The Civil Rights Movement During The 20th Century

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.

The civil rights movement was and still is a crucial piece of American culture because it helped shaped our society to what it is today. The civil rights movement occurred at a time where Americans began to protest, in mass groups, against racial segregation and discrimination that was increasingly prominent in America. American began to think different about segregation, many did not believe in it.

Civil rights are the rights that every person should have no matter their sex, religion, or race. These were deprived to African Americans for hundreds of years, long before the civil rights movement of the 1960s. African Americans were slaves from the 1500s until the 1860s when the Civil War happened. After the slaves were freed, there was still a lot of segregation and racism throughout the U.S., especially in the South. The government put into place Jim Crow Laws, which were strict segregation laws that would punish people who associated with people of another race, if the law forbade them to do so. They also used poll taxes, literacy tests, and other things of the like to prevent African Americans from voting. White supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan, or rather known as the KKK, would perform violent acts to minorities. They would bomb, carry out beatings and shootings and set fires to blacks’ homes.

Until the 1950s, African Americans had experienced discrimination in all aspects of their lives. They were no longer slave, but they were definitely not equal citizens.

The African-American Civil Rights Movement is arguably the largest and most successful push towards toward change in American history. The movement was influenced by some of the biggest figures in American history as well, led by Martin Luther King Jr. and influenced by others such as president Kennedy and Johnson. Amongst the numerous protests and powerful speeches during the Civil Rights Movement perhaps the most prominent is the series of three marches in 1965 known today as the “Selma to Montgomery” marches. The Selma to Montgomery marches were a series of three marches from Selma to Alabama’s capitol in Alabama There were multiple goals and objectives of these marches but the most obvious was to make the largest impact possible with a nonviolent approach. These marches marked the pinnacle of the movement gaining national attention and even the attention of president at that time Lyndon Johnson. Although there were numerous other marches, speeches, and protests throughout the time period of the African American Civil Rights movement, the marches from Selma to Montgomery are the most significant.

Since the creation of the United States of America, race has been an issue. The discussion of colored people’s position in society was discussed by the founding fathers even during the creation of the Constitution. As time passed, Americans realized the hypocrisy of the idea that all people are entitled to the rights of “life, liberty, and property.” How could a country support such an idea when the vast majority of its blacks lived in lifelong enslavement? The passage of the 14th and 15th amendments after the Civil War aimed to remedy the racial inequality that plagued America, but it became evident that that was not enough. As a result, the Civil Rights movement of the mid 20th century began in order to address existing issues. The movement led to the passage of pivotal pieces of legislation in regards to racial equality in America, such as the Civil Rights Act. Many believed that the racial problems of America had been solved. However, the issue of race has been brought to the forefront of America once again. In 2013, a controversial court case decision sparked the Black Lives Matter activist movement, which believes that racial inequality and profiling are problems that still exist in modern America and have contributed to unjustified violence against black people, especially by law enforcement officers.

Even with the passage of laws that guaranteed equality there were still many racial tensions during, before and after the war years. The large scale movement of African Americans from the South to the industrial centers in the North led to local confrontations over jobs and housing shortages. The Federal government feared a major race war could result. Luckily large scale disturbances did not happen, however there were instances of race riots in 1943 Detroit, and a series of anti-Mexican riots in Los Angeles during the same year. Despite all of these problems, the city of Vanport was officially integrated. The schools were mixed with all of the different ethnic and racial groups, and so were the churches and recreational facilities. Because of this, African Americans were able to form several organizations that helped them protect and expand their rights (citation).

And by virtue of the power and for the purpose of the aforesaid, I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States and parts of States are and henceforward shall be free; and that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons.” (CITE TEXT) It took just over 100 years for African-Americans to achieve the dream that Abraham Lincoln envisioned nearly a century before. During that time endemic racism led to wide scale organized social protests by black citizens and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (to be known as NAACP) across the United States, ultimately resulting in The Civil Rights Act of 1964. The signing of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was the first step in many historic protests and actions over the next 100 years that would eventually lead to both the Civil Rights and subsequently the Voting Act. This paper will examine some of the more notable incidents and protests that helped define the Civil Rights Movement.

During the time of the 1950’s and 1960’s, a large segments of African-Americans, women, and men were not really considered full citizenship rights in the American Republic, civil rights movements, as well as the struggles of freedom. The movements were to obtain civil rights for black Americans. Such movements have not only secured citizenship rights for blacks but have also redefined prevailing conceptions of the nature of civil rights and the role of government in protecting these rights. As mentioned in the text book, “The most important achievements of African-American civil rights movements have been the Post Civil War constitutional amendments”. As mentioned in the Webster dictionary, (2015) “This amendment abolished slavery and established

Titans are the Warriors. Warriors are the Titans. They both fought the same fight. They both played the same game. They were Warriors and they were Titans, but the fight was just too big for their strength and mind to hold. And they broke.

America has experienced many periods in history that shape the social system we have today. Many of our adopted attitudes and beliefs have outlined our present and nearing future into a more liberal society. Following World War II, America was placed on a pedestal admired by the world around it for success during the post-war period. America had more internal damage that was not reflective of the values the country was set on. Entering the post War period, a group of college students advocated for domestic change writing a manifesto popularly known as the Port Huron Statement on June 15 of 1962. Students desired change and became active in the Civil Rights Movement in hopes to change the attitudes of the citizens in America. The Port Huron Statement reflected ideas of these newly conscious middle American youth, increased Civil right activism, and created the New Left in regards to form a more democratic society.

The African American Civil Rights Movement was a fight for racial justice, desegregation and against discrimination. Even after 100 years of the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans were living in a segregated and unequal society. They became tired of the injustice and started to get organized. The most common place to get together and express their discontent was in black churches, where Martin Luther King Jr., the leader of the movement, gave speeches to keep the people motivated. He encouraged non-violence tactics of protest; stating “And I want to say, that we are not here advocating violence. I want it to be known throughout Montgomery and throughout this nation that we are Christian people.” (King, 1955) Continuing, “We believe

The African American Civil Rights movement was a defining moment in world history. It was a movement aimed at gaining equality and freedom for African American people. While many different types of people contributed to the achieving of this goal it could be argued that the youth were the driving force of this movement. Evidence suggests that they were an effective protest group who greatly contributed to the outcome of the civil rights movement. In order to determine the reality of this statement this essay will analyse:

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