The Journey to Freedom: The Civil Rights Movement

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Recommended: the importance of the civil rights movement

Ever wondered how segregation was abolished and African-Americans truly gained their liberty? Well, there were several significant people including Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, and Thurgood Marshall who made a tremendous difference in the movement. Their morals and values were that one day people could look at each other the same and not see color, but rather a human being. They put these values out on display in their courageous actions such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the “I Have a Dream” speech, which set the path for our great country even today. Therefore, the Civil Rights movement was an important event for the African-American community dues to the fact that is marked the end of segregation, uplifted African-Americans, and United States history forever.
First and foremost, in the mid-1960’s legal segregation, also known as the Jim Crow laws were successfully put to an end by the passing of Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The president at the time, John F. Kennedy asked for legislation saying “giving all Americans the right to be served in facilities which are open to the public—“ as well as “greater protection for the right to vote” in his civil rights speech of 1963 (Kennedy). The Civil Rights Act had forbidden all discrimination of race in hiring, promoting, and firing in jobs and in public quarters. In addition, the Voting Rights Act protected all voting rights for American individuals of all races, not just African-Americans. However, prejudice was still alive and present, especially in the south. Not everyone agreed with the new laws that were being made, but nevertheless blacks didn’t give up hope. They continued to preserve and fight for their rights in hopes that a change wou...

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...in color. It was because of this that it’s the most important event in African-American history and culture due to its great accomplishment in giving blacks liberty and putting an end to all discrimination for everyone.

Works Cited

King Jr, Martin Luther. Letter From Birmingham Jail. Publisher weekly 260.25 (2013) 170. Literary Reference Center. Web. 6 Mar. 2014.
King Jr, Martin Luther. Martin Luther King, Jr I Have a Dream. American Rhetoric. Estate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Intellectual Properties Management One Freedom Plaza. 28 Aug 1963. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.
Sanders, Viv. Rosa Parks and Montgomery Bus Boycott. History Review 55 (2006): 3-8. MasterFILE elite. Web. 6 Mar. 2014.
Vernell, Marjorie. Leaders of Black Civil Right. San Diego: Lucent Books, c2000. Print.
Woog, Adam. The Flight Renewed: The Civil Rights Movement. Thomson Gale 35-36. Print. 7 Mar. 2014

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