The Benefits Of The Civil Rights Movement

The reverend Meg Riley once said, “We are buried up to our necks in a history of violence and brutality against people of color. I refuse to be silent anymore.” Since the majority of African-Americans were brought to America, it has been inevitable for African-Americas to be harmed based on the color of their skin. Throughout the years black people have been fighting for simple human rights. There have been slave revolts, wars, riots, and marches all for the cause to protect black lives. One of the first movements to help better the lives of black people was the civil rights movement. The civil rights movement helped push a culture of people in America forward. “Black Lives Matter” is one of the newest movements in the fight toward showing
America that black lives are just as equal as white lives. Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi, and Alicia Garza created the Black Lives Matter movement in 2012. Starting with social media after the murder of seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin by his killer George Zimmerman. Trayvon was coming from a convenience store one night when he and Mr. Zimmerman crossed paths. The two had an altercation that resulted in Zimmerman murdering Trayvon; when the police were called, Zimmerman was not charged. The story gained national attention, which caused Zimmerman to be put on trial. George Zimmerman was found not guilty for the death of Trayvon Martin. Shortly after an eighteen-year-old African-American male by the name Michael Brown was murdered by a white male Ferguson, Missouri police officer. Michael Brown was stopped by police officer, Darren Wilson because Michael and his friend matched the descriptions of the suspects whom just stolen from a store. Officer Wilson and the boys had an altercation that resulted in the boys running away from the officer. Darren Wilson shot twelve bullets into Michael Brown and murdered him. Officer Wilson claimed that Michael was coming towards him when he started shooting him, which turned out to be false; it was proven that Michael hands were up to surrender. Protests took to the streets for justice for Michael Brown, which grew the Black Lives Matter movement into what it is today. Darren Wilson was not convicted for the murder of Michael Brown. Black Lives Matter mission is the help make a world where all black people aren’t systematically and intentionally targeted. Black Lives Matter movement is to also help create unity within the different types of black people. Different African-American groups started the civil rights movement in the mid- 1950s, after the reconstruction period. A group that formed into the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) became the leading organization of the civil rights movement, which still stands today. One of the major incidents that sparked the civil rights movement was when Rosa Parks, who is now known as “the first lady of civil rights”, would not give her seat to a white man on the bus. Although Mrs. Parks was not the first person to be arrested for not giving up her bus seat, the African-American organization chose her case to be the face of the movement. There would be peacefully held marches and bus boycotts to support Rosa Parks and the civil rights cause.
The black lives matter movement and the civil rights movement have similarities and differences between them. For example, they both raised black consciousness. Black lives matter raises black conscious by constantly holding rallies and having protesters at presidential debates. While the civil rights movement raised black conscious by marching and sit-ins.
Both movements fought police brutality; but the black lives matter movement is mainly focused on the subject.
The civil rights movement helped change laws in the United States of America. Although the civil rights movements benefits mainly helped middle class African-Americans at the time like teachers, doctors, and lawyers; the black lives matter movement is helping all people of color.
Since the black lives matter movement started on social media, there is not a well-known spokes person for the movement like the civil rights movement had with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Since black lives matter does have the advantage of social media, the movement can reach their audience with information quicker and more effectively than the civil rights movement could.
The civil rights movement helped pave a way for the black lives matter movement to have a voice they both are an important piece to African-American history. Knowing the history of civil rights movement can help to improve how the black lives matter movement will contribute to enriching the lives of all people of color. One African proverb is “Until the lion writes his own story, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” In my opinion, the black lives matter movement is helping voice the opinions and side of the hunted in a way that has not been yet told
before.