Civil Rights Movements

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The history of the United States is one plagued by horrific human rights violations and abuse of African Americans. The civil rights movement was the pivotal time when this course was changed, and it took the actions of many courageous individuals to initiate and then implement these changes. Pacifists led the way with sit-ins, bus boycotts and rallies. Black Power- which encompassed both the nationalist and the pluralist movements- employed armed and defensive attention-grabbing tactics in order to show displays of power in a demand for respect. For a movement to be relevant it must have longevity and it must lead to change in political or social climate. A violent directive in the civil rights movement ultimately proved to discredit the responsible parties, and often led to the demise of reputable and impacting groups. A non-violent approach, however, led the way for legislative reform. It can certainly be argued that aggressive and peaceful tactics were both effective in their own right, but the pacifist movement, led by activists such as Martin Luther King Jr., A. Philip Randolph and many others, was the effort that ultimately paved the way for change and secured true reform, through desegregation and enforceable legislation.
The nonviolent, direct action movement was first introduced by activist Martin Luther King, Jr. King’s background as a Baptist preacher meant that he first looked to the Bible and his for his teachings and rhetoric. He followed the teachings of Jesus, but he was also greatly influenced by non-Biblical ideas. Arguably the most important influence outside of Biblical teachings was the nonviolent philosophy that was practiced by Mohandas Mahatma Ghandi.1 Ghandi was the spiritual leader of India’s independen...

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...s Movement." Journal of Black Studies 29, no. 4 (1999): 558-578.
8. "Southern Christian Leadership Conference." Southern Christian Leadership Conference. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/southern_christian_leadership_co.htm (accessed November 26, 2013).
9. "Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum - OurDocuments." Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum - OurDocuments. http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/odex8802.html (accessed December 1, 2013).
10. A&E Television Networks. "Integration of Central High School." History.com. http://www.history.com/topics/central-high-school-integration (accessed December 1, 2013).
11. "Montgomery Bus Boycott." Montgomery Bus Boycott RSS. http://www.montgomeryboycott.com/ (accessed December 3, 2013).
12. King, Martin Luther. "Pilgrimage to Nonviolence." In Stride toward freedom. New York: Harper, 1958. 102

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