The Civil Rights Movement was just the beginning of a long and ongoing battle for African Americans to receive equal treatment under the law. It was a social and political movement that sought to end racial discrimination and segregation that had been established in American society for decades, the movement gained momentum through leaders such as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and more. The quest for equality began in the late 19th century with the Reconstruction Era. African Americans were granted citizenship through the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, but these rights were frequently denied through laws such as Jim Crow and literacy tests. As the Civil Rights Movement drew to a close, African Americans had made significant …show more content…
An important case that shapes how things play out from then on lies with Brown V. Board of Education, but its predecessor Plessy V. Furguson gives some context about how even with the end to slavery and African Americans subsequent gaining of rights, racism and prejudice was still active and even more so encouraged (U.S Court). The court established that even though races could be segregated, they must be considered inherently equal in the eyes of the law (U.S Court). However the Brown V. The Board of Education case shows that this notion is untrue, as facilities segregated were inherently unequal, the court ultimately ruled this practice illegal and led to the desegregation of schools and other segregated public spaces (U.S Court). But even with this ruling from the court many schools across the country, particularly in the south, resisted the ruling and continued to maintain segregated schools (National Museum). A key point of interest that came from this, is the incident with Little Rock High School with nine students becoming icons (National Museum). With nine African American students enrolling …show more content…
The assassination of Malcolm X was a tragic event, but from that event new organizations formed. Most notably the Black Panther party, with the party accepting the ideals that Malcolm X had set they began fighting, fighting for their rights not the nonviolence that MLK had advocated but self defense by any means necessary (Smith). The Black Panther party sought for even more equality, and desegregation did not stop the more underlying problems that still troubled Black people: unfair healthcare, poverty, housing, and police brutality (Smith). With persistent disparities in school funding, resources, and access to quality care contributes to the significant gaps in academic achievement and health outcomes. As well as facing the significant challenges of the justice system: over policing, racial bias, and legal representation all resulted in disproportionately high arrest of colored folk. These are problems that are still relevant in today's world, an example being the killings of African American men such as George Flyod, Trayvon Martin, and Daunte Wright (NAACP). These killings sparked protests and riots around the country and the formation of the Black Lives Matter organization which were protesters that tackled the issues of racial profiling,
In 2010, the average percentage of students between white and black high school graduates that will enroll in a two year or four-year college are very close, with only about ~1-3% difference between the two. Especially notably, the enrollment rates of blacks are above 60%. Way more than DuBois’s expected “10%.” Du Bois's idea of obtaining secondary and higher level education proved to be correct and
After the death of George Floyd and the restart of the Black Lives Matter movement from its original start in 2013, it began almost a repeat of the Rodney King Riots. This time because of
The civil rights movement was a massive non-violent social movement from 1954 to 1968 that brought people together to end racism and racial segregation (Hamlin). During this time, African Americans played a crucial role in the fight for their own and other people’s civil rights, or the rights of a citizen to have social and political freedom and equality (Hamlin). African American women were one of the underappreciated pillars of the civil rights movement. They changed America one act at a time. Through leading organizations and movements, recognizing segregation in higher institutions, and defying segregated social norms, African American women significantly contributed to the civil rights movement.
Surprisingly, segregation still exists in the school system with direct impacts to individuals of color. Previously the landmark Brown V. Board of Education Supreme Court decision intended to stop segregation in schools, however, the case did not have a strong impact. According to “Race Ethnicity and Education” by Adrienne D. Dixson and Celia K. Rousseau Brown vs Board of Education is an appeasement act rather than a solution. Arguing that Brown vs Board of Education was a mirage whereas fifty years later indicates growing Hispanic and African American students attending schools comprised of minorities (Dixson 18). Additionally elucidating, “during the 2001-2002 school year, nearly 63% of black students in Michigan attended schools that were 90-100% minority” (Dixson 18).
All throughout American history there has been an issue with equality among different races and groups of people. One of the biggest movements for equal rights was the civil rights movement. This movement fought to expand the principles of democracy which includes equal rights for all. The Civil Rights Movements were able to expand the principles of democracy by expanding the rights to vote, housing, education, and employment. The Civil Rights Movement was able to achieve the right for African American people can vote.
“One individual can begin a movement that turns the tide of history. Martin Luther King in the civil rights movement [is an example] of people standing up with courage and non-violence to bring about needed changes” (Jack Canfield). The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s was a renewed struggle for equal rights. Despite African Americans being freed of slavery, they were still mistreated and discriminated against. The South was taking great measures to ensure that African Americans could not be equal to whites, such as Jim Crow laws and the literacy test.
Although laws and court decisions have led to significant improvements in racial injustice, problems with race continue to persist in American society. For example, after the brutal murder of George Floyd by policemen, the Black Lives Matter Movement started aimed towards recognising continued racism towards Black people. While Plessy v. Ferguson was a setback for civil rights in the US, subsequent laws and court decisions have expanded citizens’ rights and served as the foundation for fixing racial issues. At the end of the day, the fight for total racial
The death of George Floyd caused a chain of BLM protests and riots that raised even more awareness of the movement across the country. As time passes, we are making steady progress in conquering equality for each race in America. Despite our progress, the fight for racial justice in America is far from over. Many incidents of police brutality against black people continue to occur, and systemic racism remains deeply ingrained in many areas of American society. For example, a study by the Brookings Institution found that the median wealth of white families is ten times that of black families ( McIntosh, Moss, Nunn, Shambaugh).
But even though slavery was abolished there is still a lot of racism to this day. The Brown vs The Board of Education was separate but equal thing with Blacks and other races which was the Plessy vs Ferguson decision in the Court case. The NAACP and Thurgood Marshall took up their case with similar ones in South Carolina as Brown vs The Board of Education. The Brown vs The Board of Education was made on May 17, 1954 because 5 separate cases were heard by the US Supreme Court because of segregation in Public Schools. That is when and why the Brown vs The Board of Education Laws were made.
The Black Panther Party and Black Lives Matters are two movements that happened at different time periods in history, both wanting to approach the issue of police brutality towards African American individuals. Since both movements take place in two different time periods, the Black Panther Party happening in the 1960’s and the Black Lives Matter in present-day 2017, both have different and similar approaches along with goals in which they believe they can change the abusive relationship African Americans have with structural racism implemented by America. The police brutality back in the 1960’s majorly went unprosecuted due to high racism in this time period and not only did police brutality go majorly unpunished, it was also much more merciless
The Civil Rights Movement was a pivotal moment in American history that brought about significant changes in the fight against segregation and discrimination against African Americans. The movement, which began in the 1950s and continued through the 1960s, was characterized by protests, sit-ins, boycotts, and other forms of civil disobedience. One of the most significant impacts of the Civil Rights Movement was the passage of legislation that ended segregation and discrimination against African Americans. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This act paved the way for equal opportunities for all citizens regardless of their race.
The school systems went from a place of pure segregation and racism to having “about half of the states with segregated schools voluntarily changed their systems” (Black Students). The numerous efforts of the families allowed for these changes to not only be addressed but for there to actually be a noticeable result in the way African Americans were treated in schools. A prime example of this is how “Brown v. Board of Education not only made it possible to demolish segregated public school systems, but it was the landmark that served as a catalyst for further antidiscrimination decisions by the Supreme Court” (Brown v Board). This case allowed for many more subtle but influential changes to be made and further helped the advancement of the Civil Rights Movement. Today in schools, segregation is entirely a thought in the past and America as a society does not have a plan of changing things back to the way they once were (Shah).
The Civil Rights Movement was a pivotal moment in America’s History. The landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education served as a catalyst in the African American struggle for equality in America. This court case took place on May 17, 1954, and it set the political and social tone for events that followed which would make up the Civil Rights Movement. By following these events it can be concluded that the approach towards equality altered over time. Meaning that the way the efforts that equality was pursued began to evolve.
The Civil Rights Movement was one of the most significant turning points in American history. This was a social justice movement in the 20th century that was supported by a diverse affiliation of individuals and organizations. This included black activists, civil rights groups, and labor unions, which through the use of nonviolent protests and other means fought rightfully against racial segregation and discrimination, which was supported by segregationists, white supremacists, and conservative politicians. The civil rights movement achieved several significant short-term and long-term successes, which have now led to the America that we see today, however, the fight for equality is still not over for people of color in this country.
African Americans living in the United States during the Civil Rights Movement have experienced a tremendous amount of struggle and hardship trying to establish equality for black people. The Jim Crow Laws amplified segregation and discrimination towards African American people so in response, educated African Americans took action and began fighting for equality, thus sparking the Civil Rights Movement. When the Civil Rights Movement was first initiated, the racial discrimination towards African American people was at its worst. Glenda Elizabeth Gilmore insisted that, “The period from 1890-1920, is often called the “nadir” of African American history” (Gilmore). The “Separate but-Equal” ideal was a lie that the government believed in.