Effectiveness of Civil Rights Efforts

Segregation was the predominant political challenge in the U.S. during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Though discrimination was considered socially acceptable at the time, civil rights activists began to assemble to combat prejudice. These activists utilized methods of peaceful demonstrations, unionization, and rides for freedom, to sway pro-segregation opinions. It may be argued these methods were successful as a whole, however; riding for freedom was the most significant in eliminating segregation because it generated a strong response.
Peaceful demonstrations held by organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) were important to the civil rights movements. They believed the only way to achieve equality was to nonviolently express their concerns, and “’nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue’” (Document B). For example, in an attempt of convincing congress to pass the Civil Rights Bill of 1964, Bayard Rustin and A. Phillip Randolph started the 250,000-member March to Washington. Eventually, President Lyndon B. Johnson passed the bill which prohibited discrimination based on religion, race, gender, and ethnicity. Soon after, another march, from Selma to Montgomery, occurred. The Selma Campaigns took a violent turn, and President Johnson subsequently proposed a voting rights act. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed by congress. Another form of peaceful protest were sit-ins, as shown in Document E. The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) began the trend of African Americans sitting at segregated restaurants and commanding service. These small acts of rebellion amplified the attention on the issue, as they were televised. The increased awareness of discrimination allowed for lunch counters in 48 cities and 11 states to be desegregated.
Organizations such as the NAACP and SNCC were founded to eradicate discriminatory environments and promote equality. The NAACP also became infamous for refusing to abide by segregation laws. Due to the arrest of Rosa Parks for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus, the NAACP leader, E.D. Nixon, and Jo Ann Robinson were inspired to start a boycott. Martin Luther King Jr. led this boycott and for over a year, African Americans discouraged the use of buses for transportation. In 1956, Supreme Court outlawed bus discrimination, the first victory for the civil rights movement, demonstrating the success of unionization. The SNCC was relentless in their struggle, risking violence, expulsion, and other consequences in hopes of improving discriminatory conditions.
The most successful method of eliminating segregation was freedom rides. This sparked great controversy and even led to violence. An event occurred where two buses were traveling south, one containing pro-segregation extremists, and the other with African American anti-segregation activists. While in Alabama, the first bus inflicted many attacks on the second throughout the trip, and even threw a bomb into it. The second bus was unable to continue the trip, however; another took its place. The state of Alabama responded by guaranteeing the protection of the activists. When the Freedom Riders reached Montgomery, they were greeted by a livid crowd of fully armed white racists. Due to the extreme response, the Kennedy administration was obligated to respond to respond to the conflict and 400 marshals were sent to provide further protection for the riders. Interstate travel facilities were also newly integrated, as made law by the Interstate Commerce Commission, a great success for the civil rights movement.
Nonviolent demonstrations, organizations, and freedom rides were methods utilized throughout the Civil Rights Movement and provided many successes. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were passed, and buses and interstate travel facilities were integrated. Though the freedom rides were the most influential due to the deliberate controversy, these tactics made a significant impact on the developing rights of African Americans.