The Black Freedom Struggle Of The 1960s

Though the conclusion of the American Civil War in 1965 marked the end of slavery in the United States, African-Americans would not see anything resembling true freedom from the segregation and isolation imposed by slavery until very recently, and only after decades of difficult struggle. Some of the most important achievements occurred during the 1960s, when a generation of African-American leaders and activists, including Martin Luther King Jr., Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, and the Freedom Riders, fought against some of the last vestiges of explicit, institutionalized segregation, discrimination, and isolation in order to attain equality and civil rights. Only by examining the treatment of African-Americans throughout America's history can one begin to understand how the the ending of slavery, the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, and the contemporary issues facing the African-American community are inextricably linked. In turn this allows one to see how rather than existing as a single, identifiable turning point in the history of civil rights, African American's struggle for equality and an end to isolation must be considered as an ongoing project.

Freedom is a fundamental human right that all Americans enjoy today. Foner defines freedom as the ability of an individual to do as he/she wishes as long as long as the actions are within the law and respect the right of others (2). Accordingly, freedom is among the rights that are anchored in American constitution to protect the civil liberties of all Americans. Today, America is regarded as a democratic country that operates within the rule of law partly because of its respect for human rights (Romano 3). However, history shows that the freedom that African Americans enjoy today did not come easily; rather came after a long and enduring struggle by Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968). It is noted that, unlike white Americans who enjoyed freedom to do as they wished in the early 19th century, African Americans were denied the freedom to operate freely like their white counterparts (Foner 6). Therefore, because curtailing the freedom of African Americans were denying them the opportunity to advance socially, economically and politically, the Civil Rights Movement was formed by Martin Luther King Junior and colleagues to fight against racial segregation and to ensure that African Africans gain equal rights as the whites. This essay seeks to explore the Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968) struggle for freedom and

The Causes of the Black Riots in the 1960s Throughout the 1960s many riots involving black people and other minority groups took place in the Eastern States of America. The 1965 riots in Watt County were one such example and demonstrated the horrific inequalities still present in America one year after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 had been introduced. The riots lasted for six days, leaving 34 people dead, over a thousand injured, nearly 4,000 arrested and hundreds of buildings destroyed. There were many factors that played a part in causing the riots such as a failing education system, damaged relations between the police force and minority groups (especially black African Americans) and poor

The 1950’s -1960’s was a tough time for African Americans. Struggling for freedom since the 19th century, they were finally closer to getting what they deserved. Alice walker’s short story, “Everyday use,” describes the different stances blacks had during that decade.

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.

Running Head: The Rise of African- Americans From 1865 To 2012, Their Struggles To Become Free Americans

In 1863 the emancipation proclamation was signed giving African American citizens the right to vote. In 1964 the Civil Rights Act passed outlawing discrimination based on, among other qualities, race. Although progress in racial equality is evident, its slower than many assume. W.E.B. Du Bois (p.373) lamented, “The Nation has not yet found peace from its sins; the freedman has not yet found in freedom his promised land.” America’s culture of racial stereotyping and hidden racism is explored in Robin D. G. Kelly’s essay “Confessions of a nice negro, or why I shaved my Head”, and complimented by Du Bois’s pioneering theories regarding the color line, the veil, double consciousness, and standpoint epistemology found in “The Souls of Black folk” and “The Souls of White Folk.”

After the civil war, all of the slaves were freed; unfortunately, there were some stipulation behind their freedom. Black people were free, but not equal to the white race. They had very few rights and privileges. They could not vote, be elected, participate in juries, obtain an education, and more. Even with their new found freedom, they could not move about freely from one county to the next. Certain states required registration/pass along with a white guardian (who would corroborate the good behavior of free blacks). As time progress, blacks began to form organizations, schools, practices, communities, churches, and more in hope to redirect the ways of life (that most black were accustomed to) to achieve a better

One of the biggest problems Africans Americans faced in America is Segregation, discrimination, racism, prejudice, rebellion, religion, resistance, and protest. These problems have helped shape the Black struggle for justice. Their fight for justice marks a long sequence of events towards their freedom. Provisions of the Constitution affect the operation of government agencies and/or the latitude chief executives and legislatures in the creation and implementation of policies

Recently in the United States there has been an uprising in backlash due to the growing knowledge of the issues facing African Americans. The issues have existed for a very long time, but recent events such as fatal encounters with police officers have made this more present in the media. I believe it is more of people realizing they aren’t getting what they deserve and then people still denying those rights. Ever since the Civil War, member of the southern states have hung up the confederate rebel flag as a reminder of their place in history. Today, the battle for this flag to be taken down has received much media attention. The flag is viewed in some minds as a symbol of rebelling against oppressors instead of a representation of the support

The war of equality for the African American was fought on many battlefields. Whether on American soil or the trenches of other countries, black men and women gave their every breath to be known as equal human beings. The white man of the south, on the other hand, rich or poor and uneducated alike wanted to insinuate their façade of superiority and hold the black community to their haven of slavery. Being put through unimaginable trials such as lynching, Jim crow laws, sharecropping did not stop African Americans from their endeavors, in reality, it gave them a reason to strive for their constitutional rights that have been forsaken for too long. Because going back to the days of slavery -although it seemed like they were treated that way

The civil rights movement in the United States was the start of a political and social conflict for African-Americans in the United States to gain their full rights in the country, and to have the same equality as white Americans. The civil rights movement was a challenge to segregation, the laws and ordinances that separated blacks and whites. This movement had the goal to end racial segregation against the black Americans of the United States.

The black freedom struggle has not yet come to an end – there are still prejudiced and racist radicals that try to negotiate white supremacy and dominance in order to prevent the blacks from their long wait for equality. Consequently, the movement has progressed very sluggishly in the past few centuries. Nevertheless, the campaign for equal rights has led to the triumph over slavery and has led to the accrual of suffrage rights. However, this is still not enough, not after centuries of enslavement, lynching, segregation, and discrimination. Oftentimes, there is still no justice in court houses, especially when black people are accused and convicted, even for the simplest of crimes – as compared to the white and powerful who are charged for heinous misconducts and get away scratch free. Hence, throughout the period of the Blacks’ long fight for freedom and equality, several Black intellectuals have come front with ideas that could administer better treatment for their people. A good strategy to encourage the black populace to fight for their freedom and their rights is by inverting popular ideas so that there is a clear distinction between the reasonable and unreasonable notions of equality and justice. Thus, it was not uncommon for these literati to undermine dominant discourses in order to bolster their own analyses. Among the discussed black intellectuals who inverted prevailing dissertations, three that stood out the most are Frederick Douglass, Anna Julia Cooper, and

For decade’s race relations has been a controversial topic in America. Black Americans have been fighting for equal treatment for over fifty years. David Fitzsimmons’ compelling cartoon, “Ferguson, Don’t Shoot,” published August 2014 in the Arizona Daily Star, used a variety of persuasive techniques to voice his opinion on race relations and equal treatment of African-Americans in America today following recent criticism of President Obama and the non-violent protests in Ferguson, Missouri By using certain language, colors, and including one of the most powerful political figures, he draws the attention of the audience to an issue bigger than Ferguson.

The Black Panthers stated in The Ten Point Program, “We believe that Black people will not be free until we are able to determine our destiny.” (Panthers Black “The Ten-Point Program”) Sixties were the time of the Civil Rights Movements and there was a need for political expression, freedom of speech, there was a social inequality and social exclusion of the African-Americans, and everything led to political tension and government tactics to change the direction to a better life. The period of the Sixties was a time of brilliant people such as Martin Luther King, Cesar Chavez, and Fred Hampton. Martin Luther King was not just a hero, but also a fighter. King and Chavez were nonviolent activists that made their names to be famous in the Sixties by their actions against the government. Also, The Black Panthers and Hampton were for more violent actions to change the life of people. Those people changed the history and left a strong reminder of how usual people can be strong and make changes. They struggle began with non-violent protests and the civil rights movement. Sixties was a time of changes, but most importantly non-violent changes to show the cruel government of that time. During the Sixties radical struggled, leaders like King and Chavez were for nonviolent movements, and The Black Panthers and Hampton were response to nonviolent movements with more active and violent actions.