African-American Civil Rights Movement of 1955-1968

1234 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: African American Civil Rights Movement

The series of African-American Civil Rights movements, which stretched from 1955 to 1968, aimed at restoring the rights of African-American people and liberating them from social and racial discrimination. This movement changed the social and political structure of the United States. The main catch was that the movement accomplished successful results following the ‘nonviolent resistance’, establishing the fact that the Christian religion believed in peace and equality. BIRTH OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENTS United States, since its foundation has endured racial inequality. The government and other major institutions were administrated by the ‘whites’ and the ‘black’ Americans lacked behind in every aspect of life. The reconstruction period, that started after the defeat of the Confederate States of America, lasted for twelve years starting from 1865 to 1877.The elections of 1876 brought an end to this era in which the whites of the Democratic party gained political control in the south while the Republican Party, which mainly constituted of the Blacks, lost terribly because blacks were not allowed to register their votes. By the early 20th centaury, majority of the elected officials in the south were Democrats, the white domination caused increase in the violence on African Americans and they were detained from their rights of education, employment and religion. The consequence was the emergence of the ‘Jim Crow’ system which suppressed and violated the racial and social rights of the African Americans. The conditions in the North and West were comparatively better so most of the African people seek refuge in migration. Previously, the Civil rights movement of 1955 – 1968, with the help of organizations like NAACP (National... ... middle of paper ... ... which was responsible was the division of equal power, took no practical measures in that regard. All in all, this movement was very successful in the general populous and managed to give them a sensation of separate and distinct identity but didnot achieve any remarkable results in the political domain. Conclusion To conclude, Civil Rights Movement of 1955 – 1968 has been the turning point not only in the history of African – American but has also been a source of inspiration and motivation for the further Civil Rights movements, that strived for the equality of gays, women and other minority nations. The key points of the movement were derived from the teachings of Jesus and Mohandas Gandhi and perhaps it was the result of such remarkable teachings that the movement managed to attain triumphant results and turned around the life of the people of America.

Show More
Related

  • Portrait Of America Sparknotes

    1864 Words  | 4 Pages

    The civil rights movement, by many people, is though to have happened during the 1950's and 1960's. The truth of the matter is that civil right has and always will be an ongoing issue for anyone who is not of color. The civil rights movement started when the black slave started arriving in America centuries ago. The civil rights movement is one of the most known about issues in American history. Everyone at some point in their life has studied this movement. This movement is particularly interesting due to the massive amounts of different stories and occurrences through the course of the movement. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a vital figurehead to this movement. He inspired many people who had lived their whole lives in the shadow of fear of change.

    Read More

  • Sncc Vs Slc Analysis

    634 Words  | 2 Pages

    Since the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement in the mid-nineteenth century, African American leaders have proposed many different theories and methods to address the injustices posed by the white majority on to the African-American population. One point that all the leaders agreed on, however, was that things had to change, the injustice and discrimination that the black community faced couldn’t be tolerated anymore. The most well known of these leaders was Martin Luther King who amongst others started one of the most prominent civil rights groups in the struggle for African American rights in the sixties: The Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Founded by college students, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating

    Read More

  • Malcolm X Vs. Martin Luther King Jr.

    1713 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Civil Rights Movement symbolized the challenge and opposition to the racial injustices and segregation that had been engrained in American society for hundreds of years. Events that took place in the 1950s and 1960s, such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, sit-ins, speeches and numerous protests define this momentous time in United States history. Speeches during this period served as a means to inspire and assemble a specific group of people, for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X it was the black community that needed to rise up in hopes of achieving equal rights and voting rights for the blacks.

    Read More

  • Analysis of The Reconstruction Period

    1071 Words  | 3 Pages

    After the ending of the Civil War in 1865, slavery was, at last, formally abolished by the Thirteenth Amendment. Due to the freedom of these African Americans and the South’s ever-growing hatred towards this group, African Americans were left to suffer harsh discrimination and horrible conditions. Africans Americans were left without homes, education, jobs, or money. Reconstruction was the Radical Republicans’ attempt to try and bring the Confederate states back to normal and unite both the South and the North into a whole country once again. Reconstruction was also set to protect and help the newly freed African Americans assimilate to the new society and the foreign economy they were placed in. Conditions of the African Americans in the South before, during, and after the reconstruction period were no doubt harsh. African Americans, before the Reconstruction Era, struggled to assimilate with the hateful society they were thrown in, if not still slaves. Although their condition improved slightly, African Americans during the reconstruction period experienced extreme terrorism, discrimination, pressure, and hatred from the south, along with the struggle of keeping alive. After the military was taken out of the South, African Americans’ condition after the Reconstruction Era relapsed back as if Reconstruction never happened.

    Read More

  • The Civil Rights Movement in 1955

    1720 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Civil Rights Movement refers to the political, social, and economical struggle of African Americans to gain full citizenship and racial equality. Although African Americans began to fight for equal rights as early as during the days of slavery, the quest for equality continues today. Historians generally agree that Civil Rights Movement began with the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955 and ended with the passing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.

    Read More

  • Comparison Of Booker T. Washington And W. E. B. Du Bois

    1144 Words  | 3 Pages

    The movements that emerged after 1955 were church-based, cross-class movements that stressed legalistic civil rights. This was the era of effective leaders like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. whom acknowledged the failure of the movement to address the persistent realities of poverty and economic discrimination. This movement dismantled segregation eliminated racism in southern politics empowered black officeholders and changed the day to day interactions between the races. Movements to obtain civil rights for black Americans have had a special historical significance. It has endured challenges not only by white supremacist groups but that of new black militant organizations (Black Panther Party) that rallied for violence. In spite of agitations/obstacles this movement has broken many race barriers and allowed for accommodations for blacks. Sit- in and non-violent boycott movements have been effective techniques used to break segregation barriers. Such

    Read More

  • Civil Rights Movements of the 1950's and 1960's

    1109 Words  | 3 Pages

    On December 1st, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in the front of a bus to a white man. It was this simple act of defiance that, arguably, began the Civil Rights movement which lasted from 1955 through the 1960’s and altered the face of our nation forever. Following the arrest of Rosa Parks for her simple denial, African Americans in Montgomery began boycotting the bus system, one of the first major stands against racism in the 1950’s. On the heels of the Brown v. Board of Education segregation trial which had ruled in favor of school integration, this boycott, which proved successful after the seat separation was removed, effectively began the civil rights movement with which we are now so familiar with. The civil rights movement in America aimed to gain civil liberties and rights which were guaranteed by law but withheld from them in society. While the movement lasted from about 1954 to 1968, it was not until the 1960’s that other minorities such as American Indians and women began to join the fight. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s was possibly the most important domestic social movement of the twentieth century. At the very least, it was the most important social confrontation to grip America since the Civil War.

    Read More

  • Civil Rights Movement a Turbulent Time in American History

    2224 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Civil Rights Movement was a very turbulent period in American history. Blacks and white sympathizers alike were the targets of death threats, vandalism, beatings, and increased discrimination. Activists, both black and white, were murdered by racists. The times were tough for many during this difficult fight against racism and inequality, and the struggle for their civil and human rights.

    Read More

  • NAACP

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    The civil rights movement in the United States has been a long, primarily nonviolent struggle to bring full civil rights and equality under the law to all Americans. It has been made up of many movements, though it is often used to refer to the struggles between 1945 and 1970 to end discrimination against African-Americans and to end racial segregation, especially in the U.S. South. It focuses on that particular struggle, rather than the comparable movements to end discrimination against other ethnic groups within the United States or those struggles, such as the women's liberation, gay liberation, and disabled rights movements, that have used similar tactics in pursuit of similar goals. The civil rights movement has had a lasting impact on United States society, both in its tactics and in increased social and legal acceptance of civil rights. One of the most important organizations of this era was the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). NAACP is an organization composed mainly of American blacks, but with many white members, whose goal is the end of racial discrimination and segregation.

    Read More

  • Success and Failure of the Civil Rights Movement

    1574 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Civil Rights Movement had a lot going on between 1954 and 1964. While there were some successful aspects of the movement, there were some failures as well. The mixture of successes and failures led to the extension of the movement and eventually a more equal American society.

    Read More

  • Alice Walker

    843 Words  | 2 Pages

    Before the Civil Rights Movement, which took place from 1955-1968, African-Americans had a difficult time establishing an identity and their rights. However, for many African-Americans, the Civil Rights Movement developed a purpose for one’s life and progressed African-Americans’ status and rights in society. Although some people may argue that the Civil Rights Movement was not productive and only caused conflict and havoc, due to the majority of African-Americans still employed in low-level jobs and many towns affected by the Civil Rights Movement being torn apart and degraded, those effects were only temporary and tangible to others. The Movement had a much more profound effect of giving one a purpose or “spark” in life, which later led to African-Americans demanding more rights and equal status in society.

    Read More

  • Successes And Failures Of The Civil Rights Movement

    515 Words  | 2 Pages

    Even after slavery was abolished in United States, the lives of black people were not improved but instead they continue to suffer for equality. The civil rights movement was a struggle by African American from 1954 to the late 1970s to achieve civil rights equal as much as white people have. It is also one of the defining moments of American time. Its significance, how it impacted on the society, and its successes and failures are always remembered and respected.

    Read More

  • The Civil Rights Act Of 1866

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...dation and violence, including lynching, were an ever-present danger. Northern African Americans were not unaffected and suffered the same widespread discrimination and school and residential segregation.

    Read More

  • How Did Orval E Faubus Speech On School Integration Influence The Civil Rights Movement?

    577 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Civil Rights Movement, the fight for racial equality, first began when Soviet diplomats used racial segregation and discrimination in America against blacks as an anti-American propaganda tool to express defects in America’s society. (pg. 1052) President Eisenhower began to address multiple racial concerns by eliminating racial discrimination in military bases and desegregating multiple public facilities such as libraries, restaurants, playgrounds, and parks. (pg. 1052-1053) Of course, those who came from the races that were being discriminated against were the most significant leadership figures. (pg. 1053) Fearless African Americans would resist against discrimination and segregation in a variety of places, fighting for the basic human

    Read More

  • Maya Angelou, Martin Luther King and the civil Rights Movement

    1369 Words  | 3 Pages

    “American civil rights movement.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2013. .

    Read More

More about African-American Civil Rights Movement of 1955-1968

Open Document