The Key Roots To Racism

“Fear and ignorance are the key roots to racism” - Timothy Long. During a period of prosperity in America, African Americans were being faced with the brutal struggle of equality. The Civil Rights Movement was a fight for social justice during the 1950s and 1960s for African Americans to gain equal rights in the United States. African American men and women, along with some whites organized local and national movements. They began pursuing change through petitions, negotiations, and nonviolent protest demonstrations. Although, the Civil War had abolished slavery, Blacks still felt the lasting effects of racism and discrimination. The Ballad of Birmingham by Dudley Randall focuses on an era in history defined by hate and prejudice, the Jim Crow
Racism is the driving force behind the Ballad of Birmingham. The child in the poem wants to “march the streets of Birmingham in a Freedom March”(Randall 3) instead of going out to play like a normal child would do. During the time the racial tensions between black and white and hate against African Americans was so strong even children were fighting for their rights. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, a strong social figure during the civil rights movement said, “they aren't gonna respect the United States of America if she deprives men and women of the basic rights of life because of the color of their skin"(About the 1963 Birmingham Bombing 11). Racism led to segregation and brutal treatment, all because of a different skin color. The “institutions that should have opposed racial intolerance-the Christian Church, government, law enforcement, education-failed”(Carry Me Home 1) at a time when they were needed the most. When action was taken by African Americans in the form of protest and marches, legal force was taken upon the people. Police used school busses to arrest children and adults protesting and when that wasn’t enough
The emotional effects and sorrow are showcased in the poem the Ballad of Birmingham through the mother’s loss of a child. The Civil Rights Movement may not have related to everyone, but everyone can relate to the loss of a loved one. It especially takes on a new emotion when it is the loss of a child that had a full future ahead of them. The death of innocent people due to the social effects such as racism, segregation, and prejudice faced by African Americans have made the country what it is today. The sacrifice of others created change and a healthy environment for future generations to come. The United States has come a long way from the devastation highlighted in the Ballad of Birmingham, and united together more change will