Civil Rights Movement in America in 50-60s - Essay Example

Civil Rights Movement in America in 50-60s Introduction Civil Rights Movement in America in 50s-60 is the landmark of the American history. It was the period, when American was courageous enough to fight for their individual’s rights, freedom and liberty. Further on we will focus our attention on the most striking episodes of the civil rights movement in America in order to evaluate events of that period with the events happening nowadays. The most interesting conclusion is that the events of the civil rights movement contributed much to the modernity and the modern democratic processes. The most important events of the civil right movement in America are further discussed. The outline of the paper is the following: A) Introduction B) General Discussion 1) Different perspectives: Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X; 2) Montgomery bus boycott; 3) School integration; 4) Freedom Riders and Sit Ins; 5) Birmingham Rally; 6) March on Washington; 7) Civil Rights Bill 1964; 8) Freedom Summer; 9) The Salma Campaign; 10) 1965 the Voting Right; 11) Southern Christian Leadership; 12) NAACP/Little Rock High School; 13) 1957 Civil Rights Act; 14) Albany 1961; 15) James Meredith; 16) I have a dream; 17) Letter from a Birmingham Jail; 18) Who killed Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X? C) Conclusion Different Perspectives Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were fighters for difference and protesting against racial discrimination and segregation in America. Nevertheless, they had different manner of their protesting: Martin Luther King Jr. was born in a middle-class family and he was more tolerant and appealed for peaceful solution with the government protecting rights of African Americans. Malcolm X was born in an underprivileged family and atmosphere of his childhood and family exerted influence on his hostile moods shown towards racial discrimination and reflected in his speeches. Nationalist and separatists moods were relevant to Malcolm X and liberal and integrative approach was more natural for Martin Luther King Jr. Montgomery bus boycott The first event to be considered is Montgomery bus boycott, when African Americans in December 5, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, started fighting against racial discrimination of white drivers of the buses. When Rosa Parks refused to surrender her seat on a bus for a white male passenger, she was arrested and this event initiated further boycott. This event was followed by emergence of Martin Luther King Jr. He initiated protests against racial discrimination in America. Thus, southern blacks proved that segregation of whites and blacks on municipal buses was unconstitutional. School integration The integration of schools across America resulted in integrated white citizens Councils. The most crucial issue of this event was caused by segregation of white people, who considered being superior over black people. Moreover, a possible emergence of romantic relationships between black and white students scared off racial discriminators among white people. Therefore, the Black population initiated their struggle for the equality with white people. Freedom Riders and Sit Ins. In the result of first steps in the name of racial discrimination eradication, in the beginning of 60s black students initiated sit-ins in the sign of the protest against still existent racial discrimination events happening to them in the educational institutions. Moreover, in the service sphere black students very often were not served when they visited cafes. These protests were not violent, but the participants of sit-ins were often arrested. Birmingham Rally In 1963 one of the most noticeable outbreaks of Martin Luther King Jr. career’s happened. He was invited to Birmingham together with the SCLC, to the place, where numerous bombings and attacks happened and a great number of black people died. Martin Luther King Jr. appealed for the government with a claim to release clack people from “Birmingham jail”. Such kind of behavior turned him into a troublemaker. Finally, his dialogue with the government resulted in his "Letter from Birmingham Jail", which is considered further on. March on Washington The events in Birmingham resulted in discussion of the new civil rights bill. President Kennedy gained a public approval and supporters of this policy organized a March on Washington. 250,000 Americans came to Washington in order to support the new civil rights bill. Martin Luther King, Jr. expressed his vision of anti-discrimination society in his famous speech "I Have a Dream", which is considered further on. There was no violence that day and the nation celebrated embodiment of non-discriminatory practices. Civil Rights Bill 1964 President Kennedy was assassinated in November of 1963, but President Lyndon Johnson embodied this code of laws into practice. There was no segregation in any social institutions, restaurants, hotels, public schools. Still, there were many opponents of the Civil Rights Bill. With the support of some Senators and the Republican Party, the bill was finally signed. Therefore, it should be noted that there is an evident development of civil rights movement development in America happened. Freedom Summer Volunteers came to Mississippi in the summer of 1964. Different organizations, such as SNCC and CORE united their efforts in order to help African Americans to register to vote. A large number of students united their efforts in order to reach solidarity. Both, white and black students showed their readiness for changes in the civil rights. Unfortunately, racist police and Klan assassinated three members of the protest action. The Salma Campaign This event signifies another attempt of Martin Luther King Jr. to fight against racial discrimination in America (Rathbone, 2008). Two organizations united their efforts in order to fight for voting rights promotion. This march lasted for 5 days and the members of SNCC SCLC took part in it. Martin Luther King took his followers in Montgomery in the name of voting rights protection. King told his famous phrase: ‘‘There never was a moment in American history more honorable and more inspiring than the pilgrimage of clergymen and laymen of every race and faith pouring into Selma to face danger at the side of its embattled Negroes’’ (Bunch, 2011).  1965 the Voting Right In the result of campaign directed on propagation of the right of African Americans to vote, the 1965 Voting Rights Act emerged .Unlike the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the campaign of 1965 Act was violent in the South. President Johnson underlined that “for American Negroes is such as an issue…..the command of the Constitution is plain. It is wrong - deadly wrong - to deny any of your fellow Americans the right to vote in this country" (Swain, 2007). President Johnson enabled African Americans to vote and neither their literacy nor education was preventive factors to vote anymore. Only their nationality and the name in the voting list really matters. Unfortunately, there were not a large number of African Americans, who registered to vote. Law enforcement did not signify a real change in the field of voting for African Americans. Southern Christian Leadership Martin Luther King united his efforts with Ralph David Abernathy, Fred Shutterworth and Bayard Rustin and in 1957 they established the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The main goal of SCLC was to help local organizations and cooperate in the name of equality of African Americans development. King was the president of the SCLC organization. Further on, this organization played a crucial role for development of nonviolent campaigns, eradication of segregation, promotion of voting rights for African Americans. NAACP/Little Rock High School This event refers to the cooperation of students of African-American students studying at Little Rock Central High School in 1957. At first, the students were prevented from visiting racially segregated school. President Eisenhower supported the students’ intentions to visit racially segregated school. Further on, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) made an attempt to register African American schools in previously white schools throughout the South. The excellent performance of the African American students took into account by the Principle of the school and these students had a chance to study together among white and black students. The Civil Rights Act of 1957 The congress of the United States enforced the voting rights for African Americans on September 9, 1957. President Eisenhower expressed his ideas about this bill of rights in the following way: “I believe that the United States must make certain that every citizen who is entitled to vote under the Constitution is given actually that right. I believe also that in sustaining that right we must sustain the power of the Federal judges in whose hands such cases would fall” (Swain, 2007). Therefore, the legal enforcement of equal rights to vote, as well as promotion of segregation eradication signifies an evident shift in the civil right movement. Albany 1961 Albany State College played a crucial role in fighting for civil rights movement in America. SNCC appealed for the students of the college and they protested against segregation. Martin Luther King was invited to join the protest and was imprisoned. Unfortunately, protests were less supported and Albany was considered as the main defeat of the civil right movement (Brown-Nagin, 2011). Only a few African Americans registered to vote and there was a slow facilitation of segregation in the State. James Meredith Meredith, James was a prominent figure in the American civil right movement. He was the first African American student who entered the University of Mississippi. The color of the skin was the only reason for his no acceptance to the University. Meredith was also accused of illegal voter registration and was accused of crime against the state. I Have a dream The speech proclaimed by Martin Luther King on August 28, 1963 was appealing for racial and voting equality. This speech was heard by more than 200,000 supporters. His speech inspired and educated his supporters and followers. This important historical figure has always struggled against racial discrimination and in the name of voter’s rights support. That is why Martin Luther King Jr. had a chance to tell what he feels to his supporters and avoid reading from the prepared speech. He experienced numerous challenges on his thorny path and the fact that he found so many supporters witnesses the fact of his undeniable talent of a great speaker and a humane fighter (Swain, 2007). Letter from a Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the Letter from Birmingham Jail. It is an open appeal for public and the support of the government. There is a great struggle against racial segregation. This letter evokes a negative reaction among the government leaders and King was named as an “outside agitator” (Matteson, 2011). King underlined that it is necessary to avoid injustice. White opposition could not fight against oppression of the black community. Who killed Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X? To finish up a historical overview of the events of the civil rights movement, it is necessary to answer to the rhetorical question: who killed Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. These men were inspired fighters against the racial oppression of African Americans. They were assassinated. No one likes when the voices of the oppressed rise; no one likes when the slaves have any degree of power. Therefore, the violent death of the fighters for the rights of African Americans is the result of opponents protesting against the principles. Conclusion The Civil Rights Movement in America is the greatest historical landmark of the country. It is an upheaval of the American society. It is a sign of real democratic principles establishment. A real democracy in the country is developed on the principles of the fight for the principles of equality, elimination of racial discrimination and development of individual’s rights, liberties and freedom. Bibliography 1. Brown-Nagin, Tomiko. Courage to Dissent: Atlanta and the Long History of the Civil Rights Movement. Oxford University Press, 2011. 2. Bunch, Lonnie. "The Unending Civil War." Diverse Issues in Higher Education 3 Feb. 2011: 19+.  3. Matteson, Noelle. The Freedom Rides and Alabama: A Guide to Key Events and Places, Context, and Impact. New South Books, 2011. 4. Rathbone, Mark. "Selma and Civil Rights: Mark Rathbone Examines the Importance of One Alabama Towns Contribution to the Civil Rights Movement." History Review (2008): 14+.  5. Swain, Carol M. "Is America Ready for a Black President? America Is Ready, but It Wont Be a Veteran of the Civil Rights Movement." Ebony Jan. 2007: 141. Read More