In 1868, the United States said that the law "separate but equal" law was legal and in no way violated the Fourteenth Amendment. This law made it everyone have "equal protection" under the law for all citizens of the United States, as long as facilities provided to each race. This was put into Louisiana law. From 1868 until the Civil Rights Acts in the 1960's there have been many different civil rights movements to try to get equal protection under the law. Then in 1966 "Black Power" movements came to life. Civil Rights movements and Black Power movements both wanted the same goal, equality, but two opposite ways to get there.
When the Separate but equal law was adopted in 1868 to the decision of Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954 a lot of the black population lived in the South. Down in the South was the home of the most racist laws in the United States. African Americans living in the South wanted to be the generation of change, but in their own way and that was through non-violent protests, and demonstrations. The biggest and most well known leader was Martin Luther King Jr.. MLK knew that if any of there protests became or seen as violent in any way, it would make the entire civil rights
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They both wanted the African-American community to stop being oppressed and be treated equally. But both sides had very different views on what should be done and how they should respond. The civil rights movement which its most famous leader, Martin Luther King Jr. Only wanted peaceful and non-violent protests. Whether it was boycotts or sit-ins, it should always be peaceful. But, in the Black Power movement there was no problem to become violent when it came to protesting. The goals for each movement both wanted blacks to be treated equally. While both movements had the same goal in the end, the way to get there and what to do when they got there were completely
In 1896 the Plessy v. Ferguson case made the segregation of blacks and whites legal; and the Supreme Court made the Jim Crow laws legal saying that blacks are “separate but equal.” African Americans knew that was unfair and could especially
Although the conclusion of the Civil War during the mid-1860s demolished the official practice of slavery, the oppression and exploitation of African Americans has continued. Although the rights and opportunities of African Americans were greatly improved during Reconstruction, cases such a 1896’s Plessy v. Ferguson, which served as the legal basis for segregation, continue to diminish the recognized humanity of African Americans as equal people. Furthermore, the practice of the sharecropping system impoverished unemployed African Americans, recreating slavery. As economic and social conditions worsened, the civil rights movement began to emerge as the oppressed responded to their conditions, searching for equality and protected citizenship.With such goals in mind, associations like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which came to the legal defense of African Americans and aided the march for civil rights reforms, emerged. By working against the laws restricting African Americans, the NAACP saw progress with the winning of cases like Brown v. Board of Education, which allowed the integration of public schools after its passing in 1954 and 1955. In the years following the reform instituted by the ruling of Brown v. Board of Education, the fervor of the civil rights movement increased; mass nonviolent protests against the unfair treatment of blacks became more frequent. New leaders, such as Martin Luther King, manifested themselves. The civil rights activists thus found themselves searching for the “noble dream” unconsciously conceived by the democratic ideals of the Founding Fathers to be instilled.
Blacks were treated unjustly due to the Jim Crow laws and the racial stigmas embedded into American society. Under these laws, whites and colored people were “separate but equal,” however this could not be further from the truth. Due to the extreme racism in the United States during this time period, especially in the South, many blacks were dehumanized by whites to ensure that they remained inferior to them. As a result of their suffering from the prejudice society of America, there was a national outcry to better the lives of colored people.
Ella Baker and Martin Luther King Jr. did have their similarities as leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, but there were vast differences as well. Their differences allowed the Civil Rights Movement to be more encompassing while fighting for the same cause. Baker and King both grew up in the South, had religious upbringings, had at least some level of a higher education, and were public speakers. What set them apart was their differing opinions on who contributed to social change, and how. This is expressed through the varying social classes they depended on, importance placed on reputations developed through public associations, and nonviolence tactics that used to fight for equality. Even though Baker and King had different methods in which
Civil rights are the rights to personal liberty and are provided by the law. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights promises everybody civil rights. But many people, including lots of black people, have been denied their civil rights. Black people, and also some white people who help them, have struggled for these rights for a long time. Many people have helped and many kinds of groups have been formed to help win equal rights for everyone. Things are a lot better used to be, but the struggle is not over.
African Americans have a history of struggles because of racism and prejudices. Ever since the end of the Civil War, they struggled to benefit from their full rights that the Constitution promised. The fourteenth Amendment, which defined national citizenship, was passed in 1866. Even though African Americans were promised citizenship, they were still treated as if they were unequal. The South had an extremely difficult time accepting African Americans as equals, and did anything they could to prevent the desegregation of all races. During the Reconstruction Era, there were plans to end segregation; however, past prejudices and personal beliefs elongated the process.
Blacks have struggled to gain acceptance since they first were encountered with the injustice and inequality that dwelled in our country. However, whites had so repeatedly cut them down that most blacks were so far beaten into submission that hope for a better life seemed gone. The South could not stand having the government come and interfere in their affairs, and were willing to protest the government's decisions by not protecting activists. Then with the Montgomery bus boycott, all blacks finally had a cause to rally in support for. Rosa Parks sparked the beginning of the Civil Rights movement, and there were a mass population of blacks to join in. To go along with the determined blacks there were many whites from all levels that were willing to fight for equality. But blacks would not be deterred by these acts of hate; they weren't going to sit back and take it anymore. Racism affected nearly every aspect of life in America, and activists worked very hard in the face of violent resistance to combat some of the largest issues. To begin, sit-ins inspired by the Greensboro Four "achieved impressive results.
Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were two of the most important people. in black history. With their struggle to make America view black. people as equals, their speeches were inspirational and always made. their message clear and clear.
Both of these movements related to mainstream liberalism in a sense that they both wanted change in a social advancement rather than through rebellion. One of the most influential leaders of the African American Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr., stated in a letter from Birmingham Jail: “We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights…they were in reality standing up for what is best the American dream”(75). In the document written by Casey Hayden and Mary King, they discuss how there are many similarities between the way African Americans were being treated and the way women were being treated. These women go on to say that people aren’t discussing these issues enough socially to give them adequate importance. All of these advocates for both movements chose to voice their concerns and opinions through writing or speaking to groups rather than through violence. They were parallel in this sense because they thought this was the most effective way to get the message across to America.
The struggle for equal rights has been an ongoing issue in the United States. For most of the twentieth century Americans worked toward equality. Through demonstrations, protests, riots, and parades citizens have made demands and voiced their concerns for equal rights. For the first time minority groups were banding together to achieve the American dream of liberty and justice for all. Whether it was equality for women, politics, minorities, or the economy the battle was usually well worth the outcome. I have chosen articles that discuss some of the struggles, voyages, and triumphs that have occurred. The people discussed in the following articles represent only a portion of those who suffered.
During this era, LBJ and the Civil Rights Bill was the main aattraction. July 2, 1964, President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed a civil rights bill that prohibited discrimination in voting, education, employment, and other areas of the American life. At this point, the American life will be changed forever. LBJ had helped to weaken bills because he felt as if it was the states job and not the goverment, but why did he change his mind? Was polictics the reason LBJ signed the Civil Rights Bill of 1964?
In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of the Brown v. the Board of Education. This was a very historical moment because their ruling eliminated, the "separate but equal " doctrine. Their ruling called for school integration, although most school were very slow in complying if they complied at all. The NAACP, National Association for the Advancement of Color People, viewed this ruling as a success. The schools lack of the obedience toward this ruling, made it necessary for black activism to make the federal government implement the ruling, and possibly help close the racial gap that existed in places other than public schools. During one of the boycotts for equality, a leader emerged that would never be forgotten. Dr. Martin Luther King, who was leader of the Montgomery bus boycott, quickly became the spokesperson for racial equality. He believed that the civil rights movement would have more success if the black people would use non violent tactics. Some say he was adopting the style of Ghandi. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference, SCLC, was formed by King and other activist in 1957. They were a group of black ministers and activist who agreed to try and possibly help others see the effects of a non violent movement. Also following the strategies set by the SCLC, a group known as the SNCC or the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, began a string of sit-in and campaigns as the black population continued it's fight for equality. It was the undying efforts of the two groups that paved the way for the march on Washington. This march which drew a crowd of at least 200,000, was the place that Dr. King, gave his famous "dream speech." Both the SNCC, and the SCLC were victims of lots of threats and attempted attacks, yet they continued to pursue freedom in a non violent fashion. However near the late 60's they had another problem on their hands. There was a group of activist known as the Black Panthers who were not so eager to adopt the non-violent rule. The believed that the civil rights movement pushed by Dr. King and is non-violent campaign, which was meant to give blacks the right to vote and eliminate segregation, was not solving problems faced in poor black communities. This Black Panther group, stabled the term "black power", which was used a sort of uplifting for the black self esteem.
If talk about the technique of these movements, they mostly used peaceful forms of protest. Marches, rallies, and strikes are typical for both movements. They also made extensive use of active protest. The most popular event of the Movement for Civil Rights activists has much in common with the above-mentioned action against the War in Vietnam. This action is known as a sit-in strike when a number of African-American students refused to leave the cafe for "whites only" and demanded to serve them ("Greensboro 1960"). With regard to the aspect of a motivation of both movements, they have some difference. African-Americans fought for their own rights. Participants of the protests against the Vietnam War were trying to avoid more abstract things, such as a nuclear war in the world. In addition, many US communist activists tried to protect not their own rights, but the rights of others: the Vietnamese. The main motivation for these activists was a world justice and protection of the rights of a specific group of people.
This Civil Rights Act is a challenge to all of us to go to work in our communities and our states, in our homes and in our hearts, to eliminate the last vestiges of injustice in our beloved country” (Lyndon B. Johnson). The civil rights were the hardest times for African Americans to do anything from going to school, to even going to the bathroom, they were not aloud to be associated with anything the whites were able to do. They were sprayed with water hoses when they marched the streets fighting for their rights. Most people saw them for being nasty people because of their skin color, not everyone saw them for who they were, they were just like the whites just a different skin color. It is unfair how they were treated, looking back and seeing how they were treated, us whites should be ashamed of how we treated them. When people become dissatisfied with the way they are treated they fight for their rights: Dred Scott v. Sanford, Shelley v. Kramer, and Brown v. Board of the Education.
This movement started in centuries-long attempts by African slaves to resist slavery. After the Civil War, American slaves were given basic civil rights. However, even though these rights were guaranteed under the Fourteenth Amendment, they were not federally enforced. The struggle these African-Americans faced to have their rights federally enforced carried into the next century. Through non-violent protests, the civil rights movement of the 1950 and 1960’s led to most public facilities being segregated by race in the southern states....