African-American Turning Points

Racial equality is one of the great challenges to the United States. Throughout its history, there have been not only unequal and unfair opportunities for African Americans, but actual violence. In mass protests, African Americans took this abuse in stride, never degrading themselves to similar acts of violence. They protested in marches, including one of the most famous and largest civil rights protests of all time, involving more than 200,000 demonstrators, which is credited with helping pass the civil rights bill in 1964, a very strong one, at that ("March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom"). It is also here that Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his now famous civil rights speech. It single handedly forwarded King’s ultimate goal of racial equality and tolerance more, perhaps, than anything before it, due in part to its brilliant use of numerous strategies to more effectively convey points.

At the march on Washington, he 1963 he delivered his “I Have A Dream” Speech. In this speech he says “I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.”(http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm)the. The people that helped him overcome this obstacle were the members of the Civil Rights Act. They overcame this obstacle by protesting, even though they got in trouble, and they were tortured. They were still hated by many but they still fought for

The African American made hard efforts to achieve the same civil rights that the white Americans had, like voting rights and non-discrimination at organizations. The significant advances were made in 1920s and 1950s; however, they become successful in achieving their major rights in 1960s and so considered as the major turning point in history of America. The march by African American in 1963 influenced the behaviour of white American and the Martin Luther King also added inspirational comments about the African Americans in his speech and provided them with hope of approval of civil rights and one year later in 1964, Civil Rights Act was passed.

The marchers gathered at the Washington Monument before dawn as planned on August 28, 1963. At 11:30, 100,000 to 200,000 of them began marching towards the Lincoln Memorial singing “We Shall Overcome” (“The March on Washington” 12). At the memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered multiple speeches along with other African Americans about segregation and discrimination issues. During one of his speeches, King Jr. declared that “we will not hate you, but we cannot obey your unjust laws. Do to us what you will and we will still love you…But we will soon wear you down by our capacity to suffer. And in winning our freedom, we will so appeal to your heart and conscience, that we will win you in the process” (“Negro Protest Movement” 507). This statement by King Jr. describes his plans of further nonviolent protesting against “unjust laws” to convince others of the civil rights movement’s cause. He furthers this statement and elaborates his ideas in his infamous speech, “I Have a Dream.”

Martin Luther King Jr. changed the Civil Rights movement with the sound of his voice. Martin Luther King was the most powerful activist for equal rights because of his peaceful marches, and speeches. The March on Washington and the I Have a Dream speech were the most important events he participated in. The “I Have a Dream” speech took place in August, 1963, in Washington D.C. The speech was monumental for the Civil Rights Movement, as it was broadcasted nationwide. The speech consisted of how African Americans have been discriminated against as time progress since the Gettysburg Address one hundred years before. Dr. King then went on to explain some of the problems African Americans still face today. As the speech went on he gradually raised

Many people turned to violence during this time, but Martin Luther King, Jr., a legendary front-runner of this movement, advocated for peace. In his “I Have a Dream” speech, one that is still quoted by American citizens today, he voiced his wish that “one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will he able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers” (King). Rather than using his position of power to communicate rage to the masses of people gathered before him, King relayed messages of optimism. As a result, the Civil Rights movement was one built on the notion that peaceful resistance was the key to equality. The Montgomery bus boycott, marches in Selma, Birmingham, and Washington, D.C. were all intentionally nonviolent. Protesters, calm in the face of brutal police retaliation in order to defend their rights, eventually achieved equality under the law (Simkins). Footage from the “Bloody Sunday” march in Selma, displaying passive African-American protesters being beaten down by police, was rapidly spread through the media, eventually reaching President Lyndon B. Johnson and motivating him to take action against racism, passing measures such as the 1965 Voting Rights Act (History.com) Though radical protesters did resort to violence during the movement, we remember it and teach it for its emphasis on

By the 1950’s and 1960’s, a breaking point was reached and blacks were tired of being mistreated. Many Civil Rights groups began to form, like the SNCC, and leaders, like Martin Luther King Jr., began to rise. As document 5 shows, these groups goals were to use peaceful protest and civil disobedience to demonstrate the societal unrest that is occurring and the need for political action. Upset at the racial injustice instigated by “Jim Crow Laws” and racism, these groups, through demonstrations such as the Greensboro Sit-ins, the Montgomery Bus Boycotts and the March on Washington, brought to public attention to the African Americans’ dreams of to finally getting the rights they were promised with emancipation. This could be further demonstrated by the “I Have a Dream” Speech. In this speech, given in March of 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. discusses a future for America that lives by the standard that all men are created equal. This outside resource, along with various other movements, lead to further public outcry. As document 6 shows this grew to a point to where political action needed to be done. To Kennedy and his successor (Lyndon B. Johnson), this was a huge moral issue that couldn’t be ignored or else the nation would tear itself apart. This ultimately lead to the passing of the acts like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act. These acts were a major victory and largely paved the way to future equality for African

Shortly before the march was scheduled to take place, Roosevelt caved in. He issued an executive order forbidding discrimination in defense industries because of 'race, creed, color, or national origin.” (Cavallo, 139). This lead African Americans to hold further marches such as the famous March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963 (Hewitt, 832). The effect of the almost march conducted by A. Philip Randolph in 1941 was that over 700,000 African Americans left the South to gain access to the jobs that opened up because of Roosevelt's executive order (Cavallo, 139). Though peaceful protests and court appeals were the most common forms of gaining racial equality, and arguably the most effective, violence found its place.

The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in the fall of 1957 and it allowed federal prosecution of anyone that tried to prevent citizens from voting. Even though the Civil Rights Act of 1957 was passed it wasn’t until after a Baptist minister and civil rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr., delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. that yet another Civil Rights Act was passed. Regardless of all the hatred and racism in the world, King still managed to keep his posture and speak out loud enough that everyone attending could hear even with him knowing in the back of his mind that he could’ve been assassinated at any time. King’s purpose behind his speech was that he wanted to ultimately end racial discrimination and segregation, but he also fought for African Americans to have civil rights. In 1964, the year immediately following his speech his wishes were granted as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was put into place. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a bill that was passed that banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, or national origin according to www.history.com. Despite all Americans having the

The march on Washington in August, 1963 was lead by Martin Luther King Jr. Around 250,000 people joined this march and gathered around the Lincoln Memorial. This march was planned to raise awareness about continuing difficulties that African Americans faced everyday even a century after they were emancipated. This protest is where King made is very important and iconic I Have A Dream speech.

On August 28, 1963 more than 250,000 civil-rights supporters attended the March on Washington. Addressing the protesters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Profoundly, he proclaimed for a free nation of equality where all race would join together in the effort to achieve common ground. King stated his yearning for all colors to unite and be judged by character, not by race. African Americans would not be satisfied until their desire for freedom from persecution, bitterness, and hatred prevailed. Not only were the points in his speech powerful, but also the delivery he gave was so persuading and real

On August 28th 1963, Civil Rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr. made his infamous “I Have a Dream” speech. In the speech, King confronts the mistreatment of the African American community and the lack of free will they contain in society. Throughout the mid-1900s, the Civil Rights Movement took place, influenced by centuries of cruelty towards the African Americans.. The most influential speech in the modern era was said in front of thousands of Civil Rights activists who all shared a common goal; to fight for the respect and to be treated as equals within the United States.

The Civil Rights Movement was a time when minorities banded together to stand up for racial inequality. Many African Americans faced discrimination from white people, causing a series of protests throughout the country, including the Walk on Washington, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and other demonstrations to show the country of the injustices. During this time, the active voices that demanded to be heard came from a wide variety of people. The mixture of individuals that stood up, spoke and fought for their rights allowed for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the favorable rulings in many Supreme Court cases. Of the many stand-out leaders of the time, Dr. Martin Luther King Junior acted as the most influential civil rights activist, this is due to his continuous promotion of nonviolence and peace.

QUESTION: What were three specific turning points in the struggle for African-American civil rights from 1865 to the present?

He hoped to see a change in society and a world free of discrimination. Martin Luther King’s uplifting “ I Have A Dream” speech impacted the majority of the US and gained much support (Garrow). The crowd of over 250,000 people praised King after the speech ended. Due to Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.