Civil Rights Movement - Term Paper Example

? The Civil Rights Movement This was an era devoted to activities for equal treatment and rights of the African Americans residing in the United States. There were numerous demonstrations for social, cultural, political and legal changes to end segregation and prohibit discrimination. The Civil Rights Movement was significant to the United States history and the world because it ascertained that discrimination was unjust and was not going to be tolerated in the country. Elsewhere, it set as example for the oppressed people to fight for their rights. The movement led to the irresistible transformation of the American political, social, and cultural life. Amendments on the prevailing notions concerning the citizenship rights of the blacks, for example, together with a redefinition courts and government’s role in protecting people’s rights, continued to strengthen the human rights of all American citizens, regardless of the color of their skin (Bryant, 2009, p. 1). The word civil-right often conjures people like Martin Luther delivering the soul-stirring “I have a dream” speech on the nation’s capital. The civil rights movements are believed to have started earlier in the 18th century when the blacks who were enslaved demanded their elementary citizenship rights. From 1955 to 1970, the blacks’ effort to bring their cause to attention met some success. The Congress approved the Civil Rights Act to create a civil rights partition in the Justice Department which would implement voting and other rights. In 1951, Thurgood Marshall and the National Association for Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) resolved to fight for the rights of the African American children who were forced to join completely segregated schools yet considered to be equal as those used by the whites. They assumed that the segregation in schools dehumanized the African Americans just as slavery affected them. They used the case of Linda Brown, a seven years old girl, who was forced to travel miles away in order to go to a black-only school yet a white-only school existed in her neighborhood. Linda’s family filed a case known as the Brown V. Board of Education against the impunity inflicted on their daughter. In 1954, the U.S Supreme Court ruled that schools all over the country had to be integrated. This court ruling sent a message that segregation was intolerable in the country (Spungin, 2007, p. 1). In 1955, Rosa Parks boarded a crowded Alabama city bus and sat near the front. Rosa declined the request to take the back seats and was arrested by the Montgomery police. Rosa’s actions stimulated the black community to support the civil rights movement by arranging boycotts. Their decision as a large group would make the bus companies incur losses and stress the point that segregation in busses was unjust and would not be endured. The protests were not only successful, gathering worldwide sympathy, but also attracted Martin Luther, an eloquent and inspiring leader, a clergy at the Baptist Church. Luther’s emergence as the movement’s leader using non-violent tactics such as those used by Mohandas Gandhi, an Indian nationalist, characterized the entire movement inspiring participation from many blacks as well as whites (Elliott, 2012, p. 1). As the blacks living in the South grew more confident with sympathy from the outside world, their protests increased. In 1960, four black college scholars staged ‘sit-ins’ at restaurants which served whites only. In the face of the arising challenges, the whites responded by arresting, and attacking the Protestants. However, the leaders of the movement refused to be deterred by threats of prison: Luther was jailed more than 12 times, but still fought for the rights of the people. Important People Associated with the Civil Rights Movement (Fairclough, 2011, p. 1) Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Luther is one of the significant figures in the Civil Rights movement. Being a college educated preacher, he was an essential character in arranging the bus boycott in Montgomery. Educated in Atlanta, Luther chose to return to Alabama after college graduation and took leadership of the local Baptist church. Luther became more famous because of his ability to organize and communicate with the people of Alabama. Luther focused on non-violent protests and believed in equality for all people. Malcolm X While Martin Luther was struggling for civil rights of the blacks in the Southern region, Malcolm X was born and raised in the northern side of the country. Malcolm born to a father, who was involved in the fight for equality by starting the Universal Negro Improvement Association, began his own fight after being released from prison. Malcolm was an essential character in the establishment of the Black Panther organization. Contrasting with Luther’s opinions, Malcolm believed in doing whatever it would take in order to convey his message to the people. In 1965, Malcolm X was assassinated while delivering a speech. Homer Plessy He is one of the unknown contributors to the Civil Rights Movements. Plessy was detained in Louisiana for boarding an all-white car. He battled the conviction to the Supreme Court, but lost unfortunately. Plessy case laid the benchmark that later led to the Brown V. The Board of Education case which finally ended the ‘separate but equal’ rights. Ruby Bridges Ruby played a significant role in the Civil Rights movement and integration of schools. Ruby was required to take a complicated entrance examination before being admitted to a white school. She was tormented and threatened but did not relinquish, even after her father became jobless because of her attendance. Ella Baker Baker was a significant advisor in the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee. Baker was also a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC). Baker was certain that civil right activities should focus more on the local African American communities. Stokely Carmichael Stokely supported the notion of black power and was known as the founder of the term (psychedelic). In 1966, Stokely was elected the Chairman of the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee and integrated Black Power into the civil right groups. However, many more people of less significant also contributed to the Civil Rights movement. A good example includes Charles Houston, often referred as the father of the movement, was a crucial instrument of the movements success. Serving as Dean in law School of Howard University, he taught various lawyers including Thurgood Marshall, who was involved with the Brown V. Board of Education case. The movement was about right and wrong, and not about whites and blacks. There were numerous whites who were against blacks’ oppression, and they showed it. Moreover, there were those who assisted the movements, and, though they were a minor group, their effect was felt world-wide. Some of the whites who assisted the blacks felt sympathetic to the problems they were facing, while others assisted in following the law which provided equal protection to all the citizens (Bryant, 2009, p. 1). Important Civil Rights Legislations and Litigations The Civil Rights Act of 1964 The 1964 Civil Rights Act provided inequity and segregation against minorities in the areas of education, voting, employment, and other areas prevalent in the country. The law was enacted to reduce the current discrimination on the African Americans. The major provisions of the bill of right were to: Ban discrimination based on race, religion, gender or national origin in the sectors of public accommodations. Outlaw voting registrars from using different standards for white and black applicants. Prohibit racial inequity in public education However, the legislation made it illegitimate: For an employer to decline to pay or hire differently based on race, gender, national origin or religion. For an employer to segregate, limit or treat employees differently based on their national origin, gender, race or religion. For an employment organization to fail to employ an individual based on race, national origin, religion, and gender. This law resulted in drastic reduction in discrimination and segregation among the African American communities. It was definitely a milestone piece of legislation in the struggle to achieve equal opportunities for the minorities in the United States (Spungin, 2007, p. 1). Voting Rights Acts of 1965 Prior to the voting rights act, the African Americans were prevented from voting in various states. Many court cases and laws tried to acquire voting privileges for the marginalized African Americans but these took many years before they were fully enacted. The Voting Rights Acts attempted to diminish the prevention of African American from voting by: Barring the states from imposing voting qualifications. Imposing relentless penalties to anybody hindering another citizen the right to vote. Prohibition of literacy tests as an obligation to vote. Creating direct federal action to assist the African Americans to vote and register. Forbidding the poll taxes that were affecting the poor people. Education also played a significant role in the 1945 civil rights history. A lot of effort and time was spent on education. The conviction propagated was that in a democratic nation it was only fair and right for all people to have the right to decent education. The general idea that developed in the southern states since the civil wars was that if the blacks were kept illiterate they would retain their place in the society. There was also a notion that some blacks were not brilliant enough to deserve an education. This resulted to the poverty linked with the blacks who lacked proper education in the southern states. In regard to the above notion, poor education guaranteed poor lifestyles to the African American communities (Elliott, 2012, p. 1). The Status Quo and the Rise of Black Nationalism Early 1960s, various black activists began to lose confidence with the civil rights reforms that had been enacted on them. The termination of court mandated segregation, did not present immediate equality among the blacks or restructure a political system which left the blacks politically and economically crippled. As the wave of nationalist reaction grew within the lobby groups, organizations such as CORE and SNCC took up revolutionary agendas. For example, the SNCC started advocating the ‘black power’ program, a term that sanctioned racial pride from the white society. Blacks’ restlessness continued to build during the latter decade. Race riots exploded throughout America as the blacks dwelling in urban slums woke up to oppose racism and poverty raging in their communities. The riots did not only destroy the ghetto areas that offered homes to many blacks, but amplified the racial hostility between blacks and whites (Bryant, 2009, p. 1). Conclusion The Civil Rights Movement in the United States left a permanent mark in the history of American society. Racial violence and other forms of racial prejudice declined immensely. Today, many blacks can freely exercise their voting rights, and get elected in public offices. A number of blacks have also been lifted out of poverty following the numerous economic opportunities enacted by the civil rights movements. The civil rights movement acted as a model for advancement of the marginalized groups such as the blacks. In spite of these gains, the movement had numerous shortcomings and the fight for equality was never over. The movement was also significant to the United States because for it to proclaim itself a free and mighty nation, all its citizens had to have equal rights. In order to ascertain equal rights that would be affordable to every American, an individual had to have equal access to all the privileges outlined. The Civil Rights movement altered the shape of America’s society in the long run. The African Americans were subjected to more opportunities in politics and education, resulting in the election of Barack Obama as the first black president of the United States in 2008. The movement also de-institutionalized inequity and brought the fight for equal opportunities to the masses attention. The movement also changed the American culture besides the legislative concessions it gathered. Discrimination still persists to date in some areas; however, it is generally unacceptable in the country (Fairclough, 2011, p. 1). References Adam Fairclough. (2011). Better Day Coming: Civil Rights in America in the 20th Century. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/recent/civil_rights_america_03.shtml Everett Bryant. (2009). The Importance of the Civil Rights Movement. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Importance-of-the-Civil-Rights-Movement&id=2296569 Mark Elliott. (2012). The Effects of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/info_8355055_effects-civil-rights-movement-1960s.html Raymond Spungin. (2007).The Five Greatest Laws in American History. Retrieved from http://suite101.com/article/the-five-greatest-laws-in-american-history-a364955 Read More