African Americans were mistreated and discriminated against in the 1960’s. Blacks were deprived of many rights and had no say in the government. Some people who worked very hard to make a change in these conditions were Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., W.E.B. Du Bois, Malcolm X, JFK, Thurgood Marshall, Shirley Chisholm and many, many more. The cause of this movement was to help African Americans gain a voice and genuine respect in the American society. Examples of this movement’s success are integrated schools, public facilities, and even buses.
One political injustice blacks faced was not having the right to vote. In the 1940’s African Americans fought in World War 2 in segregated units and were given the worst army jobs, this was seen as a social injustice. Blacks also faced economic injustices, for example in 1965 The California state government ignored laws to create fair housing especially for African Americans.
Methods of resistance to these injustices were non-violent protests. Sit-ins, bus boycotts, picket fencing, and marches are just a few forms of non-violent protests. The great Martin Luther King Jr. was and is still most popularly known for these methods of protesting. He took action when he became involved in The March on Washington and recited his well known speech, I Have a Dream. His methods were successful because he further helped the progression of African Americans and their influence in our economy. One of the greatest achievements of this movement is the verdict and approval of the Brown vs. Board of Education case. This was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court. This case once declared the establishment of separate public schools for black and white students, something that African Americans did not accept, so the case was reopened. This victory paved the way for integration and the Civil Rights Movement. Without this event who knows what America would have been like today? This movement is very important to study. I would say this because it is essential that our future generations do not commit the same crimes of injustice that is known to have been in the past. Instead they can learn from the past and improve the present/future. Another reason why this is important is because we all need to know our roots and how things came to be. The struggles of this movement makes me fell so blessed and humble for having the rights that we have today, something that many people take for granted. As citizens of the U, S of A it is our job to fight for what we believe in and never give up.