Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumThe Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s

"The decade spanned by the Montgomery bus boycott and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 will go down as the first phase of the Negro revolution. This phase was write-in, walk-in, sit-in, and pray-in protest. Its tactics were direct action; its goals were primarily legal and social... but we must recognize that in desegregating public accommodations we were not seeking to introduce new categories of law, but to extend existing rights to Negroes... Now the movement is faced with a new task: the realization of socio-economic demands. It is not enough to desegregate a lunch counter if one cannot afford the hamburger."

— Bayard Rustin, "From Protest to Politics," 1965

The ideas expressed in the excerpt most directly reflect which of the following shifts within the civil rights movement during the 1960s?

  1. A growing focus on tackling systemic poverty and economic inequality alongside legal equalityAnswer
  2. B
    A consensus among activists to replace nonviolent direct action with armed self-defense
  3. C
    A unified turn away from grassroots organizing toward exclusive reliance on federal court litigation
  4. D
    The complete merger of civil rights groups with the anti-Vietnam War movement under a single leadership

Answer

The correct option is the one stating that the excerpt reflects a growing focus on tackling systemic poverty and economic inequality alongside legal equality.
The correct answer is correct because Bayard Rustin's assertion that 'it is not enough to desegregate a lunch counter if one cannot afford the hamburger' directly points to the necessity of addressing economic rights, jobs, and systemic poverty after legal barriers to integration were dismantled by the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source text for the author's main argument.
Rustin argues that the first phase of the civil rights movement successfully focused on legal rights and public accommodations (such as desegregating lunch counters), but the new task must address socio-economic demands (such as being able to afford a hamburger).
This establishes the transition Rustin is advocating from legal reforms to economic rights.
2
Evaluate the historical context of the mid-to-late 1960s.
Following major legislative victories like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, civil rights organizations increasingly turned their attention to issues of urban poverty, jobs, housing, and systemic economic inequality (e.g., Martin Luther King Jr.'s Chicago Campaign and the Poor People's Campaign).
This context aligns Rustin's argument with the historical trajectory of the movement.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one matching the text analysis and historical context.
The option concerning a growing focus on systemic poverty and economic inequality directly aligns with Rustin's socio-economic demands, while other choices incorrectly assume consensus or complete unification where deep divisions actually existed.
This identifies the correct answer and eliminates incorrect options based on historical accuracy.

Key Concept

The shifting goals and internal debates of the Civil Rights Movement during the mid-to-late 1960s, moving from legal desegregation to broader socio-economic goals.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Rate this question

Topics

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s

More questions from this topic