African american civil rights movement - Essay Example

Civil Rights Movement Introduction The present paper will present how the African Americans experienced inequality during the Civil rights movement.They have experienced the failure of reconstruction as they continuously felt how the Whites are aggressive towards them with violence. The Whites were violent towards them to prevent them from voting, to experience desegregation in the school division between the Whites and Blacks, and to be given lesser opportunities for work. Therefore, issues pertaining to economic opportunities for the African Americans were also taken as something that they could not have.

These things all happen in year 1950s to 1960s during the civil right movement (Bhatt). Addressing the Failures of Reconstruction It was also at this time where there are groups like the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), the first group of America who wanted to maintain the prominence of the White people wherein they would block and prevent the African Americans to vote as citizens (Simkin). Moreover, it has been documented how the African Americans experienced violence in the hands of Ku Klu Klax who historically killed the freed black slaves in year 1800s, and also killed those who are white and black activists in 1950s and 1960s.

What prevent these things to happen was because of the influence of the 13th, 14th, and, 15th amendments in the historic times. The thirteenth amendment states that slavery in 1950s was prohibited, and the fourteenth amendment states the recognition of the American-African citizens as naturalized American citizens. Moreover, the fifteenth amendment states that the Constitution of the United States does not prohibit the citizens to vote regardless of their race, color, and previous work as former slaves (“America’s Civil Rights Timeline”).

These amendments give rise to Black code, which bestowed the rights of the African Americans. However, this code failed the expectation of the African Americans to experience freedom and equality as it was not much applied during the civil rights movement. The African American Civil Rights Movement addressed the failures of reconstruction because in years 1950s and 1960s, there were still inequality with regard to the educational system of the Whites and the African American students (Magoon).

Accordingly, the educational system has been so unfair because schools of the Whites were separated from the schools of the African Americans. Magoon had even emphasized that during the first integration of the African American students with the Whites in year 1957 in the Central High School of Arkansas, the students were rejected and forbidden by the White people to enter the school campus (5). With this, one could automatically describe how the African Americans were deprived with education in year 1950s and 1960s.

African Americans before have experienced the gap that the Whites forbid them to experience “civil rights” (Oluonye). The Jim Crow laws enacted in year 1960s to separate Blacks and Whites by not allowing them to go and do the same thing in one place urged this segregation system to become gratified. Therefore, social interactions are not prohibited with Jim Crow laws. This is almost the same with the Plessy V. Ferguson, a law that was enacted in year 1896 in which the Blacks and Whites are given “equal facilities,” but were separated (“Plessy V.

Ferguson”). This could mean that the American government is still dependent with the laws enacted in the in 19th centuries during the Civil Rights Movements in 1950s to 1960s. Economic opportunities were not given to the African Americans because they usually receive discrimination and biases when they apply to work. African American Farmers do the tenant farming wherein they would have a “sharecropping or crop lien” system with their co-African American citizens (Bhatt n. pag.). However, with the help of refreshing the Freedman Bureau, which was a law enacted in year 1865-72, the Blacks could really experience the freedom from slavery (“Freedman’s Bureau”).

Concomitantly, the Blacks could also experience the freedom to take up their lands with equal division and proper management. However, the Freedman Bureau was not enough during the Civil Right’s time because the reconstruction of rules for the betterment of all mankind (either Blacks or Whites) was not properly followed. Conclusion The African Americans have suffered much in their country. They were not given with proper rights even during the Civil rights movement. However, even if there were changes in the Civil rights movement to promote equality and opportunities to the Blacks, there were still failures with regard to how the American government amends the laws.

The reason for this was their dependency to the amendments (13th, 14th, 15th amendment), laws (Jim Crow Laws, Freedman Bureau, Plessy V. Ferguson) and movements (Ku Klu Klax) during the 19th century time. These things could affect how the reconstruction of the African American Civil Rights Movement failed. Works Cited “America’s Civil Rights Timeline.” International Civil Rights Center & Museum. International Civil Rights Center & Museum, n.d. Web. 15 November 2012. . Bhatt, Vikas. “Civil Rights Movement Targeted the Failures of Reconstruction.

” Soceberty, Soceberty, 2009. Web. 15 November 2012. . “Freedman’s Bureau (1865-72).” PBS. PBS, 2002. Web. 15 November 2012. . Magoon, Kekla. Today the World is Watching You: The Little Rock Nine and the Fight for School Integration, 1957. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., 2011. Print. Oluonye, Mary N. “Black History and Civil Rights.” School Library Journal. Media Source, Inc., 2004. Web. 15 November 2012. . “Plessy V. Ferguson: 1896.” PBS. PBS, 2002. Web. 15 November 2012. . Simkin, John.

“Ku Klux Klan.” The Education Forum, n.p., 2006. Web. 15 November 2012. .