The Selma-Montgomery March Essay

The Civil Rights Movement symbolized the challenge and opposition to the racial injustices and segregation that had been engrained in American society for hundreds of years. Events that took place in the 1950s and 1960s, such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, sit-ins, speeches and numerous protests define this momentous time in United States history. Speeches during this period served as a means to inspire and assemble a specific group of people, for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X it was the black community that needed to rise up in hopes of achieving equal rights and voting rights for the blacks.

The Civil Rights Movement during the 1960’s aimed at the equal opportunities for blacks. The blacks not only wanted political freedom, but also hoped to gain social freedom as well. On top of that, blacks wanted to end segregation. The Civil Rights Movement involved many events that would later lead to equality and freedom, the goal for the blacks.

Martin Luther King jr. was one of the most influential persons of the 20th Century. He is the father of the modern civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., is recognized around the world as a symbol of freedom as well as peace. King practiced everything that he preached, he did not preach or speak values that he himself did not follow. He established himself as a pastor that was not afraid of hard work, guiding the middle-class congregation to public service. For example, Peake, Thomas R. author of "Martin Luther King, Jr.” states, “He encouraged his parishioners to help the needy and to be active in organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)”. I think that kings motivation

The marchers gathered at the Washington Monument before dawn as planned on August 28, 1963. At 11:30, 100,000 to 200,000 of them began marching towards the Lincoln Memorial singing “We Shall Overcome” (“The March on Washington” 12). At the memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered multiple speeches along with other African Americans about segregation and discrimination issues. During one of his speeches, King Jr. declared that “we will not hate you, but we cannot obey your unjust laws. Do to us what you will and we will still love you…But we will soon wear you down by our capacity to suffer. And in winning our freedom, we will so appeal to your heart and conscience, that we will win you in the process” (“Negro Protest Movement” 507). This statement by King Jr. describes his plans of further nonviolent protesting against “unjust laws” to convince others of the civil rights movement’s cause. He furthers this statement and elaborates his ideas in his infamous speech, “I Have a Dream.”

The Civil Rights Movement’s mission was to end segregation and advance equality for African Americans (Hanks, Herzog, and Goetzman). Almost one hundred years after the civil war, African Americans were still struggling to gain the same rights as white Americans. The movement was led by leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks. Gaining momentum in the 1950’s with the Supreme court’s ruling of Brown vs. Board of Education where public schools were desegregated, the Civil Rights movement flourished in the 1960’s. One of the group’s main goals was to take on the Jim Crow South. Segregation prevented African Americans from drinking out of the same water fountain, using the same restroom, and even sitting at the same lunch table as white people. By promoting peaceful protest, they were able to educate others on their issues.

African American people have come a long way from the illiterate slaves, who were once picking cotton in fields, to powerful political leaders. A prime example would be President Barack Obama, the first African American president of the United States of America. But first we must ask ourselves, how did this occur? Who lead African Americans to better living standards? Civil rights leaders, such as Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and Rosa Parks, just to name a few. However, among these great names in history, there is one that stands out, and that man is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King gave hope to those in need with his awe inspiring sermons he performed at the church his grandfather founded. He changed foes to

During the Selma March, certain areas in the South made it difficult for blacks to register to vote. African Americans had to suffer taking beatings or getting killed due to discrimination. However, Martin decided to start an epic march from Selma to Montgomery. The Selma to Montgomery march consisted of civil rights protests that occurred in Alabama. Back then Alabama was a Southern state filled with racist policies.

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 Civil Right movement was a mass protest movement against racial segregation and discrimination. By mid 1950s slavery was the key point of why African American fight for their freedom. Through nonviolent protest, the civil rights broke the pattern of public facilities being segregated by “Race” in the south equal rights.Between so many protest made to fight for their freedom the had to walk street after street to be able to get justice of liberty and not fear to get pointed out over color skin.

Many people turned to violence during this time, but Martin Luther King, Jr., a legendary front-runner of this movement, advocated for peace. In his “I Have a Dream” speech, one that is still quoted by American citizens today, he voiced his wish that “one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will he able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers” (King). Rather than using his position of power to communicate rage to the masses of people gathered before him, King relayed messages of optimism. As a result, the Civil Rights movement was one built on the notion that peaceful resistance was the key to equality. The Montgomery bus boycott, marches in Selma, Birmingham, and Washington, D.C. were all intentionally nonviolent. Protesters, calm in the face of brutal police retaliation in order to defend their rights, eventually achieved equality under the law (Simkins). Footage from the “Bloody Sunday” march in Selma, displaying passive African-American protesters being beaten down by police, was rapidly spread through the media, eventually reaching President Lyndon B. Johnson and motivating him to take action against racism, passing measures such as the 1965 Voting Rights Act (History.com) Though radical protesters did resort to violence during the movement, we remember it and teach it for its emphasis on

The Civil Rights Movement was a movement centered around the black community achieving freedom from discrimination politically and socially. They mainly fought for equal opportunities regarding employment, education, and housing,

During the civil rights movement, people were fighting for their dreams, for their goals, and for their future. Imagine if you were put in a situation like that; what would you do? These people were not looking to be feared, but to be looked at as equals. They protested peacefully, marched, and used the legal system. They did this all for equality.

A devastating 18 day, 50-mile march took place countless beaten senseless, but it was worth it. The first Selma to Montgomery march 7 1965 bloody Sunday. The march began when a prime leader John Lewis the leader of the SNCC (Student nonviolent coordinating committee) he wanted to try to end segregation as well as bring voting rights to blacks. Nevertheless, that’s not how it went, state troopers were ordered to wait 2 minutes before attacking the marchers, if you haven’t guessed yet that’s not how it went, the state troopers attacked. Ending up in the result of brutality hurting numerous men along with women. Spiting on them clubbing them to the extinct of jail time in are generation, whipped, stomped on by horses, the list goes on and on. That remains known as bloody Sunday. When someone my age (13) thinks about bloody Sunday it’s vague but if you were to ask someone who was there it’s an era of dark memories. This would go on to what will build

The Civil Rights Movement was a fight for African American equality i n opportunities and treatment. The movement involved many events, but a major component was the March on Washington on April 28, 1963. The March on Washington occurred on the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the emancipation proclamation. Although Slaves had been freed and given voting rights since the signing of the emancipation proclamation, racism still was present, even one-hundred years after. The objective of this march was to stop this racism in a non-violent way. The March on Washington did positively impact the civil rights movement but there has have been debates on whether the March on Washington, as a whole, was the turning point of the Civil Rights Movement.

The Civil Rights Movement began on December 1,1955. It started in Montgomery, Alabama and later on spread to the rest of the southern states. The main ethnic group that was affected by this movement were the African Americans. African Americans were treated unequal compared to white people, there was segregation happening at this point of time. African Americans were not able to use the same restrooms, water fountains, and even not allowed to go to the same school as white people. They even was not allowed to sit in the front of the bus because it was reserved for white people only. God forbid if there was no more seats and a white person wanted to sit down, a black person would have to give up their seat to accommodate a white person. That was just the norm during this time period. But, that all changed when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man and was taken to jail. This would be the start to a powerful movement. Right after Rosa Parks arrest, followed the Montgomery Bus boycott. During the bus boycott, African Americans refused to