Civil Rights Movement Research Paper

During the early 1930’s through the mid 1960’s there were many different approaches African American’s took for achieving social changes, and the Civil rights they deserved. Many great African American leader’s such as Martin Luther King Jr, Malcom X, and James Baldwin contributed towards the betterment of blacks living in America. Aside from individual African American leaders there was also groups that fought for black civil rights such as The Black Power Movement, Black Panthers, and Civil Rights Activist. Other events that transpired during this time period had also effected the civil rights movement in America. For instance: The altercation with Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white male ultimately led to The Montgomery Bus boycott protest,

Nearly 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans in Southern states still lived in a unequal world of disenfranchisement, segregation and various forms of oppression, including race-inspired violence. This is when the Civil Rights Movement was introduced; an era dedicated to activism for equal rights and treatment of African Americans in the United States. During this period, people rallied for social, legal, political, and cultural changes to end discrimination and segregation. This era included endless amount of events involving discrimination to minorities. This movement occurred somewhere between 1955 and 1965 but the exact time span is debated.

The civil rights movement is one the significant historical movements in America. African-American struggled in the mid twentieth century to achieve freedom. The dream of being free seemed impossible as to reaching the unreachable star. Even though nearly ten decades after President Abraham Lincoln issued Emancipation Proclamation to abolish slavery in America, African-American were still suffering from racial inequality in southern states. The segregation of schools, housing, jobs, public transportation, public spaces, military service and prisons was the biggest challenge of the African-Americans. The African-American still suffered from injustice access to the basic privileges and rights of the U.S. citizenship. Although the civil right

This motion got the ball rolling; and marked the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement which lasted from 1954-1965. As more people called for equality, oppositions to this movement became Specifically, the South remained extremely racist and upheld their Jim Crow laws. Outraged African Americans, and ally white Americans were fed up with the lack of equality and the white resistance. Grassroot social movements that included sit-ins, marches, speeches and sprung up all around the country and brought into light the horrible injustices of racial inequality. Alongside with organizations like the National Advancement for American Colored People, or the NAACP, great things were accomplished during this period. With the victories of court cases like Brown v Board of Education, caused the standing ideology of ‘separate but equal’ to be repealed by the United State Supreme Court and lead to the desegregating of the nation. The end of the Civil Rights Movement was marked by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which made it illegal to discriminate against people based on their color, race, religion, nationality, or sex. Unfortunately, even with the amazing work done during the second reconstruction era, and much like the original Reconstruction Era, we are left with an imperfect system. There are still holes in the legislation created and there are promises that have yet to be met, and people of color are still disproportionately disadvantaged

The Civil Rights movement was a social, economic, political and legal battle to end discrimination and gain equality for African-Americans. Although this struggle had been going on for centuries it didn’t peak until the 1950-60’s. The Jim Crow laws are what ignited the movement. Jim Crow laws were, “the laws that arose in the South after the Civil War that allowed discrimination against African Americans to continue.” In turn those laws lead to the renowned case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas in 1954. The case states that public school segregation was unconstitutional and it contributed to desegregating schools. Within the next year, the tragic and brutal murder of Emmett Till took place. This murder took a significant toll

African Americans have made great progress since the end of the Civil War. People who were once slaves are now free to go where they want and do whatever they want. They can make their own decisions. Before the Civil Rights Movement, African American’s opinions and ideas were not heard and did not matter to most people. Now their opinions matter. Obviously this was not an easy road for them. There were lots of cases of segregation, in every part life, from using the bath room to riding a bus to voting for public elections. There was a lot of legislation that also went on in this time period. Without the legislation and landmark court cases, not much would have changed.

The Classical Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to 1965, is only part of the larger narrative of the struggle for freedom for African Americans from Emancipation in 1863 to the rise of the Black Power Movement in 1966. Throughout over a century of fighting, black Americans struggled for economic, political, and social freedoms. The black freedom movement was a struggle for voting rights, education, fair housing practices, labor rights, and access to public accommodations lead by local leaders, and accomplished integrating public accommodations and educations as well as the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The early black freedom struggle started with Emancipation in 1863, the actions during Reconstruction show the root of the Civil Rights Movement

“After the end of Reconstruction in 1877, southern states and local communities began to enact laws known as segregation or "Jim Crow" laws. These measures separated the races in public accommodations. Rather than passing one sweeping law, local and state legislators in the South passed a series of laws between 1881 and 1910 that required separate accommodations for blacks and whites in public spaces. These laws were indicative of the hardening of the philosophy of white supremacy throughout the South during this time.”(Cassanello). The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the most influential event in the Civil Rights Movement because it paved way for ending discrimination and segregation, and giving more rights to African- Americans. During the Civil Rights Movement African- Americans were fighting to get their rights that were being taken away from them little by little. Starting in 1955 and going well into the late 1960’s early 1970’s, African- Americans started to protest against discriminatory laws and acts such as Jim Crow Laws and various requirements to vote. They did this because they wanted to be treated as equals and not to be judged because of their race(Mayer).

We The People. Three simple words that hold irreversible truths about the founding of a nation. The Constitution of the United States of America is a document that was created ahead of its time. The founders of this country did not have a modern foreign government to emulate. Their innovative ideals of creating a governing power would allow citizens to be more actively involved in decisions made by elected officials. These elected officials not only have a duty to the government, but to the people of the United States.

“The atmosphere is an unhealthy but this time its not a typical ugly political season, its highly charged, damaging, immoral and divisive. People have been brainwashed and chose their party over the country. Republicans played the race card and forced people to take sides. The message is clear, their civilization leader is Trump a barbarian, fascist, racist, fraud criminal, hypocrite, hate-monger, phony, lunatic and a sexual Predator. And now, the responsibility is on us to continue the mission of our great civil rights activists and leaders. Men and women will stand up again because we live by our principles, values and ethics.”

Equal Employment Opportunity was fabricated in the historic Civil Rights of 1964. This Act was an omnibus bill addressing not only discrimination in service, but also discrimination in voting, public accommodations, and scholarship as well. The regulation was forged in an atmosphere of urgency. There was developing unrest in the country emanating from the powerful and appalling racial discrimination and segregation exposed during the civil rights protests in the 1960’s. Civil rights fought was played out in the streets of Birmingham, Alabama and other southern cities and because of television viewed by America. During the spring of 1963, the universe watched as demonstrators were beaten, attacked by police dogs, sprayed with high pressure water

Equality, it is about treating everyone with fairness and respect as an individual. Being treated with fairness and respect is what equality truly means. The word equality has many meanings and beliefs in it that makes the word complicated. Equality can be stated differently with each and every individual in what they believe what is fair and what is not. There is equality in our rights, our skin color, and opportunities.

Imagine going out to dinner in the 1960’s as an African American. Sit at a dirty broken table and try to enjoy the meal that seemed to be the same as what the white people ordered, but in all reality, was much less than theirs. Every store, school, and even every water fountain was separated between the whites and blacks. With the help of protests, marches, and speeches, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was developed, and the country was changed forever. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination in the United Sates based on race, color, sex, religion, or national origin. The Act outlawed discrimination, changing history forever, but it was not a quick nor easy change. It was however known to be the biggest landmark in Civil Rights History.

In the American Civil War, enslaved African-Americans fought for their freedom and in 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery. Following the war, most African-American still suffered racial segregation and discrimination for a long time. The fight against discrimination and segregation resulted in the Civil Rights Movement, which took place between 1954 and 1968. The African-American Civil Rights movement, had changed the status of the black community forever and shaped the American politics. The movement resulted in the addition of several federal laws and Supreme Court cases.

In the 1940’s and 1950’s African Americans were still considered as second class citizens. Unfortunately, African Americans continued to receive unfair treatment which led to a society declared to be “separate but equal”. Segregation stood firmly in transportation, schools, and more. African Americans were sick of inequality, therefore, they became more aggressive in their fight for equality. The marches and protests began in the early 1960’s. Important African American heroes began their actions during the 60’s, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. Their actions were a turning point of African Americans lives. The battle of discrimination and segregation led to the Civil Rights Movement which changed America undoubtedly.