The Civil Rights Movement

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For many years after the Civil War many African-Americans did not truly enjoy the freedoms that were granted to them by the US constitution. This was especially true in the southern states, because segregation flourished in the south wwhere African-Americans were treated as second class citizens. This racial segregation was characterized by separation of different races in daily life, such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a rest room, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home. In addition, Blacks were not afforded justice and fair trials, such as the case of the murder of Emmet Till. This unjust treatment would not be tolerated in America any more, which spurred the civil rights movement. During the 1940’s the nation began to accept and adore athletes such as Jackie Robinson when he broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Also the Army was integrating all races within the military. These events began to stir the modern civil rights movement. In consequence, tensions began to rise within the races, especially in the Deep South. The United States continued to assimilate and provide greater opportunities for African-Americans, on May 17, 1954, the United States Supreme Court handed down its decision regarding the case called Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, in which the plaintiffs charged that the education of black children in separate public schools from their white counterparts was unconstitutional. The opinion of the Court stated that the "segregation of white and colored children in public schools has a detrimental effect upon the colored children”. This historic discission further inflamed the racest in the south, and many ... ... middle of paper ... ...on 5) Milestones in the modern civil rights movement www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html 6) Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954–63 by Taylor Branch 7) A Testament of Hope : The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. 8) The Selma Times-Journal. March 11, March 12, and March 14, 1965, editions 9) Dallek, Robert (1998). Flawed Giant: Lyndon B. Johnson and his Times 10) US Department of Justice - Voting Rights Act of 1965. U.S. Department of Justice 11) Rugaber, Walter. "A Negro is Killed in Memphis", The New York Times, March 29, 1968 12) Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987 http://www.answers.com/topic/civil-rights-restoration-act-of-1987 13) Affirmative Action http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/affirmative-action/ 14) Americans with Disabilities Act www.dol.gov/dol/topic/disability/ada.htm

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