Cive Rights time capsule

Civil Rights movement Time Capsule The 1960’s was a cultural decade that consisted of the civil rights movement, culture of music, first steps on the moon, and unspeakable assassinations of great leaders. As we can see from the items in this time capsule, the 1960’s was an important decade in our history; significant changes were made during that time frame that shaped our American culture that we see to this day. The Civil Rights movement alone has carried on past the 1960’s and changes are being made to this day to ensure equality among everyone. A picture of John F. Kennedy and the date of his assassination, November 22, 1963 written under it, are among the other items in the time capsule. Prior to the death of JFK , he had great plans for equal rights, “He wished America to resume its old mission as the first nation dedicated to the revolution of human rights” (Freidel & sidey, 2006). “In a nationally televised address on June 6, 1963, President John F. Kennedy urged the nation to take action toward guaranteeing equal treatment of every American regardless of race. Soon after, Kennedy proposed that Congress consider civil rights legislation that would address voting rights, public accommodations, school desegregation, nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs, and more” (" civil rights act (1964)). The assassination of JFK was devastating to the American people; he represented hope and change for a new generation. The time he spent with us is not to be forgotten. He started the blueprints to a movement that we will learn about in history classes and use going forward to provide equal rights to every person.
What may be considered the most important piece in the time capsule is a printout of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 2, 1964. JFK’s proposal carried on through President Lyndon’s time, it was not forgotten. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed segregation in businesses such as restaurants and movie theaters, as well as public places such as swimming pools, public schools, and the library, and banned the use of discrimination in employment on the bases of race, religion, sex, and national origin.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 not only held importance by the act itself but with what came from it. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is just one example of what was achieved after the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Civil Rights Act proved the importance of equality in all aspects of life, these of which we are still figuring out to this day. The ability to openly be who you are in the office, and in public was something we were still struggling with in the 20th century. We make efforts each day to ensure equality among the citizens of the United States, without the Civil Rights Act of 1964 we may not have come as far as we have today. A transcript of Martin Luther King Jr. giving his famous speech where he talks about his dream lays in the time capsule, a highlighted portion of the transcript reads; “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” (FoxNew.com, 2013). Dr. King helped lead the Civil Rights movement in a way that used no violence, but instead he used the power of words to give hope and encourage change. His non-violent ways consisted of “protests, grassroots organizing, and civil disobedience to achieve seemingly-impossible goals” (Benedict, 2012). He is remembered all over the world, studied by school children of all races and memorialized by statues, streets named after him as wells as parks, churches and other public places. His courage to change the way we view equality is something to be remembered and learned from. Violence is not the way to get people to change, we do not need to go to war or fight. Dr. King’s nonviolent fight for equality and economic justice ended abruptly on April 4th, 1968 in a violent manor. Dr. King was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis Tennessee. “He is the only non-president to have a national holiday dedicated in his honor, and is the only non-president memorialized on the Great Mall in the nation’s capital” (Benedict, 2012). It is important to remember Dr. King and how he led a successful campaign for equality that has forever changed our culture. A toy space shuttle found in the time capsule represents the day Neil Armstrong became the first man to land on the moon. Alongside a US flag a sign was placed on the moon that read “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind” (Canright, 2008). In 1961 John F. Kennedy wanted to land man on the moon in less than ten years, to beat the USSR and be the first to land man on the moon. Kennedy states, “But in a very real sense, it will not be one man going to the moon—if we make this judgment affirmatively, it will be an entire nation. For all of us must work to put him there”, “Third, an additional 50 million dollars will make the most of our present leadership, by accelerating the use of space satellites for world-wide communications” (Kennedy, 2013). Although John F. Kennedy was no longer with us, we made his wish come true. Landing man on the moon was an important moment in that it united our country. The amount of money spent on the mission was controversial, but it was an investment in our nation’s future that brought technological advances and created jobs. It was a victory for the United States, and something we should all be proud about. Throughout the 1960’s, music was seen as a way to protest against the war, and embrace an alternative lifestyle. The vinyl record in the time capsule represents the music movement and the impact it had on the youth in the 1960’s. One of the biggest musical events in our nation’s history is Woodstock “69, from August 15 to August 17 1969 close to half a million of Americas youth gathered for a music festival, “free love”, and drugs. The music festival was three days of peace and love and listening to musicians such as Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez, and Janis Joplin. Woodstock of “69 was a “cultural movement of the 1960s that looked to change the world through its acceptance of values and beliefs that contradicted the established power structure of the United States” (Johnson). The 1960’s was a decade that shaped our nations equality, culture, and set us apart from the rest of the world with our technological advances. In that time our nation overcame segregation, which brought our country closer together. It set the stepping stones for what would lead us to a country that to this day works toward equality for all. It is a time period to remember because of the culture that was created from the events that took place. The Civil Rights movement turned our nation around, rather than working against each other based on our race, sex, gender, or religion, we work together to protect and serve our country.

Resources
Benedict, F. (2012). About dr. king. Retrieved from http://www.thekingcenter.org/about-dr-king

Canright, S. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/first-person-on-moon.html

civil rights act (1964). (n.d.). Retrieved from www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=97

FoxNew.com. (2013, August 27). Transcript of martin luther king jr.'s 'i have a dream' speech. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/08/27/transcript-martin-luther-king-jr-have-dream-speech/

Freidel, F., & sidey, H. (2006). John f. kennedy . Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/johnfkennedy

Johnson, K. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.coldwar.org/articles/60s/summeroflove.asp

Kennedy, J. (2013). The goal of sending a man to the moon (may 25, 1961). Retrieved from http://millercenter.org/president/speeches/detail/3368