nixon

Black Lives Matter:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Lives_Matter

New Deal:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal

The Civil Rights Movement:

References:

https://academic.oup.com/esr/article-abstract/3/3/181/458750?redirectedFrom=PDF