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History essay the civil rights movement
History essay the civil rights movement
The US civil rights movement
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In the heat of the Cold War, women and African Americans were wanting their rights and equality in the years after 1950. While both the Civil rights movement and the feminist movement utilized similar nonviolent methods, most of their goals differed because of the different social standards placed upon them.
While both African Americans and Feminists wanted equal education and equality to white men, the differences in the standards imposed upon them by society caused the rest of their goals to differ. Since society’s notion of women was for them to be wives and mothers, feminists wanted to change it to where they had a choice in what they did with their lives. Feminists wanted to work and receive equal pay to what men received. They
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wanted to be able work and receive good pay if they wanted to. Another feminist goal was to legalize abortions and be able to get birth control. They wanted to be in charge of their bodies. On the other hand, the African American notion society had was that the African Americans were inferior to white people. The Civil Rights movement’s goals were to equalize the races. They wanted to end segregation and to have schools integrated. In Little Rock Arkansas in 1957, a picture of the Little Rock Nine was taken and depicted the nine African American students leaving Central High School, a former all white school, while surrounded by National Guard soldiers (doc B). The photographer conveyed that even though schools had to integrate, white Americans attacked the African Americans who went to the schools unless they had military protection. The Civil Rights movement members wanted African American children to be able to go to integrated school without being attacked for not being white. Another goal was to make the justice system more fair, since the juries were mostly white. Even with their goals to change society being different, both groups took similar peaceful actions. Even though the goals of the Civil Rights movement and the Feminist movement differed, both groups utilized the same nonviolent methods to change society’s standards.
Both groups used civil protests to bring about change. African Americans peacefully protested segregated lunch counters by sitting at the counter until they were served. In 1963, when the CIvil Rights movement was nonviolent, the Jackson Daily News used a photo depicting sit in demonstrators being attacked and not retaliating (doc A). The photographer, Fred Blackwell, revealed that the Civil Rights protesters remained peaceful when attacked in 1963. The Civil Rights movement used peaceful methods of protest, like sit ins, to get their point across. Conversely, the Feminists movement used peace protests like picketing. Feminist protested things that objectified beauty; for example the Miss America Beauty Pageant. In Atlantic City in 1968, feminists protested the Miss America Pageant. A photographer captured an image of two women protesting the pageant while holding signs calling the pageant a cattle auction (doc H). The photographer highlighted the peaceful protests that the feminists held against beauty objects. Women threw out bras, curlers, cosmopolitan magazines, playboys, and girdles during their bra burning protests. Another form of protests both groups used was marches. Feminists marched to legalize abortion. In 1972, women marched to be in control of their own bodies. One such march was photographed and one photo depicts hundreds of women marching with signs stating they wanted legal abortions (doc K). The photographer conveyed the feelings of joy the women felt as the proudly and peacefully demanded their rights. Feminists also marched to become equal to men under the law. The Alice Paul Memorial March in Washington, D.C. was composed of feminists requesting people and businesses to uphold the Equal Rights Amendment of 1972, which stated that everyone had equal rights under federal law. A
photograph of the march illustrates the hundreds of women marching to receive the equal rights that they deserved (doc L). The photographer illuminated the unfair discrimination these women and feminists were peacefully fighting with their march. African Americans did their marches to end segregation. One of the marches the Civil Rights movement members participated in was the March on Washington. At the March on Washington in 1963, a march for freedom and jobs, a photo was taken depicting Martin Luther King Jr. addressing the crowd containing thousands of marchers (doc C). The photographer revealed a Civil Rights leader leading one of the largest and most famous peaceful protests the Civil Rights movement conducted as a way to highlight the Civil Rights movement’s mostly nonviolent nature. Both movements involved many smaller organizations. One organization the civil rights movement had was the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, while the Feminist movement had the National Black Feminist Organization as one of its organizations. Most members of both movements wanted to change society peacefully, so both movements utilized the same nonviolent methods. One member of National Black Feminist Organization best described both movements’ notion for nonviolence when the Combahee River Collective was interviewed, “We are a collective of black feminists who have been meeting together since 1974 ...we do not believe that the end always justifies the means...” (Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History, Vol. 6, 2006). The Groups believed nonviolent actions were the way to gain their rights. Since society’s standards were discriminative, both the Civil Rights movement and the Feminist movement utilized similar peaceful methods even though they had different goals.
These documents touch on important topics that a lot of Americans have a hard time understanding. Both The Civil Rights movement and Feminist Movement connect to mainstream liberalism, share parallel goals or differences, progressed in the 1970s, and still have an influence on American’s views to this day. Equal rights among all, is still something America is struggling with after about 50 years. There is no denying though, that the movements during the 60’s and 70’s molded the lives of future generations in the way that American’s view each other as human beings.
During this era, LBJ and the Civil Rights Bill was the main aattraction. July 2, 1964, President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed a civil rights bill that prohibited discrimination in voting, education, employment, and other areas of the American life. At this point, the American life will be changed forever. LBJ had helped to weaken bills because he felt as if it was the states job and not the goverment, but why did he change his mind? Was polictics the reason LBJ signed the Civil Rights Bill of 1964?
“There must be the position of superior and inferior” was a statement by Lincoln which formed the basis of discrimination towards black Americans as it highlighted the attitudes of white Americans. Although civil rights for black people eventually improved through the years both socially and politically, it was difficult to change the white American view that black people are inferior to white people as the view was always enforce by the favour of having “the superior position assigned to the white race”.
The White Citizens Council was formed and led opposition to school desegregation allover the South. The Citizens Council called for economic coercion of blacks who favored integrated schools, such as firing them from jobs, and the creation of
Whereas the women’s suffrage movements focused mainly on overturning legal obstacles to equality, the feminist movements successfully addressed a broad range of other feminist issues. The first dealt primarily with voting rights and the latter dealt with inequalities such as equal pay and reproductive rights. Both movements made vast gains to the social and legal status of women. One reached its goals while the other continues to fight for women’s rights.
Reviewing the relationships between each of these movements shows the connection they all shared in influencing each other. The development and growth of the African-American civil rights movement ultimately led to their success in realizing their goals being met. The New Left movement stemmed from this growth and success and as a result made their own impact on America through their similar tactics and approach to the issues of war and injustice. Feminism stemmed from the inequality with the New Left groups and the awareness brought on by the civil rights movements of the 1960s.
Women had been “denied basic rights, trapped in the home [their] entire life and discriminated against in the workplace”(http://www.uic.edu/orgs/cwluherstory/). Women wanted a political say and wanted people to look at them the way people would look at men. in 1968, many women even protested the Miss America Beauty Pageant because it made it look that women were only worth their physical beauty. A stereotyped image was not the only thing they fought, “Women also fought for the right to abortion or reproductive rights, as most people called it” (http://www.uic.edu/orgs/cwluherstory/). These were the reason why the Women started the Women’s Liberation. African Americans, however, had different causes. After almost a century after the Emancipation Proclamation, black men are still being treated unfairly. They were being oppresed by the so-called “Jim Crow” laws which “barred them from classrooms and bathrooms, from theaters and train cars, from juries and legislatures” (http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/). They wanted equal rights, equal facilities and equal treatment as the whites. This unfairness sparked the African American Civil Right’s Movement. This unfairness was seen in the Women’s Liberation as well. Both were treated unfairly by the “superior”. Both wanted equal rights, from the men or whites oppressing them. They both wanted equal treatment and equal rights. During the actual movement
Johnson: Savior of the Civil Rights Movement? The Civil Rights Movement and President Johnson are closely linked in history. Though there were many other faces to the Civil Rights Movement, Johnson’s was one of the most publicly viewed and instrumental in its passing. It was Johnson who carried the weight and responsibility of the issue after the assassination of JFK, and it was he who would sign it.
The 1960’s were a time of freedom, deliverance, developing and molding for African-American people all over the United States. The Civil Rights Movement consisted of black people in the south fighting for equal rights. Although, years earlier by law Africans were considered free from slavery but that wasn’t enough they wanted to be treated equal as well. Many black people were fed up with the segregation laws such as giving up their seats on a public bus to a white woman, man, or child. They didn’t want separate bathrooms and water fountains and they wanted to be able to eat in a restaurant and sit wherever they wanted to and be served just like any other person.
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.
Many problems have come during the past century. Especially for African Americans during the 1960s. They suffered hard days of segregation and long nights of inequality. Longing to vote and to attend school helped them have a personal connection and reason why to fight in the civil rights movement. The things they did for voting and educational equality paid off, especially for our generation. Therefore, all the work and protest important civil rights leaders were engaged in, African Americans were granted educational equality and voting rights,
In the United States, the feminist movement was a civil rights issue that sought to establish equality for women. The movement aimed to transform the lives of women in American society and exerted a profound global effect throughout the twentieth century. Today, individuals who support this movement are identified as feminist: an ideology that all individuals should identify with. Feminism is the doctrine that advocates women 's rights which advocates political, economic, and social equality in comparison to men (“feminism”). This movement for equality is a rational and logical idea that the Bill of Rights and the Constitution should be expanded to accommodate the other half of the human population, promoting inclusion, individual identity,
Women are seen as house wives, who stay at home clean, cook, and watch the kids while the husband is at work getting money to support his family. Times have changed, we women no longer want to be seen as housewives, we are more than that and for that reason The Feminist Movement began. Fighting for equality to stand up to society. The Feminist Movement gained respect and equal rights for women all over the world.
Historically, the Civil Rights Movement was a time during the 1950’s and 60’s to eliminate segregation and gain equal rights. Looking back on all the events, and dynamic figures it produced, this description is very vague. In order to fully understand the Civil Rights Movement, you have to go back to its origin. Most people believe that Rosa Parks began the whole civil rights movement. She did in fact propel the Civil Rights Movement to unprecedented heights but, its origin began in 1954 with Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka. Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka was the cornerstone for change in American History as a whole. Even before our nation birthed the controversial ruling on May 17, 1954 that stated separate educational facilities were inherently unequal, there was Plessy vs. Ferguson in 1896 that argued by declaring that state laws establish separate public schools for black and white students denied black children equal educational opportunities. Some may argue that Plessy vs. Ferguson is in fact backdrop for the Civil Rights Movement, but I disagree. Plessy vs. Ferguson was ahead of it’s time so to speak. “Separate but equal” thinking remained the body of teachings in America until it was later reputed by Brown vs. Board of Education. In 1955 when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, and prompted The Montgomery Bus Boycott led by one of the most pivotal leaders of the American Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. After the gruesome death of Emmett Till in 1955 in which the main suspects were acquitted of beating, shooting, and throwing the fourteen year old African American boy in the Tallahatchie River, for “whistling at a white woman”, this country was well overdo for change.
The feminist movement helped earn women the right to vote, but even then, it wasn’t enough to get accepted into the workforce. They were given the strength to fight the journey for equality and social justice. There has been known to be three waves of feminism, each wave fighting for a different issue concerning women’s rights. Laws protecting sexual assault and alimony would be enacted, and women were now allowed custody of their children in divorce cases.