Civil Rights Movements and their Impacts

Civil Rights Movements and their Impacts

The Civil Rights Movement devised goals and strategies that proved effective in their fight against oppression and segregation. Indeed, the unity embraced by the black community led them to achieve more in terms freedoms and equal treatment in various sectors of the economy. Therefore, the African Americans fought for their own rights and did not get their emancipation on a silver platter. Religion played a great role in the organization of such ventures as several ministers contributed to the peaceful boycott of the buses. One of the outspoken civil rights leaders was martin Luther King Junior, who was a minister in the Baptist Church. With concerted efforts and the zeal to wage a spirited fight using any tool that fitted their needs, the Civil Right Movement not only liberated the black communities in America, but also set in motion liberation efforts across the world.

The Civil Rights Movement started between the 1940s and the 1950s and was ignited by the fierce segregation advanced by the Whites across America. Most of the affected were the Blacks as segregation was rife in the educational and transportation sectors. The blacks were on the receiving end of everything while the whites got the upper hand. In virtuously every sector, the Whites received preferential treatment as opposed to the blacks. For instance, the whites had seats reserved from them in buses and trains. If a white person came in and the bus was full, an African American had to leave his seat for the white person. Indeed, Black Americans faced many challenges that forced the agitation for equal treatment and respect for human rights (Adamson, 2009).

The strategies used by the civil rights leaders involved lobbying of support among white liberals, boycotts, sit-ins, marches and freedom rides into racially segregated states. The boycotts included the Montgomery bus boycott that went on for one year, sit-ins such as the Greensborough sit-ins, and the Selma to Montgomery marches. All these activities were done nonviolently (Adamson, 2009). This was to send their message and point the nation to the road of recovery from segregation. Many blacks got hurt in the peaceful nonviolent marches. Some were left at the mercy of police dogs while others were jailed for taking part in peaceful protests. The prisons were filled with many blacks, as the government did not want to cave into the demands of the Civil Rights Movements (Adamson, 2009). Some of the violent groups bombed the shelters of most of the leaders who included Martin Luther king and Ed Nixon, among others. Despite the incursion by the police, the Movements grew stronger by the day. They continued in the above-mentioned strategies until some yielded results like the boycott in Montgomery that outlawed segregation in the transport sector.

The movement lost momentum because organizations such as the Black Power Movement formed by Stokely Carmichael. The new movements appeared on the scene using different approaches (Goduti, 2012). The new groups championed for a more militant strategy against the Whites. They had slogans like ‘black power’ to appeal to the many blacks to unite under one movement. The main message used by these groups went against the strategy of non-violent approach advanced by Luther and his followers. The new movements advocated for violent protests, Black Nationalism, and separation, which appealed to many blacks. They wanted African American culture and ways of life to be part of society. The Civil Rights Movements were more inclined to using the non-violent approach. This was similar to the strategy used by Mahatma Gandhi of India (Ogba, 2005). As a result, the formation of various groups, with a different agenda led to major divisions in the Civil Rights Movements. However, these divisive tactics did not dampen the spirit of the Civil Rights advocates.

The Civil Rights Movement also appealed to white leaders who were liberal to join in their advocacy marches. They also used marches to get the attention of the national government. The strategies used by these groups did not go unnoticed as they were seen to be disruptive and economically burdensome (Adamson, 2009). The freedom marches and rights and the subsequent abuses caught the attention of John F. Kennedy’s administration who advocated for the annihilation of segregation in the affected areas (Goduti, 2012). Some sectors of the government used brutal force to disband protesters. For instance, the mayor of Birmingham used firefighters who used strong hoses that could break bones to disband a protest organized by the Civil Rights leaders. The use of such means to disband peaceful protesters led to many injuries to the protesters (Goduti, 2012). The Federal Government was highly reluctant to support the movements since this would mean going against the whites who were for the segregation. It was predominantly white, and this made it hard for the movement, as it did not have any leaders on board in parliament. Lack of representation in decision-making sectors was a big blow to the Blacks, although their messages were creating discomfort among the whites (Goduti, 2012).

The Federal Government helped in some instances especially in sending troops to help in the various standoffs that occurred in the protests. For example, John F. Kennedy helped in the removal of segregation from learning institution and public facilities (Goduti, 2012). Attorney general Robert Kennedy championed for the voting rights of blacks. Some of the rulings by the judiciary like the ruling that segregation was illegal by the Supreme Court championed for the rights of African Americans (Adamson, 2009). Some governors were not for the advocacy of equal rights by the civil rights movements. They used every means at their disposal to stifle such initiatives (Goduti, 2012). However, to the blacks, the signing of the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the Voting Rights Act (1965) (Goduti, 2012) were a big win for their fight. Lyndon Johnson, the US President at that time, signed the two historical laws.

In summary, the African Americans fought to liberate themselves from oppression and discrimination. The whites had regarded them as inferior people who deserved the least from society. This notion had greatly demoralized the Black Americans, but the fires ignited by the Rights Movement proved too insurmountable for the Whites. Therefore, the Civil Rights Movement was instrumental in bringing sanity and order in American society. America was recognized as a country that upheld democracy. In mistreating minority groups, the country was negating on the clear provisions of the country’s constitutions, which guaranteed equality for all. Indeed, the black Americans have passed through many challenges to get where they are today, and their success was replicated in other parts of the world.

References

Adamson, H. (2009). The civil rights movement: An interactive history adventure. Mankato, Minn: Capstone Press.

Goduti, P. A. (2012). Robert F. Kennedy and the shaping of civil rights, 1960-1964. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers.

Ogbar, J. O. G. (2005). Black power: Radical politics and African American identity. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

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