The Civil Rights Movement Of The 1950's

The Civil Rights Movement began to take off and take greater strides following the Second World War. Prior to the 1950s there had been decades of activity regarding racial equality in the forms of skirmishes, but most protests was chaotic. The movement became more organized following the war as other aspects of American culture changed too. Negroes became more organized under influential leaders, and civil rights groups such as the NAACP, CORE, the MFDP, and the SLCC gained stronger footholds. Negroes had already been pushing for civil rights before the 1950s, but they’re efforts were limited by the times. Factors following the end of World War II helped contributed to the rise of the movement. First of all, there was the legacy of the War
Perhaps one of the most famous protests was in December, 1955, when a boycott was started following the arrest of Rosa Parks, a black woman who refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white woman as determined by the Jim Crow laws. Her arrest sparked outrage in the local community. The boycott was led by Martin Luther King Jr. The boycott was very effective, not only because it significantly strained local buses, but local merchants as well because none of the boycotters were able to reach them. The following year, the Supreme Court decided to desegregate buses in the Browder vs. Gale case. Not only did this boycott legitimate a new form of racial protest, but it elevated King as a prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King Jr. was the son of a minister and well educated, making him an ideal leader for the movement. He based his doctrine on one of nonaggression, even when faced with violent oppression. He was an example for his followers up until his assassination a decade
African-Americans attributed this to being unrepresented in the workplace and the only way for employers to prove that they weren’t discriminating was to hire minorities. Johnson worked to fix this by supporting Affirmative Action in 1965, which expanded over the next decade to all institutions. Yet there was another terrifying problem to deal with: race riots. Economic stress increased tensions between black and white Americans, and climaxed to a series of race riots. Televised displays of anarchy created a sense of panic, and made white Americans realize that strict counter measures had to be made to prevent further violence. Johnson responded by ordering a special Commission on Civil Disorders, which recommended spending large amounts to alleviate poverty conditions. Not all African-Americans were convinced that cooperation was the best method to create social justice. Many were tempted to fight fire with fire, which resulted in a schism in the movement. Radical groups such as the Black Panthers and Nation of Islam emerged, hoping to reestablish black pride and avoid assimilation with the “white devils”. These groups appealed to black Muslims and those with desire for complete racial