The Themes Of The Civil Rights Movement

The themes of the Civil Rights movement During the 1950s and 1960s, the Civil Rights movement reached an all time high. With Jim Crow laws allowing segregation to infiltrate everything from water fountains to laundromats, African Americans had finally had enough and were ready to take a firm stand against such discrimination. The African American community began to unite together to form groups to advocate for their cause. These newly formed groups were in need of leaders, and, as a result, sought out strong and influential individuals who would later become known as the champions of the Civil Rights movement. In order to gain the support of white Americans, the leaders utilized key ideas and principles in their addresses, speeches, and letters
In June of 1963, President John F. Kennedy addressed the American public after an outbreak of violence at the University of Alabama as a result of racial tensions, stating “This nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened” (F). As President, Kennedy understood the weight of his words on the minds of Americans. The American people held the young president in very high regard, ultimately perceiving him as a beacon of hope for the future of the United States. Kennedy knew that both his social and political status would allow him to appeal to a wide range of Americans, and, as a result, gain the American people’s support of the Civil Rights movement by expressing his own. During the time period surrounding Kennedy’s address, patriotism among Americans was high.The American people were proud to call the “land of the free and home of the brave” their home. By appealing to their sense of patriotism, Civil Rights leaders were plucking at the heartstrings of their audiences. America was founded on the ideals of liberty, justice, and freedom for all, ideals which were the root of the American people's patriotism. For people who placed such a great importance on these ideals, civil rights leaders asked, how is it that they could support the concept of segregation, a concept which so directly contradicted such ideals and hindered the perceived greatness of America? Americans took these words to heart and began to ask themselves the same question. President Eisenhower also expressed his thoughts regarding this matter through his radio and television address in September of 1957, saying that support of the Civil Rights movement would “...restore the image of America