The Civil Rights Revolutions of the 60s - Essay Example

The Civil Rights Revolutions of the 60s If there is one word that would define America back in the 1960s it would have to be turbulent. The period was characterized by several important upheavals but that they came as a result of the turbulence that gave rise to the empowerment of the Blacks, of the young population, of women, of the oppressed. Scholars call the movements that propelled the wide ranging reforms counterrevolutions and the Rights Revolution. It was an exciting time - a period when people finally found their voices and demand that their rights be respected.

The quest for equality has actually been raging on for centuries, starting as early as the time when America established, sanctioned and perpetuated the slave industry. Since then, leaders and critics have already ceaselessly demanded that people, regardless of race and gender, should be accorded the respect that Whites have so far exclusively enjoyed. However, it was only during the 1960s when black Americans collectively demanded on the street, in churches and dialogues their rights as citizens under the United States Constitution.

This mass movement was sparked by several important developments such as the efforts of four Southern students who initiated the Woolworth lunch counter to protest racial discrimination. (Farber and Bailey, p. 13) Then, there was also the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education, 1954-1955, wherein it was found that school segregation was unconstitutional. (Sargent, p. 2) Finally, there was also the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. What was originally intended as anti-racial discrimination movement, the Rights Revolution came to cover several other issues that made the movements complicated and far-reaching, especially in the context of reforms achieved.

There was the clamor for economic, political and cultural policy-reforms, effectively highlighting the manner by which the Rights movements took the cudgels for several other causes. Together, they collectively brought about a formidable force that made reform and changes imperative and inevitable. According to Bolick, when people talked about Civil Rights then, the degree of understanding and cooperation became quite apparent. Bolick explained that civil rights easily achieved its objectives because the movement “speak not about individuals but groups, not about liberty but entitlements, not about opportunity but outcomes, not about colorblindedness but preferential treatment,” finally culminating with a radically revised agenda that can readily the traditional civil rights vision. (p. 43) Longhurst’s offered a more detailed explanation, stating that the basic resources enabling a dominated group to engage in sustained protest are well developed internal social institutions and organizations and that can be mobilized to attain collective goals. (p. xvii) Looking back, it is clear for everyone to see that the equality/rights movements of the 1960s were successful.

The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the ensuing additional enactments afterwards that finally guaranteed equality across race and gender, were testament to the realization of the civil right movements’ objectives. There may be instances wherein the Rights Revolution has been less successful. Nonetheless, the movement has effectively laid out the framework by which inequality was systematically eroded through the years. References Bolick, Clint. The affirmative action fraud: can we restore the American civil rights vision?

" Massachusetts: Cato Institute, 1996. Farber, David and Bailey, Beth. The Columbia guide to America in the 1960s.Chicester: Columbia University Press, 2001. Longhurst, James. Citizen Environmentalists. Lebanon, NH. UPNE. . Sargent, Frederic. The civil rights revolution: events and leaders, 1955-1968. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2004.