Free Essays on Civil Rights

Emerging in the 1950’s and reaching a peak in the 1960’s, the civil rights movement prompted the federal government to enact sweeping forms that toppled Jim Crow, virtually eliminated public assertions of white supremacy, a mainstay of the American cultural and intellectual tradition, and boosted black pride (Levy, xiii). There were many factors including the black migration and the growth of the federal government that contributed to the birth of the civil rights movement. During the movement, there were many cases, disputes, and acts of oppression. Even though the civil rights movement did not achieve all of its goals, nearly a half-century after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama; it continues to have an impact on the course of history, serving as an agent and as a model of the quest for human rights (Levy, xiii). The modern civil rights movement had both external and internal origins and causes. It came into being when and in the way it did because of both structural and human factors. Demographic shifts, particularly the black migration, the emergence of the US as a world power, and the formation of organizations such as the NAACP and SNCC played key roles (Levy, 41). While African Americans who migrated north found greater political, social, and economic opportunities than they has in the South, the North did not fulfill its potential as a â€Å"promised land.† Blacks remained the last hired and first fired, disproportionately relegated to low-skilled and poorly paying jobs. Residential segregation prevailed, confining blacks to poor neighborhoods, and since schools were located in the neighborhood in which one lived, African American migrants had less of a chance to move up the economic and social ladder than their white counterparts (Levy, 5). Despite such violence, the great migration of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North continued apace, beca... Free Essays on Civil Rights Free Essays on Civil Rights Civil Rights and Liberties The issue of Civil Rights and Liberties in the Civil Rights Movement movie has great impact on American society, many years ago, as well as today.   Although I am not African American, I can easily relate to the struggle that many men and women of that race had to endure, only by placing myself in their shoes.   Putting myself in their position would immediately give me an understanding of how important the Civil Rights and Liberties I take for granted are.   Desegregation of schools would be a large issue for me because I would want the best education possible.   And as long as someone was denying me that, I wouldn’t give up the fight until the war was over.   The right to vote, to be told that you aren’t worthy of electing those who govern you, even though it says in the constitution that all men are created equal, would be another peril I would have to face.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Without the right to vote, you are severely limited in your power.   Many different people have fought for the right to vote, including women.   This battle is always won because the constitution has laid the groundwork that every citizen has that right.   When that right is denied, it makes you angry, because you know it is your right while at the same time it is being denied to you.   Watching those young African Americans being hosed down while they were on their way to vote brought about a certain emotion.   An emotion that says, this is wrong.   You have to wonder if the people that have the right to vote and are taking it for granted even realize the heaviness of their actions.   If they realize that the only thing fueling the situation is hatred.   Even though the Civil Rights Act had been passed and the African Americans had the right to register, they were still being denied that. This brings about the issue that America needs to enforce it’s laws and realize that all men are created equal.   The me n holding the... Free Essays on Civil Rights Emerging in the 1950’s and reaching a peak in the 1960’s, the civil rights movement prompted the federal government to enact sweeping forms that toppled Jim Crow, virtually eliminated public assertions of white supremacy, a mainstay of the American cultural and intellectual tradition, and boosted black pride (Levy, xiii). There were many factors including the black migration and the growth of the federal government that contributed to the birth of the civil rights movement. During the movement, there were many cases, disputes, and acts of oppression. Even though the civil rights movement did not achieve all of its goals, nearly a half-century after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama; it continues to have an impact on the course of history, serving as an agent and as a model of the quest for human rights (Levy, xiii). The modern civil rights movement had both external and internal origins and causes. It came into being when and in the way it did because of both structural and human factors. Demographic shifts, particularly the black migration, the emergence of the US as a world power, and the formation of organizations such as the NAACP and SNCC played key roles (Levy, 41). While African Americans who migrated north found greater political, social, and economic opportunities than they has in the South, the North did not fulfill its potential as a â€Å"promised land.† Blacks remained the last hired and first fired, disproportionately relegated to low-skilled and poorly paying jobs. Residential segregation prevailed, confining blacks to poor neighborhoods, and since schools were located in the neighborhood in which one lived, African American migrants had less of a chance to move up the economic and social ladder than their white counterparts (Levy, 5). Despite such violence, the great migration of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North continued apace, beca... Free Essays on Civil Rights Civil Rights â€Å"Struggle is a never ending process. Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation.† –Coretta Scott King, page666 The 1960’s were a time of great turmoil in America and throughout the world. One of the main topics that arouse was black civil rights. In my essay I plan to compare the difference of opinion between these particular writers and directors, towards racism and the civil rights movement in the 1960’s The movement truly got underway with civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King jr. and Malcolm X in the early 1960’s. Students who wanted to bolt on the equality and protest bandwagon quickly followed. Most of the students went to the Southern states (Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, etc.), to stop the racism and hate crimes. The truth of the matter is that the violence and abhorrence would get worse before it got better. The Klan became stronger and more violent, committing many more lynchi ng and gruesome murders. Bit by bit most of the Caucasian Americans came around to the idea of integration, and did not believe that the African Americans as a ‘threat’ anymore. The only reason that this great monumental change occurred was because of the great leadership of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King jr., and not to mention the thousands of other less famous civil rights leaders, that worked to change the views of their community. There also where lobbyist and protesters that risked there lives and went out on a limb to struggle against injustice. All factors, put together, made one of the better most changes of the twentieth century. Rob Rheiner (the director of Ghost of Mississippi) has successfully portrayed the blatant dishonesty towards blacks by the police force and Mississippi courts. On one occasion when the accused murderer was in court, the Govener of the state went up and shook hands right in front of the victim’s wife. Another example of dishonest y a... Free Essays on Civil Rights (1) Trumans civil rights committee: In 1947 Trumans Civil Rights Committee recommended laws protecting the right of African Americans to vote and banning segregation on railroads and buses. It also called for a federal law punishing lynching. He issued executive orders ending segregation in the armed forces and prohibiting job discrimination in all government agencies. (2) Brown V. the Board of Education (1954): In 1954 the Supreme Court made one of the most important decisions in its long history. It decided in the case of Brown v. Board Of Education of Topeka that it was unconstitutional for states to maintain separate schools for African American and white children. This case over turned the "Separate but equal" doctrine established in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson back in 1896. (3) Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955): After the supreme court decided to end segregation, African Americans started to speak out more about their racial opinions. In Montgomery, Alabama, a bus boycott ended with a victory for the African Americans. The Supreme Court ruled that the Alabama segregation laws were unconstitutional. During the boycott a young African American Baptist minister, Martin Luther King, Jr. became well known. Throughout the long contest he advised African Americans to avoid violence no matter had badly provoked by whites. Rosa Parks tired of sitting in the back of the bus, and giving up her seat to white men. One weary day she refused to move from the front of the bus, and she became one of history's heroes in the Civil Rights Act movement. (4) The Civil Rights Act: In 1964 congress passed a Civil Rights Act prohibiting racial discrimination in restaurants, theaters, hotels, hospitals, and public facilities of all sorts. This civil rights act also made it easier and safer for Southern Blacks to register and vote. Laws were passed to help poor people improve their ability to earn money, a program to give extra help to children at r... Free Essays on Civil Rights Civil Rights has always been a major issue in the history of America. There have been many struggles and battles over this issue in our history. From the 1940’s on, America was segregated in many ways. African Americans had to drink from different water fountains, were not allowed to sit at the front of the bus, and there were two different schools, one for the colored kids and one for the white kids. There were many efforts throughout the years to try and get rid of this horrible segregation, but at many times it led to trouble rather then helped. There was one major group that came about to try and work on desegregation and they were the NAACP, led by educated middle class African Americans. The job of the NAACP was to try and fight discrimination in the courts and improve black employment opportunities. They very much thrived on doing this in a non-violent manner, and most of the time unfortunately it did turn out to be violent in one way or another. There were many cases that the NAACP backed up, one of most importance was Brown vs. Board of Education which decision outlawed school segregation. This is very important in the history of civil rights because why shouldn’t a black person have the same opportunities a white person has for education? This decision led to many other boycotts for African Americans. Such things as the Montgomery bus boycott which brought forth a very important man in the fight for equality. Martin Luther King Jr. head up a new organization called the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and worked on the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Segregation was especially bad in the South, one incident included a young black boy who allegedly whistled at a white women, only 14 years old got lynched. This shows the severity of segregation in the south. By 1960 changes began to arise, a new case, Boynton vs. Virginia outlawed segregated bus, train stations, airport termi...