Three Major Events In The Civil Rights Movement

McKayla Hutchins
Mr. Mahoney
Civil Rights Essay
9/09/2015

Though it was one of the most violent times in United State’ history the Civil Rights era drastically altered the lives of all Americans. Beginning in the early 1950’s Civil Rights in the united states became a major conflict It slowly began changing the views of many people, protest commenced and the citizen of the united states took action to change history. Opinions may differ when discussing what the most crucial point in the Civil Rights movement was but no one can deny that each and every event that took place between 1950 to 1968 changed the rights for African Americans in the United States. Throughout my essay I will focus on three major events during this point and time
Board of Education of Topeka court case. This case later changes public schools forever by integrating them, providing all children with equal education. It was a unanimous vote, everyone came to the agreement that separating children by race made some feel inferior, a feeling that would not change as they grew older.“ This segregation was alleged to deprive the plaintiffs of the equal protection of the laws under the Fourteenth Amendment.” (Warren) As it is stated in the previous sentence the court found segregation in schools was unconstitutional. Chief Justice Warren and the Court felt that when it comes to segregation in schools it goes against the “separate but equal” doctrine. Thurgood Marshall part of the NAACP argued the case for all five plaintiffs. The outcome of this ruling leads, years later to a contentious situation in Little Rock Arkansas in 1957. Nine students transfer and enroll at Little Rock Central High School but are denied entrance because of their race. This causes major conflicted as the students struggle to get an education at a school that refused to
It all begins on December 1st 1955 with a women who after a long day of work refuses to give up her seat on the bus, her name is Rosa Parks. Rosa Parks’ small act of rebellion sparked a movement to change segregation on public transit. Later on in 1961 an organized group composed of both blacks and whites ride across the deep south of the United States on buses and trains to protest against segregation. “They intended to test the Supreme Court's ruling in Boynton v. Virginia (1960), which declared segregation in interstate bus and rail stations unconstitutional. ”(CORE) This group was known as the Freedom Riders, they put their own lives at risk to stand up for what is right and justifiable. Many corporations such as the NAACP and CORE worked with the Freedom Riders to help provide ways to continue their protest. During the long ride through the south the Freedom Riders were severely beaten and abused verbally and physically. When the riders reached Alabama one of their busses was burned but throughout all of these hardships the riders continued on their long journey to end segregation. Unfortunately after multiple disasters involving the riders CORE leaders decided it would send the wrong message if they allowed the violence to end their trip, they felt it would send the wrong message so they continued on their journey. These protest were not futile, in fact they inspired