Essay On Lucy's Role In The Civil Rights Movement

On May 4th, 1961, thirteen brave individuals set out on a mission to start a national movement to overturn segregation in the south. Under the leadership of Congress of Racial Equality, seven African Americans and six whites traveled together on two commercial buses, the Greyhound and the Trailways. They called themselves “The Freedom Riders.” They intended to travel from Washington DC to New Orleans, Louisiana together. On the way, they would deliberately violated Jim Crow laws. The Freedom Riders risked being assaulted, arrested, and even killed. Many other civil rights activists opposed their plan because they felt the idea was too confrontational and dangerous, and could possibly result in a setback for the civil rights movement. Despite the risks and opposition, the Freedom Riders did not abort their mission. The activists were tired of waiting, therefore they decided that they are not going to

In 1954, the Supreme Court took a step in history with the Brown V. Board of Education of Topeka by stating that, “In the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’, has no place. Separate facilities are inheritably unequal.” Little Rock, Arkansas a city in the upper south became a location of a controversial attempt to put the court order into effect when nine African American students were chosen to desegregate Central High in Little Rock. How did the Little Rock Nine affect America? Sanford Wexler stated in The Civil Rights Movement: An Eyewitness History,” its “effect would ripple across the nation and influence the growing Civil Rights Movement;” in addition, the Little Rock crisis forced the federal government

Freedom Riders exposed the many ways of Southern resistance by the numerous acts of violence committed towards them. Violence was experienced not from civilians, police officers and a mass of Ku Klux Klan members (KKK). The Freedom riders faced bus bombings, being beaten, and near lynching. The Freedom Riders decided to unmask what was happening in the south to showcase the non-enforcement of the United States Supreme Court decisions Morgan v. Virginia in 1946 and Boynton v. Virginia in 1960, which ruled that segregated public buses were unconstitutional.The Southern states had ignored the rulings and the federal government did nothing to enforce them. "The Riders' dangerous passage through the bus terminals and jails of the Jim Crow South represented only one part of an extended journey for justice that stretched back to the dawn of American history and beyond" (Arsenault 10). The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) sponsored most of the Freedom Rides, but some were also organized by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). The Freedom Rides consisted of dramatic sit-ins against segregated lunch counters, conducted by students and youth throughout the South, and boycotts of retail establishments that maintained segregated facilities, beginning in 1960.The Supreme Court's decision in Boynton supported the right of interstate travelers to disregard local segregation ordinances. Southern local and state police considered the actions of the Freedom Riders to be

"You have the right to live in the kind of world where your rights and freedoms are respected" conveyed in Article 28 draws attention to the way aboriginal people were forced to live in, as they were prejudiced from the main towns in Australia. Article 28 gave respected freedom and rights to the indigenous to live however they want. On the 4th of May, 1961 a similar protest to the aboriginal freedom ride took place. A group of African-American and white civil rights protestants began bus trips to several towns in South America. The Freedom Rides were established by the Congress of Racial Equality, a US civil rights groups. Their purpose was to test the 1960 decision that segregation of national bus terminals was prohibited. They attempted to use 'white only' lunch tables, waiting rooms and restrooms. This proved to be a dangerous mission as they endured a lot of violent. Another evidence of White-Americans hatred towards the Africans was the incident that transpired inAnniston, Alabama. One bus was firebombed and the African-American passengers were forced to flee for their lives.

Following, on May 4, 1961, a mixed group of 13 African Americans and white civil rights activist led the Freedom Rides (Freedom Rides?). Similar, to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Freedom Rides traveled to various cities in the south to protest against segregation of the bus terminals. History.com staff concurs “the Freedom Rides, a series of bus trips through the American South to protest segregation in interstate bus terminals.” The purpose of the freedom riders was to openly disobey the Jim Crow laws in the south in a nonviolent fashion. This was a dangerous journey, many of these people were beaten, arrested, and even the buses were destroyed. Yet, they persevered (“Freedom Riders: The Nashville Connection”). History.com staff, adds “The Freedom Riders, were recruited by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), a U.S. civil rights group, they departed from Washington D.C., and attempted to integrate facilities at bus terminals along the way in the Deep South.” African Americans would try to use the “whites only” bathrooms and counters, which attracted attention and violence (Freedom Rides). According to the history.com staff due to the efforts of the Freedom Rides, “in September 1961, the interstate Commerce Commission issued regulations prohibiting segregation in bus and train nationwide.” The

The Civil Rights Movement is understood as the collected efforts of many different groups and individuals struggling to achieve justice and equal treatment for all Americans. Several events shaped the time period, particularly those that either showed the extent of injustice and unfair or violent treatment, as well as took direct action against injustice. Additionally, significant events were those where Civil Rights leaders could celebrate a concrete victory, such as a court decision or a change in law. Moreover, the organizing principles and philosophies of the movement changed as different leaders and

Freedom riders challenged the facilities they encountered at bus terminals in the south which had been deemed illegal by the supreme court doing that those were dangerous the things that happened were beatings and arrests for the many people who were in it even Lewis suffered through it.

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the districts courts opinion and I would have ruled the same. Under the Fourteen Amendment, the Equal Protection Clause states that no person will be denied equal protection under the law. (Harrison) I believe the blatant segregation and lack of attention to fix the problem showed the concern for the inequality of African Americans. The African-American students were not being treated fairly under the law because they were being forced to go to schools built especially to keep them isolated from the other districts. These schools consisted of an almost entirely black population and were given leftover supplies and second-hand materials. (Chen) Due to the lack of authority and speed of the school system, the districts court’s decision was necessary, but also revolutionary because it challenged the ruling on one of the most important cases in American history. Although, the precedent from the Brown v. Board case limited the action to the states,

Although ruled unconstitutional, segregation continued in the Deep South while the government ignored it. The Freedom Rides then set out to challenge these states who ignored the ruling of segregated public buses and continued to enforce the Jim Crow laws. The Freedom Rides rode buses with mixed racial groups into the states. Often white mobs awaited their arrival to beat them down. The people on the bus never responded with violence and took massive beatings. The local police often knew about these mobbing’s, but ceased to do anything about it. Freedom Rides continued to send buses down despite getting beat up and killed. The more often this occurred the more national attention it got. This showed everyone how these states were disregarding

In Freedom’s Main Line, Derek Catsam argues that the most important battle for civl rights was segregated transportation. The first piece of evidence Catsam provides for this statement is that segregated transportation sparked the beginning of the freedom riders. The Freedom Riders were a group of civil rights activists who would ride interstate buses into the segregated southern United States beginning in 1961. Their reason for beginning this act was to challenge the lack of enforcement of the United States Supreme Court’s decision that segregated buses were unconstitutional.

Blacks have long endured the brutality of criticism because of their skin color. The Freedom Riders took on abuse and a burning bus to test the Court’s ruling, equal transportation for Blacks and Whites. Non-violent sit-ins were another step towards getting Blacks equal rights. Four African American college students walked up to a

The desegregation of public facilities began with the decision of Brown vs Board of Education in 1954, where the Supreme Court of the United States deemed segregation unlawful and unconstitutional. The country was told that desegregation was to take place "with all deliberate speed". This angered the white community. Violent retaliation was the means used to prevent the integration of blacks into various public facilities. In fact, the Autherine Lucy case demonstrated to the entire country that violent mobs could halt integration demanded by a federal court order. However, three years later, the Little Rock Crisis would affirm that if provoked by mobs, the executive

May 4th, 1961. Upon arrival in Atlanta, Dr. Martin Luther King prepared a reception for the riders and warned them not to continue the ride to Alabama for fear of retaliation from the white Southerners, the students insisted upon continuing their journey and spreading their message. On day eleven, May 14th, 1961, the first bus arrived in Birmingham, the riders discovered several groups of white men anticipating their arrival. These white men surrounded the bus, began yelling obscenities, flattened the bus tires, and then proceeded to burn the bus by tossing gasoline then lighting it on fire. Surprisingly the senseless and barbaric acts by the whites did not spur a violent retaliation from the freedom riders. The freedom riders were prepared for the worst and even role-played in an effort to remain calm and non-violent. The strategy of non-violence can be considered a psychological manipulation to demonstrate that they were not a threat, nor would they allow anyone to intimidate them. The nonviolent approach is vital for social movements as G. William Domhoff, PhD. indicates on his website, “Studies of social movements in the United States also show that the necessary social disruption has to be created through the principled use of strategic nonviolence. Any form of violence, whether property damage or physical battles with opponents and police, will turn off the great majority of Americans and bring down overwhelming police

Freedom riders fought for racial equality among African Americans in America in the 1960’s. Their purpose was to first stop segregation of transportation, and then later expand to racial equality everywhere. They were inspired by Rosa parks actions and advised by Martin Luther King Jr. The freedom riders protests lasted 7 months with about 400 members participating in them. Riders were supported by the Congress for Racial Inequality or CORE. Throughout history the southern states has been a place of slavery and after it has been abolished, the south finds a hard time integrating African Americans into daily lives. As a result of this behavior, the races are segregated. In the south the freedom riders faced many oppositions by legal forces to stop their protests.

In 1961 a group of people known as the freedom riders set out to the Deep South in order to defy the Jim Crow laws that made segregation legal and prohibited white and colored people from being together in the same restaurant. Train stations had white waiting areas and colored waiting areas. The freedom riders were calling for change; they were often imprisoned for disturbing the peace. The freedom riders movement was spreading across the country. The freedom riders were attacked many times but what occurred on May 14 is one of the most notorious times. “On May 14 an angry mob of Ku Klux Klansmen attacked a bus full of people As the crowd of about fifty surrounded the bus, an eighteen-year-old Klansman and ex-convict named Roger Couch stretched out on the pavement in front of the bus to block any attempt to leave, while the rest — carrying metal pipes, clubs, and chains — milled around menacingly, some screaming, "Dirty Communists" and "Sieg heil!" There was no sign of any police, even though Herman Glass, the manager of the Anniston Greyhound station, had warned local officials earlier in the day that a potentially violent mob