Passive Resistance In The Civil Rights Movement

1796 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Discuss the right to freedom of expression

The vast majority of uprisings by the oppressed against their persecutor end in blood shed and great human suffering. If we lived in a utopia everyone would adopt passive resistance to escape persecution, but we do not live in a utopia and everyone cannot adopt passive resistance. Mahatma Gandhi popularized and defined the concept as an alternative to brute-force as a means of resistance. During the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. utilized passive resistance in order to fight back against discrimination against African Americans. Viktor Frankl, in his book Man’s Search for Meaning, writes about the effectiveness of passive resistance, while George Orwell, in his essay Reflections on Gandhi, condemns it. Although, in theory the …show more content…

It can though be effective when the oppressed group is unable to change their situation through conventional means. Viktor Frankl’s experience in Auschwitz taught him that: “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves” (Frankl). The conventional means of resistance throughout history have been brute-force, that is until Gandhi introduced to the world passive resistance. Instead of attempting a violent revolt, the people of India looked inward and successfully challenged themselves to live by the ways of self control. Frankl’s statement is even more abundantly clear during the civil rights movement. Civil rights leaders attempted to petition to the government through conventional means, but as King writes, “The [city fathers] consistently refused to engage in good-faith negotiations” (King 2). When the legal system did nothing to change the unjust laws affecting African Americans, King started a movement of passive resistance and required his followers to emulate pacifism. Another situation in which passive resistance makes a useful tool to escape oppression, is one in which the society has a free press and right to assembly. For example, in the United States of America, the first amendment says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” (Amend. I). While it is not a constitutional right to break laws, it is a right to publicize the tensions created from non-violent protest. So while passive resistance is not adoptable by everyone, there are cases in which it can be an effective means of

Show More
Related

  • The Tattooed Soldier Essay

    1469 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...y shocks most of people who hear and see it, encouraging and moving others who also suffer. In instance, Elena screamed at Longoria to show she would not give them any information about resistances and Antonio when Longoria was about to killing her (Tobar 148). Elena sacrificed her life to protect Antonio and her friends who fought against the Guatemalan government without using any violence when she faced Longoria who tried to kill her. She showed it was important not to be daunted by fear and to keep fighting for justice. Mohandas Karamachand Gandhi advocated nonviolent resistance as a means of seeking peace and gaining independence for the Republic of India from Britain. Justice should be served by means in the name of justice. Nonviolent resistance is a powerful way to fight against the cycle of violence and work towards the realization of a peaceful world.

    Read More

  • Peaceful Protest Synthesis Essay

    514 Words  | 2 Pages

    Peaceful resistance to laws positively impact a free society because if there isn't, how will people hear the voices of the oppressed and mistreated? Peaceful resistance comes a long way in trying to advance the rights and customs of the oppressed today. For example, The Salt March of 1930 was based on the Salt Act of 1882, which excluded the people the India from producing or getting salt, only British officials. Mahatma Gandhi was the leader of this protest. According to an article by time.com, it says that "The protest continued until Gandhi was granted bargaining rights at a negotiation in London. India didn’t see freedom until 1947, but the salt satyagraha (his brand of civil disobedience) established Gandhi as a force to be reckoned with and set a powerful precedent for future nonviolent protestors, including Martin Luther King Jr.(Sarah Begley,2015)" This means the salt march was a start for India's independence. Also, Gandhi's brand of civil disobedience set precedents for future nonviolent protests. Another Example of how peaceful protests

    Read More

  • Brown V. Board Of Education (1950)

    823 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Does Nonviolence Work on a Large Scale?

    1807 Words  | 4 Pages

    It has been debated though out history whether or not nonviolence “works”. Many societies, and this without question includes the United States, have mostly relied on violent tactics. Many people believe that violence is the only way to stop wars, even though it creates war, and people tend to believe that violence is the one solution to many global and political problems. However, recent literature and research is starting to prove otherwise. Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist, recently published a book, Why Civil Resistance Works in 2011. The research highlights data that shows throughout history, nonviolent tactics are more effective than violent ones in various ways.

    Read More

  • The Power of Nonviolent Resistance (NVR)

    1378 Words  | 3 Pages

    When contrasting violent and non-violent forms of civil disobedience, one can look at the contrasting doctrines of civil rights activists Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Martin Luther King’s tactics of protest involved non-violent passive resistance to racial injustice. He once said, “unearned suffering is redemptive. Suffering,...

    Read More

  • The Civil Rights Movement: Civil Disobedience vs. Violence

    1080 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Civil Rights Movement was a series of actions that really peaked in the 1960's. These political actions were aimed at gaining rights for African Americans. However, there were two ways of going about the movement. There were ones who protested peacefully, like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and others who wanted a more pro-active way of fighting, like the black-rights activist Malcolm X. However, which way was more proactive? Even though both had great intentions, Dr. Martin Luther King had a better way of trying to achieve rights for the African American community.

    Read More

  • The Power Of Resistance In The Diary Of Anne Frank

    1116 Words  | 3 Pages

    For instance, in “The Diary of Anne Frank” Anne uses her diary to increase her family’s moral and to oppose the Nazis. As she writes about her daily life and attitude towards the Nazis, we see how she resisted by carrying on the legacy of her family with her writing.The Nazis policy was not just to remove the people, but to remove the memory of those people, and the very memories those people might have within them. Her diary is brought the people faith and optimism. People in the concentration camps used their talents such as acting or playing the piano to make people forget the hunger and misery and long for another concert. Meanwhile for the artists this was a revolt against the regime. Passive resistance points towards a future: by bearing its meaning is like a sealed envelope into in another era and redirects the world away from violence. Some may argue that you are doing nothing for the better of the Jewish people by hiding and are not helping the ultimate cause or end goal, but the people are making more of a difference preserving their culture by teaching and practicing it than killing five out of ten thousand people and then dying from being shot. The active resistors are not making that much of a difference in their army by killing a couple. By teaching, people are renewing their faith they

    Read More

  • Oppression Of People Of Color

    801 Words  | 2 Pages

    Martin Luther King, Jr. advocated nonviolence to suppress oppression in his essay, “The Power of Nonviolent Action.” King's factual and reasoned approach is intended to win his adversaries over by appealing to their consciences. King realized that the best strategy to liberate African-Americans and gain them justice was to use nonviolent forms of resistance. He wanted to eliminate the use of violence as a means to manage and establish cooperative ways of interacting. Moreover, King states that the “oppressed people must organize themselves into a militant and nonviolent mass movement” in order to achieve the goal of integration. The oppressed must “convince the oppressors that all he seeks is justice, for both himself and the white man” (King, 345). Furthermore, King agreed with Gandhi that if a law is unjust, it is the duty of the oppressed to break the law, and do what they believe to be right. Once a law is broken, the person must be willing to accept the ...

    Read More

  • The Civil Rights Movement

    2045 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Civil Rights Movement

    885 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Comparison of Civil Disobedience

    3701 Words  | 8 Pages

    Despite the belief that fighting with violence is effective, civil disobedience has been tried throughout history and been successful. Fighting violence with violence leaves no oppertunity for peace to work. By refusing to fight back violently, Martin Luther King Jr. took a race of people, taught them the value of their voice, and they earned the right to vote. Henry David Thoreau presented his doctrine that no man should cooperate with laws that are unjust, but, he must be willing to accept the punishment society sets for breaking those laws, and hundreds of years later, people are still inspired by his words. Mohandas K. Gandhi lead an entire country to its freedom, using only his morals and faith to guide him, as well as those who followed him, proving that one man can make a difference. Civil disobedience is the single tool that any person can use to fight for what they want, and they will be heard. After centuries of questioning it, it appears that the pen truly is mightier than the sword.

    Read More

  • The Civil Rights Movement: Unwavering Goals, Dynamic Strategies, and Increasing Support

    834 Words  | 2 Pages

    From the founding of the United States of America, the American people agreed upon essential ideas to live by including unalienable rights including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. All American citizens were guaranteed these rights, except for the racially discriminated upon black Americans. After the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment in 1864, former slaves were proclaimed free; yet they were exposed to significant discrimination in education, the workplace, and public accommodations. The civil rights movement began in an attempt to end racial discrimination and create a nation in which black Americans had the same opportunities as white Americans. The overall goals of the African American civil rights movement did not change during the 1960s. Instead, the strategies to employ change evolved. In addition, the progressive increase in support received from the federal government and non-black community further advanced the civil rights movement towards its goals.

    Read More

  • The Civil Rights Movement

    1633 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Civil Rights Movement

    1649 Words  | 4 Pages

    The latter part of the Civil Rights Movement was characterized by action and change as it was no longer centralized in the South or only fought for by black individuals. Rather, northerners were active in achieving black equality and the white community was campaigning for integration. Although many lost their lives in this struggle, their valiancy did not go unrewarded and soon enough African Americans were able to vote, work, study, and simply eat lunch beside white individuals.

    Read More

  • The Civil Rights Movement

    916 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

More about Passive Resistance In The Civil Rights Movement

Open Document