Civil Rights Movement
By: Abi Johnson
Introduction
To what degree has the civil rights movement contributed to making the United States a more equal and just society?
A very large degree of justice and having equal rights have came from the civil rights movement. Through out the times 1954 to 1968 many people fought for our United States to be more equal and just. African Americans suffered through a non- violence act. They didn't fight back when the white men were beating them for not using the busses. Knowing that people could hurt you, but you couldn't defend yourself so later on we could be equal.
Feature Article
During the civil right movements African Americans had to come up with non- violent ways to prove their point. The used many different strategies and tactics to reach their goal of freedom.
One tactic that they used was the bus boycott. After Rosa Parks was arrested for not moving seats for a white man that got on the bus after her they decided to boycott the busses. Instead of riding the bus everyday to and from work they found other ways to get there. Which included walking or carpooling. They also tried sneaking into taxis and getting rides from the African American drivers, but were later caught and beaten. As soon the boycott started the white people didn't like that they weren't using the busses, so they stopped more frequently, but still they refused to use the busses.
Another tactic that the African Americans did was protest. They did a many marches, but were abused and beaten while on the walk. Each of the protests didn't last long because they were beaten by the white men for marching. They then came up with a bunch of people to walk and protest with them.
Also another tactic that they had used were the groups of the civil rights movements. They were SCLC, CORE, COFO, SNCC, MFDP, and NAACP. The SCLC group used many methods to desegregate lunch counters, swimming pools, libraries, and theaters. Also they raised the money for the media to be able to notice them. The CORE group desegregated public facilities in Northern cities and then became participants in the Freedom Riders and the Black Power Movement. The COFO coordinated voter registration drives and organized blacks into a potent political force. The NCC coordinated student led sit- ins in Greensboro and it led to the creation of the MFDP. The MFDP organized to challenge the state's Democratic Party. Lastly, the NAACP brought out legal solutions to America's race problem.
The Busses
Protesting
Bus Boycott
Two Important Groups
Freedom Riders
CORE
Top Five Events
1. Murder of Emmett Till
- Emmett was a fourteen year old African American boy from Chicago. He was killed because he was caught whistling at a white women.
2. Montgomery Bus Boycott
- African Americans refused to use the busses to protest against segregation. Men and women walked to work.
3. Little Rock Crisis
- Little Rock Nine were African American students. They were prevented from entering the racially segregated school.
4. Albany Movement
- SNCC, NAACP, and SCLC were involved in the movement. The movement mobilized thousands of citizens and attracted nationwide attention.
5. March on Washington
- August 28, 1963, 250,000 people walked from Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial. The Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I have a Dream" speech.