Berkeley's Freedom Struggle in the 1950s
Berkeley's reputation as a liberal city is often overstated: like much of the state, it was a Republican stronghold for the first half of the past century. After WWII, however, a new political tradition emerged. Black activists registered voters, formed alliances with white progressives, prompted surveys of school segregation and housing discrimination, and elected Black city officials; students, progressives, and other citizens protested job discrimination and the House Un-American Activities Committee. The protests of the 1960s cannot be understood without considering this earlier freedom struggle that involved civil liberties as well as civil rights.
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