Social Groups In The 1960s

In 1960, there were tremendous of social ferment that was responsible for agitation and protest. Through direct protest, many African Americans, women, and homosexuals were able to gain recognition and break down the walls of discrimination and segregations. Out of the numerous elements that arose in the 1960s, there are three movements that truly affected the American society. Firstly, the rise of the civil rights movement was greatly influenced by racial discrimination of colored people in the South. Secondly, the women’s movement aimed to convince the society that women are capable of achieving and maintaining higher waged job like males. Lastly, the gay rights movement aimed to gain acceptance and stop discrimination of homosexuality. The most significant effect on the development of American society was the women’s movement and how they expanded their economic and political opportunities. The common goal among African Americans, women’s, and homosexuals was to obtain their equal rights as citizens of America and to desegregate all the boundaries between white and black population.

The history of the gay rights movement goes as far back as the late 19th century. More accurately, the quest by gays to search out others like themselves and foster a feeling of identity has been around since then. It is an innovative movement that seeks to change existing norms and gain acceptance within our culture. By 1915, one gay person said that the gay world was a "community, distinctly organized" (Milestones 1991), but kept mostly out of view because of social hostility. According to the Milestones article, after World War II, around 1940, many cities saw their first gay bars open as many homosexuals began to start a networking system. However, their newfound visibility only backfired on them, as

This investigation assesses the New York City Stonewall Riots of 1969, concerning their influence on the rise of the modern gay rights movement, specifically regarding political emergence, social unity, and demographic shifts. The investigation will attempt to answer the following question: To what extent were the Stonewall Riots of 1969 a catalyst for the LGBT social movement in America?

Many leaders arose during this time and called for a change in the treatment of African Americans such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. With the ideas of hope for a better future many African American communities decided to hold protests to change the way the government acted towards them. The government was supposed to help the people not disregard them when they are in need of help or focus on one group of people all together. Throughout the Civil Rights Movement each time they protest and it threatened the stability of the country the government gives in to them and granted them their rights such as the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The 1965 Voting Rights Act was put in place to make up for the holes in the 15th amendment which has allowed the passing of the Jim Crow laws as well as the unconstitutionally approval of the Plessy v. Ferguson case. As people saw the African Americans being hit with tear gas, being beaten, and whipped by the state troopers and still pushed forward showed the lengths they will go to achieve their dream of a new future.

In the 1960ś direct action programs were made for the African Americans that were struggling and getting treated very badly. And their was a leader that believed a change can happen in the African American male community.In the 1960ś African Americans rose up to fight against the social systems and public that had taken right away many whites supported their campaign.The civil rights movement was initially a campaign made by African Americans. There results of the civil rights movement yielded a more conscious toward equality.The montgomery Bus boycott is a major milestone in civil rights history because it was a civil rights movement international resistance for radical segregation and helped changed the view of disorderly conduct toward

Gay liberation throughout the United States had a purpose for lesbians and gay men to have gay lifestyles be normal. Gay liberation affected politics because gay men and lesbians wanted to inform their peers and family, which changed how citizens would view their sexual orientation. The gay liberation took place during the 1960’s through the 1980’s in which changed many cultures. The culture in the United States changed dramatically because during the 1960s through 1980s , there was an AIDS outbreak. AIDS was a sickness after HIV that would cause an individual’s body to weaken, therefore United States citizens would link AIDS to people who were gay or lesbian. For instance, David Rayside compares the United States to Britain, “After World War II, however, Britain once again stood out in the extent to public anxieties about sexuality were fanned and legal regulation of homosexual activity policed”(40) and “British authorities were especially preoccupied with the condemnation and strict containment of homsexuality.”(40). Homosexuality affected politics because authorities would prioritize the gays and lesbians before anything else. There were clear observations that governments from Britain and United States were not in favor for homosexuality, therefore attempting to change people's views on homosexuality so gays and lesbians would not be accepted into the society. Being accepted into a society requires majority of citizens to approve of other’s decisions. For example, citizens viewing gays or lesbians in public without attempting to discriminate their sexuality. The women’s movement was similar to the gay liberation because it affected politics greatly by hierarchies being

The 1950s and 1960s was a period of growth and prosperity in America. Features of the common life included innovations such as television, dishwasher, and home air-conditioning. However, not all Americans equally benefited from the economic growth of this period of time. In addition to Jim Crow laws and unequal economic opportunities, America’s society became further segregated as many whites moved to the suburbs while blacks remained in run-down city neighborhoods. These many inequalities sparked the civil rights movement, where African Americans stood up and fought for their rights using nonviolent methods. The movement influenced the emergence of many prominent figures including Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. The civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s was successful in achieving equal rights for African Americans through nonviolent protests such as the Montgomery bus boycott, sit-ins, and marches.

Stonewall Riots: the Events that Sparked the LGBTQ+ Rights Movement When most think of the gay rights movement of today, most realize that it is all very progressive, and many people, regardless of gender or sexuality, fully support the movement. Although this is the case now, things for the LGBTQ+ community have not always this accepting. According to a popular news website, "[The LGBTQ+ community] were viewed as some kind of freak show," said Tommy Lanigan-Schmidt. "Something to be avoided." (cbsnews.com) Around the mid 20th century and before, anyone who did not identify, or was suspected of not identifying as straight was highly discriminated against, and, in most cases, persecuted.

This article from the Mattachine Society of New York Newsletter helped us realize that this was one of the first gay riots in history. It discussed how prior to that night, hardly anyone ever fought back, so they were easy targets for the police.

The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears” (Douglass 12). Music was a way for slaves to release their anger and sorrow in hope to find relief of their oppression. During this time in history, slaves possessed little to no rights so one of their only ways to express their beliefs was through songs. Josephine Wright states that “enslaved African Americans turned to song […] to tell their histories, record experiences, articulate aspirations for justice, vent anger, and protest the institution of slavery (414). Out of fear, slaves could not openly protest against the way they were treated.

For more about music in the Civil Rights Movement, read these two Folklife Today blog posts on “Tracing the Long Journey of “We Shall Overcome” and “Photographs of the Southern Freedom Movement in the Alan Lomax

Rapid expansion of civil liberties and rights in America occurred during the last half of the 20th century. The social, moral, and racial injustice shown towards the African Americans community during the 1950’s and 60’s lead to the birth of a new nation. Throughout the South many African Americans were denied the basic right to vote, barred or segregated from public facilities, subjected to insults and violence, and misrepresented by the judicial system. In the North, black Americans faced discrimination towards employment, education, housing, and many other areas. Due to this racial inequality, many African Americans and their supporters banded together to form civil rights movement for change, and in do so they were subject to significant

The climate of the 1960s was turbulent. This decade was marked by many political movements, which reflected support for non-establishment themes. During this time the “sexual liberation movement” became a popular cause. This intensified social and political interest helped many disadvantaged groups to receive support and attention that previously had never been received. As part of the nation’s desire for sexual political liberation, gay liberation became visible.

“Where Have All The Flowers Gone?” by Pete Seeger became a popular anti-war protest song during the 1960s. This song did not only protest against the Vietnam War but also made their generation more aware about the global problems. Songs like “Not Ready to Make Nice” by Dixie chicks about freedom of speech was written after they received death threats for singing against the Iraq war, protests against the violation of human rights. But music is not only used to protest, it is also used to give hope and optimism. “We Shall Overcome”, a song sung by Guy Carawan together with the Montgomery Gospel Trio and the Nashville Quartet, is perhaps the best known example of civil rights song. Instead of blaming the government, this song registered a feeling of hope and faith among African-Americans during the civil rights movement.

The history of the gay rights movement is a story of hardships and how people came over these hardships. The start of the gay rights movement was the evens at the Stonewall Inn. On the morning of June 28, 1969, the NYPD raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in New York City (Benson). The reason the bar was raided was because they may have been selling alcohol illegally but also used that as an excuse to arrest homosexuals. Soon after the raid on the bar, many people rioted against the police ("Gay Rights Movement Launched, June 27, 1969-July 2, 1969"). The rioting lasted for many days and after all these raids the official gay rights movement began. The gay rights movement was expanded and made mainstream with the AIDS Epidemic. In 1981, many young, homosexual men were being diagnosed with a new disease called AIDS ( "The AIDS Crisis"). The disease was originally named after gay people but once immigrants were confirmed to have it the name