The Era Of Freedom : A Generation After The Emancipation Proclamation

The Civil Rights Movement in the United States refers to a set of events and reform movements in that country aimed at bringing to an end public and private acts of racial discrimination and racism against African Americans between 1954 to 1968, Whenever the civil rights is brought up there are names that almost always come to mind like Dr Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks. But there are others both black and white that participated in the movement. That are not as famous or not mentioned in history but played a major part in the movement.

I read The Back of the Bus, by Mary Mebane. In this essay Mebane tells us about a real life situation that she witnessed as a young girl. The situation occurred in the 1940's, while segregation was almost at it's worst. Mebane talks about the tension between the people on the bus when a white man got on and there was only one seat left, next to a black man. During all the tension the bus driver tried to tell the black man to move but, as he did a black woman stood up fighting for the black man and his seat. The bus driver realized they were at the last stop and let the situation go, as if nothing happened. I believe that the black man shouldn't have had to move but for his sake, he should have moved so he wouldn't have had to face the harsh

Mrs. Parks entered the bus, paid her fare, and took a seat in the middle section of the bus. The back of the bus was deemed the "colored section", the front was considered the "white section", and the middle section was for either race, however if a white person needed a seat, the black person was expected to give up their seat immediately. The bus made three stops a white man entered the bus and needed a seat, the three other black got out of their seat immediately, but when the driver ordered Rosa to get up she firmly stated "no", Mrs. Parks once stated that "people always say that I didn't give up my seat because I was tired, but that I didn't give up my seat because I was tired of giving in." According to "Rosa Parks", Mrs. Parks had meant to do no more than show one rude bus driver that blacks were being treated unfairly. She wasn't the first black to ever refuse to give up her seat, but her action had consequences. After she refused to give up her seat on the bus, the driver threatened to have her arrested, Mrs. Parks simply stated, "You may do that." The policemen clearly didn't want to arrest her, but law forced them to.

After Being Dragged out of their homeland, brought to an unknown country, and forced to be slaves, African-Americans saw a road trip to equality through the eyes of Martin Luther King, Jr. Even after being emancipated from slaves to citizens, African-Americans were not ready to wage the battle against segregation alone. The weight which African Americans carried on their back, was lightened when they began to see what Martin Luther King, Jr. brought to the table against segregation. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the single most important African-American leader of the Civil Rights Movement and was responsible for dramatically improving the chance of equality for African-Americans. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the key individual, which helped

The African American Civil Rights Movement officially “began” in 1954, but the ideas of Civil Rights had been brewing since the end of the Civil War, and even earlier. The Civil Rights Movement was centered on the idea of the equal, fair, and constitutional treatment of African Americans in the United States. The movement features some of history’s most prominent figures, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks. Throughout the movement, activists utilized protests, marches, boycotts, and strikes in attempts to change public opinion and governmental action on African Americans. The movement succeeded in overturning

The history of The Black Civil Rights Movement in the United States is a fascinating account of a group of human beings, forcibly taken from their homeland, brought to a strange new continent, and forced to endure countless inhuman atrocities. Forced into a life of involuntary servitude to white slave owners, African Americans were to face an uphill battle for many years to come. Who would face that battle? To say the fight for black civil rights "was a grassroots movement of ordinary people who accomplished extraordinary things" would be an understatement. Countless people made it their life's work to see the progression of civil rights in America. People like W.E.B. DuBois, Marcus Garvey, A Phillip Randolph, Eleanor Roosevelt, and many

The Black Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century pushed for and achieved different levels equality through its many prominent activists. Prior to the movement, millions of Black Americans faced brutal abuse and segregation with little to no government action taking place against such wrongdoings. The movement included passionate advocates for black equality such as Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. These civil and human rights activists inspired millions of Americans to join in the cause for justice and equality for all through their many unique styles. Malcolm X was one prominent civil rights activist known for his fiery demeanor and

Rosa Parks wouldn’t give up her seat on the bus for she thought that blacks and whites should be equal not separate and share the same bus seat.

Later, due to the events of the boycott, Martin Luther King Jr. emerged and was the movement’s “most effective leader” (Clayborne Carson). He is known for his nonviolent tactics and his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. Martin Luther King Jr. was also a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and later became the president of the SCLC in 1957 following the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

They organized the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) to plan the event and oversee its progress. Martin Luther King Jr. was elected president of the association, partly because he was a powerful speaker, and partly because he hadn’t been a part of the community long enough to have any enemies. The initial demands made by the MIA were only for courteous treatment, first serve seating, and job opportunities for African Americans to become bus drivers, however, these demands later expanded throughout the protest. Plans for the boycott were announced to the community by black ministers at Church on December 4. The Montgomery Advertiser, a general-interest newspaper, [also] published a front-page article on the planned action (history.com.) On top of that, the WPC passed out flyers informing the community of the boycott on December 5. By that same day the African American citizens of Montgomery were ready and willing to begin the thirteen month long protest for

Years before Rosa Parks, she was asked to give up her seat on a bus for a white man and asked to go into a “Jim Crow” car. She refused to move

The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln. This document stated that all of the enslaved people within the rebellious states are forever free. President Lincoln’s view towards the United States Constitution was that it protected slavery within the states it previously existed. Thus, Lincoln did not declare the document at the time because he understood that the northern states would not fight for slavery liberation. Later in 1862, slaves started to join the northern army. President Lincoln perceived this this as a sign of nullification and he could now continue on with the Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln’s Secretary of State was William H. Seward, he advised that they waited to issue the Proclamation until they

During his election campaign and throughout the early years of the Civil War, Lincoln vehemently denied the rumour that he would mount an attack on slavery. At the outbreak of fighting, he pledged to 'restore the Union, but accept slavery where it existed ', with Congress supporting his position via the Crittendon-Johnson Resolutions. However, during 1862 Lincoln was persuaded for a number of reasons that Negro emancipation as a war measure was both essential and sound. Public opinion seemed to be going that way, Negro slaves were helping the Southern war effort, and a string of defeats had left Northern morale low. A new moral boost to the cause might give weary Union soldiers added impetus in the fight. Furthermore, if the Union fought against slavery, Britain and France could not help the other side, since their 'peculiar institution ' was largely abhorred in both European nations. Having eased the American public into the idea, through speeches that hinted at emancipation, Lincoln finally signed the Proclamation on January 1st 1863, releasing all slaves behind rebel lines. Critics argued that the proclamation went little further than the Second Confiscation Act and it conveniently failed to release prisoners behind Union lines. Nevertheless, Henry Adams summed up public reaction to the Proclamation as an 'almost convulsive reaction in our favour '.

During the course of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, there were several black and white supporters who had brave roles. The most prominent and persistent activist of African American rights movement was Martin Luther King Jr. King’s ideas sparked the ideal perspective of equality. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for equality by organizing marches, giving powerful speeches, and staying positive through adversity.

She took a seat in the middle, right behind the 10 seats reserved for white people. All the seats were filled. A white man came on the bus, the driver insisted the four black people sitting just behind the white section move. Mrs. Parks an active NAACP member quietly refused this order.