● 1957: Pres Eisenhower orders U.
S army to enforce school integration in little rock, AK
● Leading the SCLC, MLK, preaching nonviolence, pushed for full voting rights for African
Americans
● Feb, 1, 1960: four black college students hold a sit in in Greensboro, NC
● Oct. 1960: MLK jailed for participating in a sit in Atlanta
● JFK facilitates his release from jail, this swings the black vote to his side in the election
of 1960
● 1961: “freedom riders” meant to challenge the segregation in public facilities, are
conducted in the Deep South
● 1962: riots break out over the admission of James Meridith to the University of
Mississippi
● 1963: MLK organized nonviolent protests in Birmingham, AL. He hoped for TV coverage
●
Yet Reagan was a pragmatic politician who could work with democrats. While he did cut income
taxes, other taxes went up. He spoke against the social safety net, but did not try to vigorously
dismantle it. Foreign policy
● Reagan was committed to restoring the U.S images as a superpower.
● He increased the military budget, and spoke out against the USSR. The CIA armed
Afghan rebels against the Soviets
● Reagan backed third world, anti communist regimes that were brutal towards their own
people.
● In 1983, Reagan ordered an invasion of the tiny island nation of Grenada, as he feared
its gov. Was too cozy with Cuba
● He struggled with Middle Eastern Terrosism, much of it motivated by anti american, anti
israeli sentiment
● The Iran/Contra scandal
● In 1986, White house concealed from the public and Congress that it had arranged a
secret deal
● Via Israel, sell arms to Iran (hoping iran would use its influence to free hostages in
Lebanon)and then divert money to contras in Nicaragua
● While Reagan denied knowledge, it reinforced the view that he was an absentee
president