The Civil Rights Movement: The Montgomery Bus March On Washington

The civil rights movement was a political and social movement that attempted to gain equality for african americans in America. Although slavery ended Dec. 6, 1865, equality was still a far reach for America. Segregation was imposed almost everywhere, african americans were separated from caucasians out of fear and ignorance. It wasn't until this moment that equality was finally within grasp, and the african americans demanded and were given their civil rights. Some of the biggest events that took place during the movement were the Montgomery bus boycott and the march on Washington. The Montgomery bus boycott took place when Rosa Parks a black women refused to give up her spot at the front of white part of the bus. She was jailed for her actions and the black community was appealed and boycotted the buses, this lasted over a year. Many say this was the beginning of the movement. The march on Washington was a protest
where hundreds of thousands of african americans and their allies marched to the Washington DC. A crowd of over 200,000 people black and white gathered to listen to Martin Luther King give his iconic and awe-inspiring “I Have a Dream” speech. Lastly the march from Selma to Montgomery pictured the true horror of this movement, while marching the crowds were stopped and attacked by police before they could even make it out of Selma. This day became known as “Bloody Sunday’.
Now, why was this movement different or more important than any other?
The civil rights movement single handedly changed the United States of America, it changed the way the US acted, their laws, their attitudes, virtually everything. The outcome of this movement ushered in a new era, blacks were finally equal in the eyes of the law and these people who had been denied their basic rights had finally been granted them. To many it felt they were finally acknowledged as humans, not animals. The civil rights movement stands out against other political and social movements because it was on a huge scale, the ripple effect caused by the first protests could be felt throughout all of american and even the world. For so long african americans had kept their mouth shuts and dealt with the vial treatment they received until suddenly they stood up for themselves, and when they did they stood up by the thousands. Almost no other movements have seen the same results this movement did as stated before they earned their basic civil rights and changed all of
america.
This change did not happen overnight, they were meet with violence and hatred but still pressed on. Even today african americans are discriminated against and attacked for the colour of their skin, but if it was not for the ground the civil rights movement paved our societies would be completely different and almost barbaric. Instead of having best friends who are people of colour and seeing these beautiful african american actresses and models, i would have grown up isolated and ignorant. I would have attended an all white school and probably never communicate with a person of colour, i would have been scared and hateful towards them