Unraveling the Civil Rights Movement: A Historical Overview

The civil rights movement was a massively popular movement to fight to secure African Americans equal access to the basic rights and privileges guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution. Although the root causes of the movement date back to before the civil war, it climaxed in the 1950s and 1960s. State and local governments passed segregation laws that left the African American population politically and economically powerless. African American's along with whites, organized and led the movement. They pursued their goals through legal means, and nonviolent protests. The movement main focus addressed three main areas of discrimination, education, social segregation, and voting rights.

Between 1865 and 1870, Congress passed the 13th amendment

that abolished slavery, the 14th amendment gave citizenship to African Americans, and finally the 15th amendment that gave voting rights to black men. Although, the persecution of African American’s continued by Jim Crow laws and legislation passed to racially segregate public venues, including trains, restaurants, schools, hospitals, and even beaches. Additionally, intimidation tactics, enforced by the KKK, prevented blacks from enjoying the 13th-15th amendment extended to them. The outbreak of World War 2 in Europe stimulated the American industry and the demand for labor. African Americans stepped up for employment but were confronted with discrimination, white employers would choose white women over African Americans. African Americans also encountered racism in the armed forces. Millions of African Americans served in the military, although they were in segregated units. After World War 2, African Americans emerged from the war with a renewed sense of the right to equality and freedom in the land that claimed to represent these rights. Numerous factors helped the civil rights movement after World War II. The postwar economic boom gave higher incomes, that resulted in rising college enrollments of African Americans. Lastly increasing donations to civil rights organizations, occurred after World War 2. African American activists, and some whites, challenged injustices through public speaking, physical action and legislature. It wasn’t until the Supreme Court handed down the Brown v Board of Education that these activists were truly heard.
In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Brown v. Board of Education. They ruled that racial segregation was unconstitutional and therefore segregation in public schools would be outlawed. In 1955, the Court ordered the desegregation of public schools, nationwide. In the South especially, whites resisted desegregation, all southern schools remained segregated despite the Supreme Court’s ruling. The result of this ruling first occurred in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957. The local school board admitted nine black students to the city's previously all-white high school, white protests protested outside the school, the protest eventually escalated into violence. The efforts to integrate the high school made headlines around the world. The nation was becoming aware of the heightened struggle, because of the Warren Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education.

In 1955 Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a segregated city bus. She was jailed for failure. Rosa Parks and African American’s organized a boycott of the city buses in protest because of the segregated seating. Rosa Parks' actions and the boycott forced the buses to become integrated, anyone could sit anywhere. The boycott was lead by Martin Luther King, Jr. who would later became the leader of the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King fought to to win voting rights for blacks and to end segregation in all public places.

All of these efforts, captured the attention of lawmakers, who began creat federal voting-rights legislation.

President John Kennedy's administration made the first push for civil rights legislation. Following President Kennedy's tragic assassination, President Johnson had the Civil Rights Act of 1964 pushed through Congress. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibited racial discrimination in employment and public facilities and outlawed discrimination in voter registration. Also during his presidency, President Johnson helped passed the Civil Rights Act of 1965, this forbade discrimination in public housing. These two acts helped African Americans get equal treatment. The 24th amendment helped the movement further. It stated that there would be no poll tax in elections for federal officials, this helped destroyed the Jim Crow laws that made poll taxes possible.

The civil rights movement transformed American culture and society. Although racism did not disappear, there was far less tolerance for it than before the 1960s. The Warren Court, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King's actions helped arise real change in America. Their actions took courage and bravery to stand up to affect change. With the help of President Johnson, Congress passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 1968 and the 24th amendment which helped bring constitutional change to the movement. All of these people and laws helped the civil rights movement become

law.