Nearly 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation was passed, 148 years after the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were passed, African Americans were still facing racial inequality. There were countless laws passed that threatened the rights of the Blacks. Wherever you go, whether North or South, blacks were segregated. Jim Crow laws were passed in the South that prohibited blacks to use the same facilities that the whites use. The “separate but equal” law was passed that made blacks go to different schools, bathrooms, theaters, busses, cars, etc. In the course of 1950s, many different civil rights movements were put into action, to once again, stop the racial inequality.
Organizations Formed · South Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)- The Southern Christian Leadership Conference or SCLC is an organization founded in 1957 at Atlanta, Georgia. Its main goal was to wipe out African-American racism and inequality through nonviolent resistance. The SCLC is an organization dedicated to peacefully fighting the justice that the blacks deserve. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference led local protests and raids in the South. Their protests and raids led African-Americans to gain their rights even faster. The SCLC created voters clinic that made the blacks learn the process of voting. The organizations said that the only chance of making the conditions better lies in the blacks’ knowledge to vote. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference taught African-Americans the fundamentals of voting. In this way, the blacks were able to vote for the representative they think will make a change. Also, the organization led a protest helped the poor. It secured employments, incomes, and housing to all poor ethnicities. The blacks were able to get what they need due to this organization. They were able to work, get paid, and but a shelter. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference made the African American’s life a little better. The organization was able to gain some freedom that the black’s received. It advanced the gaining of blacks their full civil rights. · National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)- The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is an organization founded in February 12, 1909. It is one of the oldest and most recognized civil rights organizations. Its goal is to secure the rights guaranteed in the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. It used peaceful marches and raids. Its first ever accomplishment was being able to void the grandfather clause. The NAACP ensured the equality of all and eliminated prejudice. · Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)- The Congress of Racial Equality is the third oldest of the civil rights organization. It was founded in 1942 and is one of the “Big Four” civil rights groups in the United States. Its aim is to expose acts of discrimination and put it to and end as soon as possible. CORE’s strategies are based on peaceful methods. The organization performed sit-ins in various places. The Congress of Racial Equality is an organization dedicated to making “Equality a Reality” to people of different age, gender, belief, race, religion, etc. · Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)- The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee is an organization formed in 1960. The organization was created when a group of black college students from N.C. A&T University refused to leave one of Woolworth’s lunch counters because they were denied of service. CORE used nonviolent methods, like sit-ins, in response to the racial inequality happening. Its goal was to fight for the equality everyone deserves. · Black Panther Party- The Black Panther Party is an organization formed in October of 1966. It was formed in Oakland California by Huey and Bobby Seale for self-defense. It is an organization headed by Malcolm X and dedicated to end police brutality and murder cases. The Black Panthers Party is the only organization formed that tolerated violence. Significant Key Figures · Rosa Parks- Rosa Parks is the “Mother of the Freedom Movement”. She is the lady who refused to give up her seat for a white person on the bus. She was then sued by the bus driver. Her actions at the Montgomery Bus Boycott made her a key figure to the modern civil rights movement. · Jackie Robinson- Jackie Robinson, born on January of 1919, was the first ever black to play baseball. He was the very first African-American to play in Major League Baseball. He is known for breaking the baseball color line. · Medger Evers- Medger Evers is a civil rights activist that wanted to end racial inequality. He served in the World War II and became a representative of the NAACP after. He was in favor of sit-ins and wanted to turn over segregation. · Martin Luther King Jr.- Martin Luther King Junior is the leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He was influenced by Ghandi’s peaceful techniques. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience. He got sent to jail many times but continued his practices. He delivered his speech, I Have a Dream, in the Washington March. His assassination led to a year of turmoil in 1968. Martin Luther King was a key figure that accelerated the gaining of rights of the African-Americans. · Malcolm X- Malcolm X is a civil rights activist that is known for tolerating violence. He is known to act and speak harsh. He shed light on many deplorable conditions faced by people of African descent. He was against black separatism and wanted it to be put to an end. He was the leader of the Black Panthers. Malcolm X is different from King, he was crude. Despite of Malcolm’s violent methods, he still managed to advance the civil rights of blacks. |
Problems and Issues that resulted in the Civil Rights Movement
One of the problems during the 1950s that led to the Civil Rights Movement was the Brown vs. Board of Education. The Brown vs. Board of Education all started when 14 black parents enrolled their children to the local “white school” in the summer of 1950. The parents and their children were rejected due to their color. They were told that blacks go to black schools only. The parents filed a complaint against the Topeka Board of Education. Since Oliver Brown was the first listed in the lawsuit, the case was named after her. During these times, blacks weren’t treated like what the fourteenth amendment promised them. According to a survey, “for every $150.00 spent on white children at the "white schools" only $50.00 was spent on African American children at the "black schools." Oliver went to the NAACP to help her, but her case was turned down in the state level. After losing against the state, Oliver brought the case to the U.S. Supreme Court on October 1, 1951. This wasn’t the first complaint about racial inequality towards blacks; same issues arise in South Carolina, Virginia, and Delaware. The lawyers talked about it on December 9, 1952. The lawyers of the Board of Education didn’t see any problem with the “separate but equal facilities” law, but Brown’s lawyer believed that the only reason that could separate blacks and whites from being together is if there were proof that blacks are different from them. On May 17, 1954, after 3 long years, a vote of nine to zero favored Brown and the other African Americans. The Supreme Court finally declared that it was unfair for the blacks to be separated or use a different facility or attend a different school just because of their color. Shortly after the Brown vs. Board of Education was decided, another issue arose. The Little Rock, Arkansas School District put into plan to desegregate public schools based on a two and one-half year plan. The Supreme Court was against this, they said that “no state legislator of executive of judicial officer can war against the Constitution without violating his undertaking to support it.” Despite of their plan, on September 3, 1957, the Little Rock Central High School managed 9 African-Americans to attend their campus. Although the constitution dictates that everyone is equal, on the white students’ minds, lays this belief that they are inferior and that blacks are supposed to be segregated. Uncontrolled riots started, fighting and violence are all around the Little Rock Central High school. The school requested national guards to go to their campus and end the massive chaos. The following day, the Little Rock Nine were prohibited to enter the school. The national guards had to suspend them due to the extreme riots that they caused. On September 12, the Court anonymously decides that suspension of the desegregation would be allowed until the 1960s. The Brown vs. Board of Education and the Cooper vs. Aaron case were not the only racial issues during the 1950s. There are more than hundred problems that occurred in America concerning not only racial issues between the African-Americans and the whites, but also American crime cases that leads to civil rights movements. Here is a time line showing some other issues. · 1950- The Supreme Court decides for the Sweatt v. Painter case. In this case, the University of Texas was allowed to not provide equal education opportunities and will not admit African-Americans to their school system. · 1950- According to a website called http://reportingcivilrights.loa.org/, “in McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents, the Court rules that the University of Oklahoma could not impose segregated seating arrangements on a black graduate student” · 1950- The Supreme Court decides in the Henderson v. United States case. The Court said that segregation on the seats of railroad dining cars disobeys the Interstate Commerce Act. · 1951- Harry Moore, who campaigned against police brutality and led voter registration drives, was killed when their home in Mims, Florida was bombed. · 1952-1954- The Brown vs. Board of Education was being processed and think through by the Supreme Court. · 1955- A 14 year old African-American boy from Chicago was beaten and hot to dead after whistling on a white woman at Tallahatchie County, Mississippi. · 1955- Civil rights movement about the Interstate Commerce Act was put into action. · 1956- The Supreme Court decides for the Browder v. Gayle case. The Court declared that segregation on intrastate buses is unconstitutional. 1957- The first federal civil rights bill since 1875 was passed. This bill made sure that no citizen will be denied their right to vote on a federal election. Cause and Effect of the Civil Rights Movement Causes: · The African-Americans were mistreated and segregated. · Civil Rights organizations were formed that fought against discrimination. · Jim Crow laws in the South · Plessy vs. Ferguson · Montgomery Bus Boycott · Brown vs. Board of Education Effects · Brown vs. Board of Education outlaws segregation in schools. · African-Americans gained political and economic rights. · Integration everywhere · The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. The act outlawed discrimination based on race, color, gender, religion, and natural origin. · The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed. This act banned literacy tests and other barriers for African Americans from voting. · Freedom riders In the 1950s, all the African-Americans wanted were freedom. There may be hundreds of racial issues between the blacks and whites, but these issues were settled through the Civil Rights Movement. Segregation was ended, blacks are now able to vote, and discrimination was put into an end. The Civil Rights Movement helped blacks to gain their rights and the respect they deserved. We can see all the bearings of these movements today. |