Social Movements And The Civil Rights Movement

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.

Although there was significant progress made in the 60’s Civil Rights Movements, African American lives still find themselves the subjects of racial profiling and police brutality cases. Specific incidents have brought the controversies to the public eye through social media and backlash from social movements. The cases of Trayvon Martin and Sandra Bland led to the controversies and feelings of judicial injustice; these events and public outrage sparked and fueled the movement “Black Lives Matter”, which was established to challenge and combat racial discrimination and police brutality. Since then, the movement has gained momentum and continues to gain followers and validity. Social media has also been a main contributor to the cause, as the

Social movements are one of the primary means through which the public is able to collectively express their concerns about the rights and wellbeing of themselves and others. Under the proper conditions, social movements not only shed light on issues and open large scale public discourse, but they can also serve as a means of eliciting expedited societal change and progress. Due to their potential impact, studying the characteristics of both failed and successful social movements is important in order to ensure that issues between the public and the government are resolved to limit injustices and maintain societal progress.

Social movements are vital to the establishment of our societies, and they way we are governed. Social movements help the less privileged band together to create a stronger voice among a sea of political correctness and unlawfully rule that the public supposedly have to abide by without question. Movements create this new form of platform that, if done successfully, are able to create a worldwide frenzy where people from across all walks of life, including politicians, academics, the less fortunate, the homeless, doctors, etc, are able to come together to create change, or to start to create change on a matter that is close to their hearts. One of these matters that has come up in recent years that has been an ongoing battle for centuries upon centuries is Black Lives Matter (Although named various things throughout time such as black civil rights). Black Lives Matter is a movement that started back in 2012 after George Zimmerman was acquitted for his crime against a 17 year old boy named Trayvon Martin, and Trayvon was then put on trial for his own murder (Garza, A. 2014, p. 1.). This crime was just the tipping point for three women who wanted to see a change in the way black lives were/are treated. Black Lives Matter is one of the most important socio-political movements of our time, and this is why it is an important movement to connect with and understand. Throughout, I will be going through the strategies and the tactics Black Lives Matter advocates and cofounders have

Even after two years passing, Trayvon Martin’s murder still escalates throughout the world. Trayvon Martin was shot and killed February 26, 2012 by George Zimmerman. Zimmerman was the neighborhood-watch and said he thought Trayvon looked suspicious as he returned home from the store. He called the police to report his findings but disobeyed protocol given by the dispatcher. Zimmerman was told to wait for police to arrive and not to pursue Martin. The actions of Zimmerman and Martin remain unknown after ending the call. Police arrived to the scene of Trayvon Martin shot and killed with a bullet wound to the chest. In Zimmerman’s trial he was found not guilty to the murder of this innocent seventeen year old boy, Trayvon Martin. He claimed he reacted in self defense. George Zimmerman did not deserve a ‘not guilty’ sentence because of his assumptions without proof, poor judgment, and stand your ground law.

Zimmerman then called 9-1-1 and reported him to the police he then told the police he was following him the officer on the call responded by telling Zimmerman “we don’t need you to do that” but, Zimmerman continued his pursuit. Nevertheless, victim Martin was on the phone with a friend during this time knowing the man had been following him as Zimmerman continued to follow him Martin took off running like any other human being would who was being followed by a strange unknown person. Zimmerman chased after Martin where Martin was caught by Zimmerman and an argument broke out as to why he was following him, which lead to a scuffle according to Zimmerman where he then took his gun out and fired a shot into the 17-year-old killing him. In chapter IV and V hill points on the phrase “stand your ground” on several pages and points out William Blackstone, who provides us with legal thinker parses the crime three categories: justifiable, excusable, and felonious. Justifiable is a murder committed by the order of the state, excusable is an act of murder committed without intent. There is a “stand your grown” law that allows you to enact in ways needed to protect yourself if needed

Trayvon Martin was a 17-year-old boy that lived in Florida. He lived with his mother and often visited his father. While he had undergone some troubles, he overall was not a terrible kid. Although he was notably young and minded his own business, others did not. On February 26, 2012, the young boy’s life was taken away from him. The man who killed him was George Michael Zimmerman. He served as a neighborhood watch captain around the area where his old man lived. CNN stated that all he had was skittles and tea in his hand. Now tell me does that seem threatening to you? According to Zimmerman, he was claiming “self-defense” and that Trayvon was “a suspicious person.” Florida law states that one is granted the “stand your ground” law and that is what Zimmerman claimed to do in an act of defense. Zimmerman was arrested, but he was not charged or convicted of Martin’s murder even though people know that Zimmerman killed him for absolutely no actual cause.

leading up to the death of Trayvon Martin and questions if George Zimmerman was indeed guilty of second degree manslaughter. His lawyer, Mark O 'Mara, believes that the reason why this case had gone to court was due to Martin being black and Zimmerman being white. This leads us to question the reason why Martin was shot in the first place. According to O 'Mara, “George Zimmerman was never guilty of anything except firing the gun in self-defense.” Serving on the local neighborhood watch, Zimmerman felt it was his responsibility to protect his neighborhood from crime. The night of the incident, he called in the suspicion to the local authorities who did not authorize him to persue Martin. The events following his disreguard to this request are of debate, but the cuts found on Zimmerman 's head are proof that there was a struggle between the two; according to testimony Zimmerman claims that he was attacked by Martin who then bashed his head into the sidewalk. The lethal wound received by Martin was also considered in the verdict due to it being at an angle only capable if Martin had been leaning over Zimmerman. Although many speculate that that racial profiling was a key component of this investigation, the jury sided with Mr. Zimmerman and after being on trial for 16 months, he was released from custody following the hearing.

On the evening of February 26, Trayvon Martin went to a local neighborhood corner store and bought some candy and a juice. As Trayvon returned from the store, he walked through a neighborhood that had been known to have several robberies that year. Zimmerman, a member of the community watch, saw him and called the Police to report him. Zimmerman then followed Martin but was told not to do so on foot by the police. Moments later, there was an altercation between the two individuals in which Martin was shot in the chest. Zimmerman, who was injured in the altercation, was not charged at the time of the shooting by the Sanford Police, who said that there was no evidence to refute his claim of self-defense and that Florida's stand your ground law prohibited law-enforcement officials from arresting or charging him. Zimmerman was eventually charged and tried in Martin's death and a jury acquitted Zimmerman of second-degree murder and of manslaughter in July

On February 26 2012 Trayvon Martin was shot dead by George Zimmerman, who pleaded not guilty for using self-defense. One important issue to the self-defense plea is that Mr. Zimmerman was familiar with the “stand your ground law” that allows a person to use deadly force in order to prevent heavy injuries, In which Zimmerman states that Trayvon was bashing his head on the concrete. With regards to this the jurors agreed that it was a self-defense situation because they were told that Trayvon was on top and Zimmerman was on the bottom. I personally don’t agree with the verdict because I’m sure that Mr. Zimmerman could’ve handled Trayvon in another form of manner instead of taking his life.

George Zimmerman has argued not guilty towards the Trayvon Martin case. Zimmerman is the area watch volunteer. Zimmerman said that he shot Trayvon for his own self-protection. The state of Florida has a law expressing "Stand your ground". Zimmerman was the main observer of the demise of Martin.

Beginning in the 1960’s the growing strength of the civil rights movement struck the attention of political figures that influenced calls to reform the U.S. immigration policy. In the 1920’s immigration was based on the national-origins quota system. The system assigned each nationality a quota, which restricted immigration on the basis of existing proportions of the population due to its representation in past U.S. census figures. The goal of the quota system was to maintain the existing ethnic composition of the United States. However, the Civil Rights Movement’s focus on equal treatment regardless of race or ethnicity led to many to view the system as discrimination. Many politicians agreed with the unethical dilemma and on July 23, 1963 President John F. Kennedy addressed the system in his message to congress as having “no basis in either logic nor reason.” "It neither satisfies a national need nor accomplishes an international purpose. In an age of interdependence among nations, such a system is an anachronism for it discriminates among applicants for admission into the United States on the basis of the accident of birth." (Kennedy, John F., Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1964, pp. 594-597.) The support for change grew when foreign policy began to show concern.

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.

The Civil Rights movement is one of the most important acts to change the way not only African Americans were able to live their lives but all races and colors. It would slowly break down the social, economic, political, and racial barriers that were created by the The Age of Discovery and Transatlantic Slave trade. I believe without the Civil Rights acts our country would result to be no better than what it was when the Emancipation Proclamation just took effect. In the 1950s and long before, Southern folk, who were white had created a system that would interpret them as a superior race over blacks. The system would defend whites rights and privileges from being taken away from them while establishing terrible inhumane suffering for African Americans. In the South blacks were controlled in all aspects economic, political, and personal, this was called a “tripartite system of domination” - (Aldon D. Morris) (6) Though it isn’t as prevalent racism and discrimination towards other races that aren’t white is still found in America and can be in schools, the workplace, even when you are in the general public but you no longer see discriminating signs saying “Whites” or “Blacks” or Colored” along the front of bathroom, restaurants, and shopping malls doors. Nor do you see people being declined the right to buy a home based on their color or access to school and an equal education being declined because one didn’t meet racial requirements. The acts of violence towards

Will protests and social movements be what they are today if media wasn’t such an influence? “Social movements are groups of individuals that focus on a certain situation that has specific political or social issues, that they wanted to change” ( McLeod, 2011). Social movements use the media to express concerns and provide evidence to communicate their points of concern and interest. Various blogs such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are primary sources that organizations use to advertise and introduce the movements and protests. “Protest are what the social movements do to make a statement to express their disapproval of the situation ( McLeod, 2011).” Protesting is a form of expressing one’s opinions and concerns about issues that happen in their society. Dr. King often used the media through his protesting for civil rights during his marches for accurate context. One of his famously recorded protest were the “March on Washington For Jobs and Freedom” where he delivered his well-known speech “I Have a Dream” this successfully removed the barriers from the states restrictions. Media has a great impact on protesting ever since the Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968) to the Gay Marriage Rights (2015). Media coverage concerning protesting allowed the country to become aware of these events regarding certain movements. Thus media is necessary for protesting and social movements in our society.