The Civil Rights Movement: Racism In The United States

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.

While the Civil Rights Movement is considered a success, there is still racism in the United States today, in which blacks are still viewed as overly aggressive and overtly dangerous compared to whites. The racism we are familiar with today is called “institutional racism” and is not only shown in workplaces, but in schools and courtrooms. Institutional racism is defined as a pattern of social institutions who give negative treatment to a group of people based on race. To elaborate on institutional racism, starting with pre-school, black children make up only 18 percent of the pre-school population, but make up almost half of out of school suspensions. In K-12 black children are three times as likely to be suspended than white children. Now moving to the court system, black children make up nearly 60 percent of children in prison and are more likely to be sentenced as adults than white children. These statistics show that black’s, even black children, are more likely to be viewed as dangerous and subject to worse sentences.

Racism has been around since the beginning of civilization and was a big deal. During the times of the Old Testament and New Testaments were written, nations did not generally have anything like the modern western concept of equality. Essentially, each culture thought of itself as superior to others around it. Even the ancient Greeks, known for having pioneered the concept of democratic governance, considered mankind to be divided into two general classes- Greeks and Barbarians. Nations did not consider morality when they set out to conquer one another, and ownership could be gained by “right of conquest”. When one nation conquered another and spoils were taken, slaves were often among those spoils.

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 history of the United States in regard to racism and discrimination is no secret. Children are taught about segregation, slavery, and the Civil Rights Movement like the events were purely in the past. In part the events were in the past; however, the results of said events are not. As Americans, we live in a nation with a rough history and, in order to keep growing together, we cannot forget what has happened. Granted, racism is not extinct, but it is most definitely not the norm it was 50 years ago. Many people are not aware of how much racism still exists in our schools, workforces, and anywhere else where social lives are occurring. According to Derrick Bell’s book, Faces at the Bottom of the Well, Bell uses fiction stories to show that racism still exist but has a different form. In American society, racism is still evident today in racial symbols, covert racism and affirmative action.

The civil rights movement was time when racial equality was prominent in America. In this essay it will address the ways in which people challenged the ways of life to one day achieve racial equality. Jim crows laws and segregation was a dominant factor in the way that the courts ruled in favour of racial inequality.

The time of racism, segregation, and discrimination in the Civil Rights era was a difficult time for many people: whites, other races, and even children. Racism brought the realization to many people to think about how racism might affect their children and the way they were brought up. The real interesting fact is, that even though most Americans showed concern towards children there wasn 't a large percentage that took in consideration the feelings, thoughts, and affects that African- Americans and other racial children, including whites had towards the consent segregation, discrimination, and racism that went on in the Civil Rights era. Even the

“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle” (Marthin Luther King). The civil rights movement was a long and harsh journey for the "colored". A world, founded on equality, was separated by the color of one's skin. Of course, African Americans wanted the equality that was guaranteed by their Founding fathers. The color of people's skin slowly became irrelevant as blacks and whites were now equal by the decisions of the court cases : Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, and University of California v. Bakke.

White Supremacy isn't a series of attitudes or opinions, it's a structural-systemic-institutional problem. Indeed, most of the activists and writers on the Left treat racism as if it's a personal fault. It's not. It's a structural issue. The difference between individual racism and structural racism is important.

In March the United States celebrates the Selma-to-Montgomery march of 1965 to honor the civil rights movement and our nation’s continued progress towards racial equality. Yet almost five decades later a broken criminal-justice system has proven that we still have a long way to go in achieving racial equality. Today people of color continue to be excessively incarcerated, policed, and sentenced to death at significantly higher rates than whites. Further, racial differences in the criminal-justice system hurt communities of color by excluding thousands by limiting blacks the right to vote, limiting employment opportunities ,housing, public benefits, and education to millions more . While these disparities still exist it is crucial that a

Throughout the world, everyone makes remarks that may offend one’s character or race to distinguish him or her as inferior. Racism is a prominent epidemic that has especially affected African Americans in the development of America. Africans were torn away from their homes and brought to America in the 17th century to work as slaves, where they experienced various forms of chastisements and torture. Then in 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected president where he expressed his strong disposition against slavery, which then began the Civil War in America. Lincoln abolished slavery in 1863 in the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all the slaves. However, many of the freed slaves still lived in bad conditions and poverty. Whites saw African Americans as an inferior raced, and they discriminated against them, as they were not allowed to attend the same school or church as they did. In the 1950s, the Civil Rights movement grew as black activists made ground-breaking stands for their community including Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which banned discrimination in schools, jobs, or any public places. Despite these progressions throughout the years, about 25% of African Americans in the USA still live in poverty having a lower income and a higher unemployment rate than whites. Much of this inequality is due to the media’s portrayal of blacks in the community. The media uses negative stereotypes to depict untruthful and unpleasant

Looking back on the history of black people in America, we have come a long way. We still have a long way to go, even though some progress has been made. Black people started as slaves, who were the victims of rape, murder, and many other brutal things. Then came the civil rights period where most black people were free persay, but still lacked basic human rights. Today, black people in America are living in a place that appears to be equal and racially unbiased. This however, is not true. Black people are still exposed to racism, and unfair treatment. However, many people believe that racism and racial injustice do not exist in America. I believe that the progress, that has been made thus far should be attributed to protesting instead of politics. Though politics has aided in the rise and development of black people, protesting has played a bigger role. Protests are what lead to political gain in black history during the civil war period, the civil rights movement, and in the present. Protesting is the best way to achieve racial justice in America, because protesting sets the foundation for political change to occur.

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.

It is impossible to understand the Civil Rights movement without properly separating fact from popular belief. Many of the images that are part of our collective memory as Americans are of Dr. Martin Luther King have delivered his 'I have a dream' speech, or of Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on the bus. The civil rights movement was an intense war and a fierce revolution filled with violence and many deaths in which Blacks rose up and fight for their freedom. Consequently, many history students tend to fall into the trap of seeing the civil rights movement from the top down, mainly focused on the leadership of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, instead of the bottom up, while disregarding the millions of people who labored in the

At first glance, it would seem that we live in a utopian society. Everything is nearly perfect — we enjoy better health, have more free time, and live better lives overall than those who lived in 18th century America. It would seem to these early Americans that the country’s society today is living the perfect life.