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Civil rights act of 1964 essay
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What does the phrase “All men are created equal” mean? For most people, this phrase represents the diversity of America and how everyone is equal no matter what their race is or their background. However, the idea was easier said than done. For centuries, African Americans have fought for their equality in this nation with this belief that all men are created equal. This struggle was most apparent during the Civil Rights Movement with many brave souls fighting so they could be free. One of the most important event during the Civil Rights Movement was the 1963 March on Washington. The march was significant because it successfully pressured John F. Kennedy, who was the president, to initiate a strong federal Civil Rights Bill in Congress such …show more content…
as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965. Also, MLK’s famous “I have a dream” speech, which was one of the most significant moment in the Civil Rights Movement’s history, was spoken during the 1963 March on Washington. The march didn’t solve every problem in an instant. However, it was a huge leap towards ending racial inequality that had affected this nation for centuries. First and foremost, the 1963 March on Washington was more than just an everyday march.
There were countless demonstrators that took part along with important Civil Rights leaders such as MLK. Authors of CNN Library noted, “The march was organized by the "Big Six" leaders of the civil rights movement: A. Philip Randolph, Whitney M. Young Jr., Martin Luther King Jr., James Farmer, Roy Wilkins and John Lewis. Bayard Rustin was chief organizer of the march.More than 200,000 people participated in the march to focus attention on civil rights”(“March on Washington Fast Facts”). This quote reveals the amount of attention and crowd the march generated. It is quite difficult to imagine the size of the crowd that gathered in Washington that day..So to put it in perspective, more people showed up for the 1963 March on Washington than the entire population of cities such as Little Rock, Arkansas, Montgomery, Alabama and Tallahassee, the state capital of Florida. This march was unique since the Civil Rights leaders came together along with more than 200,000 demonstrators to declare that enough is enough! It was finally time to address this racial inequality and make this country, not just for Whites or for Blacks, but for …show more content…
everyone. In addition, the 1963 March on Washington was significant since it was successful in pressuring John F.
Kennedy, who was the president, to initiate a strong federal Civil Rights Bill in Congress. Authors for Stanford University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute wrote, “After the march, King and other civil rights leaders met with President Kennedy and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson at the White House, where they discussed the need for bipartisan support of civil rights legislation. Though they were passed after Kennedy’s death, the provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 reflect the demands of the march”(March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom). This quote reveals that the 1963 March on Washington helped pass a bill which gave African Americans the rights they demanded. The march was not in vain, since their leaders listened and most importantly, took
action. Furthermore, 1963 March on Washington undoubtedly left a mark in the Civil Rights Movement. The march did more than just gather many people around to protest before going home. The march served as a wake up call to the nation that was ignoring the atrocity and the inequality that was going on around them. One of the most famous moment in Civil Rights Movement came when Martin Luther King’s famous “I have a dream” speech was spoken during this march. Raymond Frey, the writer for the Salem Press Encyclopedia,wrote, “Martin Luther King Jr's “I Have a Dream” speech is one of the most memorable in US history… No longer could the country ignore the injustices of poverty, segregation, and violence against African Americans in the United States. King’s eloquent plea for justice and freedom was one of the decade’s shining moments; however, it also served as a powerful reminder that much still needed to be done”(“I have a Dream speech”). Frey has shown how King reminded everyone that hope is not lost. King’s reminder of how we can’t change the past, but that we can change the future gave optimism to the ever divided nation. The march didn’t solve the century old struggle of equality in a heartbeat. However, King’s speech at the 1963 March on Washington gave something that could not be oppressed or taken away. It gave the everyone, not just African Americans, hope. All in all, 1963 March on Washington was one of the most important event during the Civil Rights Movement due to countless reasons, but most importantly, the march successfully pressured John F. Kennedy, who was the president, to initiate a strong federal Civil Rights Bill in Congress such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965. The march also inspired millions of people across the country with MLK’s “I have a dream” speech resonating through the nation. The march may have not solved racial inequality or many issues that arose completely, but we live in a better world thanks to the marchers that united and fought so the phrase “All men are created equal” applies to everyone.
The 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington, where Martin Luther King gave his prophetic “I have a Dream Speech” attracted over 250,000 followers (Stewart, Smith, & Denton 2012, p. 12). The Civil Rights Movement had enormous momentum and was ready stay until justice was brought to every African-American in the United States of
The March on Washington was an important part of the civil rights movement in other ways less obvious. The March on Washington demanded equality in the South and to remove the Jim Crow law that was put in the South to keep colors separate from whites and make it separate but equal. The march was the biggest peaceful success in the civil rights movement: 200,000 black and white Americans showed up to take part. One of the most memorable speeches was Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech which...
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” (Jefferson). Thomas Jefferson, a white, Christian, political southern slave owner, wrote these words in 1776, a period in United States history when slavery thrived. The writer of the Declaration of Independence contradicts himself when he states that all men are created equal, when in actuality, his slaves were denied all that humans were meant to cherish.
Historians offer different perceptions of the significance of Martin Luther King and the 1963 March on Washington. Without examining this event within its historical context the media publicity and iconic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech can easily overshadow progress that was already underway in America. It was insisted by prominent civil rights activist Ella Baker, ‘the movement made Martin rather than Martin making the movement.’ What is important not to overlook is the significant change that took place in the United States during the previous 100 years. Such that, many influential figures in support of racial equality opposed the March. The Civil Rights Act proposed by President Kennedy in 1963 was already in the legislative process. Furthermore the Federal Government was now reasserting power over the entire of the United States by enforcing a policy of desegregation. It is important to note that these changes all took place less than one hundred years after the Thirteenth Amendment in 1965 abolished slavery, and the Fourteenth amendment in 1968 acknowledged the rights of former slaves to be acknowledged as U.S citizens. With this level of progress Kennedy was against the March going ahead due to the argument that it was limited in what it could achieve. Today, King’s 1963 Speech is viewed as one of the most iconic speeches in history. However, was it a key turning point in African Americans achieving racial equality? Federal endorsement would suggest yes after decades of southern states being able to subvert the Federal law designed to break down segregation. This support built upon the corner stones of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth amendments in the nineteenth century. Therefore looking at the national status of black Americans fro...
On June 11, 1963, John F. Kennedy made history when he pleaded for support on live television. While a majority of the American people were shocked by his plea, many Americans saw the broadcast as a spark igniting a change in the way African American’s were treated. That evening, John F. Kennedy asked the American people for their support of his Civil Rights Bill. The bill, one of the examples in which Kennedy responded to the Civil Rights Movement, would bring an end to segregation in public places among other Jim Crow laws. However, much of his response involved the national outlook on the events that took place in the Civil Rights Movement. John F. Kennedy started a national conversation on the Civil Rights Movement throughout America promoting
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” (“Declaration of Independence: A Transcription”). This statement from the Declaration of Independence, is very significant to many Americans. But how many Americans really believe that everyone is truly equal or if every American is actually considered equal? Jonathan Kozol’s article, “Still Separate, Still Unequal,” is an effective argument because of his brilliant use of pathos, successful usage of logos, and his notable use of his underscoring sympathetic tone.
The Birmingham and march in Washington included a lot of people. There were some school children that were involved, and non-violent protesters. Even though the protesters weren’t armed the police officers had sticks, firearms, and police dogs. The purpose of this march was to get rid of discrimination. Martin Luther King Jr. found the march the right opportunity to tell people more about the civil rights act. The reason for this march was because blacks wanted freedom and more job opportunities.
Martin Luther King admired Muhammad Gundi and Gundi’s idea of peaceful protest. King adopted this idea and organized much historical peaceful protest and civil disobedience in the name of equality. King led the Montgomery bus boycott of 1963 to protest the arrest of Rosa Parks, King also led the “march on Washington” when over 200,000 people gathered to hear King’s most famous speech. Kings most famous speech, I Have a Dream, was given on the steps of the Lincoln memorial on august 28th 1963. In King’s speech king conveys his idea of a perfect society of all races living together peacefully. King had much larger impact on civil rights than Malcolm X mostly because of King’s theories and principals of peaceful protest and Civil disobedience as opposed to X’s view of “whatever it takes.” Unfortunately much like Malcolm X King was also
is able to efficaciously illustrate the awareness that whites have oppressed blacks for years, and had continued to do so, long after the Emancipation Proclamation, at times for reasons seemingly unknown to blacks. In fact, it has left a lasting impact on the present United States, as de-facto segregation continues to take place in more rural areas. However, it is important that this situation is altered because if not, what significance would the phrase “all men are created equal”
Over 200,000 demonstrators participated in the March on Washington in the nation’s capital on August 28, 1963. The purpose of the march was to gain civil rights for African Americans. There was a wide diversity in those who participated, with a quarter of all the demonstrators being white (Ross). Even southern people came to contribute, which caused them to be harassed and threatened for coming to the march. The March on Washington became a very successful event for the rights of African Americans, and amended several peoples’ view-points towards the topic, even President John Kennedy’s.
On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech to more than 200,000 people during the March on Washington. King's speech was one of the most influential during the era of the Civil Rights Movement and is to this day recognized as a masterpiece due to its effect on the audience as well as for its eloquence and language. Many components went into this passionate speech that portrayed King's hopes for racial equality and a brighter future made the speech as moving as it was. It is doubtful that any person can guess that this speech was written without forethought regarding what goals King wished to accomplish in this speech. Martin Luther King Jr.'s eloquent language was perfectly suited to his audience, both his immediate and secondary audience, and his carefully chosen diction helped to shape arguable one of the most touching works ever spoken.
Racial unrest by the summer of 1963 was at its height since the Civil War. President Kennedy picked up the situation at the close of the Eisenhower years at a time when tensions were rapidly increasing. By the summer of 1963, however, after a series of violent demonstrations in the South, particularly in Birmingham, Alabama, President Kennedy pushed for a very strong civil rights bill in Congress. The first of its kind since the Civil War, this bill drastically called for the end of all segregation in all public places. In the eyes of the civil rights movement leaders, this bill was long over due.
According to the march organizers, the march would symbolize their demands of “the passage of the Kennedy Administration Civil Rights Legislation without compromise of filibuster,” integration of all public schools by the end of the year, a federal program to help the unemployed, and a Federal Fair Employment Act which would ban job discrimination (“The March on Washington” 11). In order for the march not to appear as a war of white versus black it had to be racially integrated so it looked like justice versus injustice. Some organizers wanted to call for massive acts of disobedience across America, but when the Urban League and the N.A.A.C.P. joined the organization of the march, they insisted against it. The march was originally going to be on Capitol Hill to influence congress, but because of a 1882 law against demonstrating there, they decided to march to the Lincoln Memorial and invite congress to meet them there, knowing that they would not.
The main argument of the Declaration of Independence was "All men were created equal" and there were certain unalienable rights that government should not violate which included that people have rights and freedom of life, liberty, and happiness. But if the government violates these rights then the people have the right to form their own society protecting their rights. Similarly, some of the people agreed with this point and some did not. When we read or hear the phrase by Jefferson, " All men are created equal", we tend to think that all the men and women, whites and blacks, all the races and colors are equal and are the creation of the god. But actually, this phrase disagreed because "All men are created equal" was written by Thomas Jefferson who owned 200 slaves and never set them free. Thus, we can predict that Jefferson phrase did not include any of the black people when he wrote this phrase. As a matter of fact, for Jefferson, the phrase meant all free men who owned property are created equal. As a result, the definition of equality was hard to find. In addition, the narrow definition created distinctions between free men vs slaves, women vs men, property owner vs debtors and much more. The phrase by Thomas Jefferson, "We hold this truth to be self-evident, that all men are created equal", but its conclusion is morally wrong. It is not true that black people are inferior to whites. This
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” (Declaration of Independence,1776)