African Americans And The Civil Rights Movement

Imagine a world in which all men weren 't created equal. A world where skin color, ethnic origin, gender, and sexuality was what defined a person rather than character. “I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit together at the table of brotherhood”(King). Through the decades of the 1940s-1960s, America built the foundation for civil rights, a movement in which minorities fought for equality. Groups that previously had been discriminated against began to defend themselves with greater strength and success. The civil rights movement inspired African Americans, Native Americans, women, queers, and Latinos to fight for equality. Although each social group faced their own unique challenges during the civil rights movement, each group shared a common connection through their struggles for equality.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, one of the leaders of the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People [NAACP] refused to give up her seat to a white person on a segregated city bus in Montgomery, Alabama, despite being reprimanded by the driver (Schulke 166). Montgomery, Alabama was known for its terrible treatment of blacks. The buses in particular had been a source of tension between the city and black citizens for many years (Schulke, 167). As a result of refusing to give up her seat, Rosa Parks was arrested. Rosa Parks' popularity among the black community, proved to be the spark that ignited the non-violent Civil Rights Movement (Norrell 2).

Martin Luther King Jr. built his speech around fighting unjust conditions placed on both African Americans and soldiers of the Vietnam war with non-violent protest. King is arguably the best speaker the world has seen, he knows how to get his audience passionate about the problems America faces while also informing them of what causes these problems.

Black people are our slaves. Black people are unintelligent. Black people are unworthy of our association, let alone equality between our races. These were the thoughts of the white citizens of America, specifically Southern America, prior to the Civil Rights Movement. For centuries, coloured people have been fighting for freedom. Fighting for respect. Fighting for equality. Fighting for something every human deserves and needs. Then why is it that those of colour were unable to obtain these basic human rights? It’s because of the immense racism which lived in those times.

Prior to the civil rights movement, was hard for social injustice that mainly occurred during the 1950s and the 1960s for blacks to achieve equal rights under the law of the U.S. Civil War had regularly repealed slavery, but it didn’t end the discrimination, harassing, and the threatening. Jim Crow laws were settled in the South beginning in the late 19th century. Blacks couldn’t use the same public efficiency as whites, live in frequent of the same towns or unable to go to the same schools. Activists used, during the civil rights movement, multiple strategies that resulted in both successes and failures.

While the fight for racial equality began in the 1950s the, non-violent techniques the movement embraced began to pay off during the following decade. There we many people who played very important rolls in the civil rights movement. Many lives were lost to this life changing event but it changed the world for the better. Many law were put in place during this time that are no longer laws which many people think is for the better. Throughout the time in which African Americans fought for equality, desegregation and racism, starting with the Jim Crow Laws, the countless court cases and the impact Civil Rights leaders had in the United States, the country changed with new.

The African American Civil Rights Movement officially “began” in 1954, but the ideas of Civil Rights had been brewing since the end of the Civil War, and even earlier. The Civil Rights Movement was centered on the idea of the equal, fair, and constitutional treatment of African Americans in the United States. The movement features some of history’s most prominent figures, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks. Throughout the movement, activists utilized protests, marches, boycotts, and strikes in attempts to change public opinion and governmental action on African Americans. The movement succeeded in overturning

African Americans were fighting for freedom for centuries. They were treated very badly and they had supposedly going to have a better way of life after WWII. Keep reading to find out how African Americans struggled for equality in voting and the opportunity for a good quality education.

Even though African American women have played vital roles in social justice movements, they are often overshadowed because of their gender. Only a few organizations like Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) gave more access for female leadership. But more often than none, women had informal positions of leadership.

If you take a look at the progress our nation has made over the years you will most likely see that the changes that have been made were due to a person or group realizing that there are major issues occurring in our society and government that desperately needs to be changed. A problem that our nation had for many years was the unfair mistreatment of the African-American people. After years of this mistreatment African-American people finally started to demand the change that they have rightfully deserved to for so many years, and as a result the Civil Rights Movement took place. For so many years people were basically ignorant about the situation that was taking place right in front of their eyes. The majority of whites raised their children to believe that the blacks did not deserve to be treated as equals because people with darker skin were beneath them, while blacks had to mentally prepare their children for the harsh reality that they were going to have to face for possibly the rest of their lives.

The African American civil rights movement was a long journey for African American nationwide. The success involved many people, hardships and time in order to advance the African American community in America. The purpose of the movement was to achieve their rights, cease discrimination, and racial segregation.

I believe that Martin Luther King’s speeches were powerful to him and to the people. Because he went to speech competitions as well as experienced hardships which inspired him to have passion for his speeches including “I have a dream”.

The American Civil Rights Movement is personified through several prominent personalities. These figures exhibited strong character throughout their careers in activism that revolutionized the ideals and opportunities of the 20th century, standing as precedents for courage and perseverance in the face of widespread systemic oppression. However, not all of these figures received the acknowledgment and acceptance that their legacy deserved. One such figure was Bayard Rustin, a lifelong Civil Rights activist in the African American and LGBTQ communities whose experiences exemplified the hardships faced by American minorities. His career was defined by perpetual conflict and confrontation as both sides of the Civil Rights Movement attempted to demonize and discredit him. Despite this obstacle, Bayard Rustin’s controversial decision-making and sheer tenacity made him an influential force in the ongoing fight for equality in the United States of America.

Throughout my years in high school I have seen and read Martin Luther Kings speech over and over again, I have always found it to be one of the greatest speeches of all time. He was a wonderful speaker, and he knew exactly how to structure his speech in a way that would open the eyes of so many Americans. There are three main things that make him a brilliant public speaker, his tone, choice of words, and his ability to connect with the audience through personal experience. This speech is one that really pushed the civil rights movement and opened up these issues through a national audience by entering the hearts of blacks across the nation and showing the shameful acts of the whites.

African-Americans have struggled to fight for their equality for hundreds of years. There had been many attempts to make a change for this minority group, but one of the major leaders involved was Martin Luther King Jr. He was consistent in fighting for racial equality through non-violent actions, even though he had experienced violence and harassment. His consistency, determination, and different approach to the problem caused massive influence that helped African-Americans to be equal to those around them.