Separate and Unequal: Overcoming Segregation in America

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At the time of the African-American Civil Rights movement, segregation was abundant in all aspects of life. Separation, it seemed, was the new motto for all of America. But change was coming. In order to create a nation of true equality, segregation had to be eradicated throughout all of America. Although most people tend to think that it was only well-known, and popular figureheads such as Martin Luther King Junior or Rosa Parks, who were the sole launchers of the African-American Civil Rights movement, it is the rights and responsibilities involved in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision which have most greatly impacted the world we live in today, based upon how desegregation and busing plans have affected our public school systems and way of life, as well as the lives of countless African-Americans around America. The Brown v. Board of Education decision offered African-Americans a path away from common stereotypes and racism, by empowering many of the people of the United States to take action against conformity and discrimination throughout the movement. Segregation restricted the types of opportunities for members of different racial or ethnic groups to intermingle among themselves. Blacks and whites attended separate schools. Especially in the South, school segregation had been supported de jure (concerning law) for generations. Even when the white schools were closer to their residences, black children were often forced to attend the nearest all-black school. Whereas, in the North segregation was more commonly de facto (concerning fact), and the children attended their neighborhood school, which was in most cases only attended by the race that presided more dominantly in that neighborhood. “If children go to... ... middle of paper ... ...reated this site to archive the historical events which occurred within their state at the time of the movement. This source has been established as credible, since it was created by a historical society. "James Meredith." James Meredith. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2013. . This is a secondary source which helped me to ascertain the kind of man James Meredith was, even before he became recognized for his role in the movement. "James Meredith Shot." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2013. . This article discusses the politics involved in the case of James Meredith being shot, and his return from hospitalization to continue on the “March Against Fear”. This source is credible, since it included video footage of the event.

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