African-American Civil Right Movement

The African-American Civil Rights Movement

During the frail moments in history, there are times to be seen as a great movement. One of those moments in the history of America was the African-American Civil Rights Movement. This movement came by storm with different views on how civil rights should be fought. With the extremism of Malcolm X or the prolific voice of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. There were key court cases Brown v. Board of Education and the worldwide known Rosa Parks. This action by African-Americans to fight for equality was a battle which they had to endure. However, the African-American people would be able to succeed in the goals which they set. One of the greatest social movements within the United States was the African-American Civil Rights Movement. This movement wanted to rid or outlaw racial discrimination against African-Americans. The movement had a major campaign of civil resistance which were acts of nonviolent protest and civil disobedience that would create a disturbance to federal, state, and local governments. The segregation between “White” and “Colored” was the main cause of these protests. The segregation was nonsense.

With separate drinking fountains, restrooms, and other minuscule areas the segregation between whites and coloreds kept the rift between these two races. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is known for his heroic speeches that describe that to thrive as a nation, a nation must be united. With his superior charismatic skills, he was able to grab the attention of the nation. His most famous speech which is known by most as “I have a dream” speech was the high point of the 1963 March on Washington. Another leader during the African-American Civil Rights Movement was Malcolm X. Though many peers viewed him as an advocate that charged racial issues, he undoubtedly brought the attention of racial injustice. An example of his actions was a New York Police beating on Johnston Hinton. Malcolm X went to the police station to see Mr. Hinton and was denied. Malcolm then created a crowd of protesters and with the growing numbers of his peers, the police station then allowed him to see Hilton. It was protests like these that lead the charge to equality throughout the nation. But there were also key lawsuits and court cases that would make justice history.

During a movement, there has to be examples to which are known and can be used to show either the highest achievements of the movement or show how the old justice system is broke. It was the series of court cases known as Brown v. Board of Education. This case was brought to the attention of the court system to allow the education of Black and White Children. The lawyers of the NAACP stated that segregation of the school was unconstitutional and did not promote democracy. With this on May 18, 1954, Greensboro was the first city in the South to execute the ruling of the U. S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education. This had a positive effect on the movement forward to equality. Another famous court case was the Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Due to her actions taken on December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was dubbed “the mother of the Civil Rights Movement”. Rosa Parks refused to leave her seat on a public bus to leave room for a white passenger. She was arrested, tried, and convicted for her actions that day. However, due to this incident, 50 African-American leaders organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

With the support of approximately 50,000 African Americans in the Montgomery area, the boycott lasted for 381 days. The results of this boycott lead to the local segregating of African-Americans and Whites to be lifted. With the mass amount of boycotters, the revenue for the bus decreased 80% until a federal court ordered Montgomery’s bus service to desegregate in November. Other legislative achievements during this movement were the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968. With the African-American Civil Rights Movement being a concrete example of the determination of making a nation move forward to a more acceptable place, it was due to these key people which stood up a led a group who wanted the same privileges as those who already had. A movement with such importance must be taught and understood. During any movement in history, there will always be those who emerge as leaders, sometimes those want to be a leader and some of those who are leaders unintentionally and lead by peaceful actions.

Reference

1. William Henry (1980).
2. Civilities and civil rights: Greensboro, North Carolina, and the Black struggle for freedom. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 81.
3.  J. A. Henretta, and D. Brody, America a Concise History, (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012), 828.
4. Bruce Perry, The Last Speeches, (New York: Pathfinder, 1989)978-0-87348-543-2 (accessed October 8, 2012), 165.
5. Klarman, Michael J., Brown v. Board of Education and the civil rights movement: the abridged edition of From Jim Crow to civil rights: the Supreme Court and the struggle for racial equality, Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2007, p. 55
6. Chafe, William Henry (1980). Civilities and civil rights: Greensboro, North Carolina, and the Black struggle for freedom. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 81. ISBN 0-19-502625-X.