Wednesday 7 February 2018

Enlightening African American Civil Rights Movement Facts

By Anna Edwards


The Civil War was a turning point in the quest for equality in America. Despite its role in the long awaited abolishment of slavery, the black community in America still continued to endure discrimination at all levels. It is this discrimination that gave birth to the quest for social justice and equality. This article expounds on African American Civil Rights Movement Facts.

Long after the Civil War was over, there seemed to be no commitment from the white majority to deal with the issue of black discrimination, something that was actually more predominant down south. In the lead up to the middle of the nineteen fifties, many black people in America felt the time had come for change. By mustering the support of some whites, they embarked on an era of civil disobedience that went on for two decades.

It is no secret that there was a genuine attempt to bring equality after the historic abolishment of slavery. If one moment best chronicles this attempt, it is the passing of the fourteenth amendment. It was passed in 1868, granting every black person equal protection as provided by law. In 1870, a redraft resulted in the 15th amendment, allowing the black population to participate in elections through voting. This particular law maddened a great number of southern based whites, with lots of them viewing blacks as less significant beings due to their history as slaves.

The infamous Jim Crow laws associated with the south at the end of the 1900s came as a result of the mounting hatred. The general aim of these laws was to bring about racial segregation. A typical black was forbidden from using the same public facilities as whites, including educational institutions. It was also illegal for a black to marry a white. Unfair voter literacy tests also ensured blacks stayed out of voting.

Luckily, Jim Crow laws were not enacted in the north. Nevertheless, discrimination continued to be prevalent. Getting an education or buying a house was a near impossibility for the ordinary black man. Sadly, some northern states still passed laws to limit the rights of the black population to vote.

Some events ultimately led to the historic protests of the 1950s and 60s. The first major event took place on the first of December, 1955. A 42 year old woman by the name Rosa Parks boarded a Montgomery, Alabama bus after work. The segregation laws back then required buses to have designated seating spots for blacks and whites, with blacks expected to seat at the back, which Parks did.

A white fellow then boarded the bus but could not get a free seat at his designated section. The driver then ordered Parks and three of her fellow blacks to get up for the standing whites. The lady turned down this order and was subsequently arrested.

The black community reacted to news of the incident with furor. Martin Luther King Jr immediately formed a social justice movement. Its many members staged several peaceful protests that ultimately resulted in the declaration of segregated seating as unconstitutional. Years later, blacks got equality in education, housing, employment and in all social facets




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