An Overview of The Civil Rights Movement in America

What were the causes, main events, and effects of the civil rights movement? The civil rights movement was caused by centuries of discrimination against African Americans. The civil rights movement had it’s ups and downs. Even though discrimination is still a thing that occurs in our modern world we still reap the benefits and feel the effects of the civil rights movement.

The demand for civil rights came after African Americans were denied to be treated like normal citizens for decades if not a century. African Americans and other minorities experienced two types of Segregation. De jure segregation was separation of races enforced by the law. Plessy v. Ferguson ruled that segregation was perfectly legal as long as it was “separate but equal.” Despite this ruling most facilities for African Americans were seldom as equal as the White facilities. De facto segregation was separation of raced only held up by hidden traditions Regardless both types of segregation had a deep impact on the potential of African Americans. “Compared to white Americans, they had significantly higher rates of poverty and illiteracy, as well as lower rates of home-ownership and life expectancy.” (Section 1, Page 581) Eventually they had enough of being treated as second class citizens so then they organized together to protest for their rights.

As time pushed on without significant change eventually younger and younger African Americans began to protest their injustice. Four African American college students attempted to order coffee and doughnuts at a white-only cafe on February 1, 1960. But the waitress refused to serve them so they protested this by staying until closing time. Word of this protest spread and similar protests happened. CORE organized a “freedom ride through the south in an attempt to break the social norms of the south. The freedom ride experienced hiccups such as being firebombed and the riders were arrested in Jackson, Mississippi. Birmingham, Alabama was a high ticket item for the SCLC because it was known as the most segregated city in the south. Protesters attempted to go the standard route of sit-ins and protest marches.

Until City Officials got an order from a judge prohibiting the demonstrations. Regardless protesters, including Martin Luther King Jr, continued to protest despite knowing they would be arrested for it. Even African American teenagers got involved in the freedom marches. Police used dogs and fire houses on anyone that marched. Pictures and footage was shown across the nation and really showed how sour the march turned. President Kennedy felt that he had to speak up against the injustice that was happening in America. “On June 11, 1963, Kennedy delivered a moving televised address, Calling civil rights a “moral issue,” he declared the nation had an obligation to “fulfill its promise” of give all Americans “equal rights and equal opportunities.” (Section 2, Page 593) Protesters decided to take the fight for civil rights straight to the people in charge. The march on Washington took place on August 28, 1963. This is when Martin Luther King Jr made his “I Have a Dream” speech. His speech detailed his image of a colorblind society that didn’t judge Individuals on the color of their skin. That no matter what you looked like you should be able to exercise your rights as a citizen. After some opposition in the senate the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law in July by President Johnson.

The civil rights movement produced some long lasting effects for African Americans and other discriminated minorities. An infamous day called “Bloody Sunday” where Martin Luther King Jr and the SCLC protested in Selma, Alabama despite violent backlash from the authorities. Bloody Sunday caused President Johnson to push for civil rights just like Kennedy did in 1963. He motivated congress to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which banned the use of literacy tests and gave the federal government an overseeing role in how voting was handled. The Twenty fourth Amendment was also passed which made the use of a poll tax illegal and unconstitutional. Several court cases managed to bring down issues such as racial gerrymandering. All these things combined helped to encourage and allow African Americans to become of the nations politics. “In Mississippi, the percentage of African Americans registered to vote jumped from just under 7 percent in 1964 to about 70 percent in 1986. Nationwide, the number of African American elected officials rose from fewer than 100 to more than 6,000 by the mid-1980s.” (Section 3, Page 602).

The civil rights movement symbolized something greater. It was just like when our forefathers had to fight for their rights back in the Revolutionary war. Some would say that the civil rights movement is suill going on today. There’s still a lot of work to be done and a lot of freedoms to be handed back to the American people.

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