Essay on civil rights

Why did a mass Civil Rights movement emerge in the late 1950's? The importance of civil rights for Black Americans was at an all time high within in the late 1950s.Black Americans having been oppressed not only within in their rights of freedom yet also in terms of education and employment felt that it was time for a major change. Thus various civil right movements had to be implemented. However, it is key to understand the reasons why a civil rights movement did not occur earlier on for it allows us to gain an insight into the levels of segregation and lack of opportunities that Black Americans faced. During the inter-war year period of 1920 to 1941, Black Americans amongst other minorities suffered from the racial segregation that had deemed to govern the way in which they would live their lives. During the year known as the 'Roaring Twenties' America was enjoying unprecedented prosperity having become the worlds leading industrial nation. However, this affluence was only shared mainly by the white Americans, whilst conditions for Black individuals only seemed to get worse; arguably discrimination, prejudice and racism reaching a peak during these years. Moreover, the latter was upheld by a radical groups known as the Ku Klux Klan made up of different individuals some possessing a great deal of power such as governors and police officers. They felt that segregation of

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  • Word count: 1535
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: History
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Civil Rights background to 1950. Marcus garvey, A. Philip Randolph and "the Great Migration".

Do Thi Nguyen Background to 1950: . Highlight the significance of Du Bois’s editorship of the ‘Crisis’ and of Marcus Garvey. 2. Assess the historical contribution of A. Phillip Randolph. 3. Explain “the Great Migration”. 4. Write a mini account of “African American in 1945”. . In 1905, Du Bois was a founder and general secretary of the Niagara movement, an African American protest group of scholars and professionals. Du Bois founded and edited the ‘Moon’ (1906) and the ‘Horizon’ (1907-1910) as organs for the Niagara movement. In 1909 Du Bois was among the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and from 1910 to 1934 served it as director of publicity and research, a member of the board of directors, and editor of the ‘Crisis’, its monthly magazine. In the ‘Crisis’, Du Bois directed a constant stream of agitation--often bitter and sarcastic--at white Americans while serving as a source of information and pride to African Americans. The magazine always published young African American writers. Racial protest during the decade following World War I focused on securing anti-lynching legislation. During this period the NAACP was the leading protest organization and Du Bois its leading figure. In 1934 Du Bois resigned from the NAACP board and from the Crisis because of his new advocacy of an African

  • Word count: 2384
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: History
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The Civil Rights Movement

HISTORY COURSEWORK Question 1: The Civil Rights Movement The war meant that all American citizens had a part to play in the war effort. The war meant that America's government took charge of industry, causing end of the depression. For America the war was a time of prosperity. Just like when women got the vote thanks to their input in the first world war, it was now the black Americans chance to become recognised as American citizens due to the fact America needed the m to work and fight for their country. The USA had joined a war that was fighting against the racism of Nazi Germany, which made it difficult for them to justify discrimination against black and ethnic groups. "...we will not be intimidated by the threats of dictators...we look forward to...freedom of speech and expression...freedom of worship...freedom form fear...everywhere in the world." The war brought the opportunities for black Americans that led to the end of segregation although there was still segregation in the armed forces till 1948. More than 1.5 million G.Is were stationed round Britain where there was no racial segregation. Having fought with and been in a country where there was no segregation of blacks, white Americans opinions began to change. After the black Americans had fought and worked so hard for America, people began to question the ethics of them being treated unfairly again at

  • Word count: 1581
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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Civil rights

INTRODUCTION Civil rights are the freedoms and rights that a person may have as a member of a community, state, or nation. Civil rights include freedom of speech, of the press, and of religion. Among others are the right to own property, and to receive fair and equal treatment from government, other persons, and private groups. In democratic countries, civil rights are protected by law and custom. The constitutions of many democracies have bills of rights that describe basic liberties and rights. Courts of law decide whether a person's civil rights have been violated. The courts also determine the limits of civil rights, so that people do not use their freedoms in order to violate the rights of others. In many nondemocratic countries, the government claims to respect and guarantee civil rights. But in most of these countries, such claims differ greatly from the actual conditions. In some Communist countries, for example, the people are denied such basic rights as freedom of speech and of the press. Yet their constitutions guarantee these rights. Some people draw sharp distinctions between civil liberties and civil rights. They regard civil liberties as guarantees to a person against government interference. They think of civil rights as guarantees of equal treatment for all people. For example, civil liberties would include freedom from government

  • Word count: 3672
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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The Civil Rights Movement

'The Civil Rights Movement Achieved a Great Deal in the 1950s and 1960s' The person making the statement believes that thanks to the Civil Rights Movement the quality of life for black people has increased. This interpretation is supported by a table of figures in Source A. The table was published in a history textbook. This information regards education, an area in which the Civil Rights Movement had been strongly been campaigning for the desegregation of schools. This information is from a textbook so therefore we are led to believe that these figures will be accurate and unbiased. . Although these numbers are estimates they are still a reliable source of information. The table shows the dramatic increase in the numbers of black students in the same schools as white students. We can see that in every state apart from three there have been increases in the percentages of black students in schools with white students. This would indicate that the desegregation of schools had been a success. As the Civil Rights Movement and campaigned strongly for this, then they had obviously gone some way to achieving their goals. The photograph is Source B was taken at the scene, where a black student is on her way to enrol at an all white high school in Little Rock. The photograph shows that desegregation had been a success, as blacks were getting into previously all white

  • Word count: 1093
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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Recognition for civil rights

Recognition for civil rights reached its peak in the 1950s and 60s for black people in the United States, and this was predominantly due to two key activist leaders. Martin Luther King. Jr and Malcolm X were both effective and groundbreaking in their efforts for civil rights and equality, albeit in distinctly different ways. This essay shall determine the roles they played within their movements, and will attempt to identify similarities as well as differences in their ideas and methods. I will also assess the significance of their achievements, and decide how they contrast or compare to one another. To evaluate the two leaders' roles in comparison to each other, it is essential to first identify their characters and backgrounds. Martin Luther King was raised by a Baptist minister in Atlanta, and earned a PhD in Philosophy before accepting a call to preach in Montgomery. The influences for his eventual beliefs on resistance were based on the Gospels, the writings of Henry David Thoreau and the example of Mahatma Gandhi in India. Colaiaco describes the genius of King as having "the ability to perceive that there is something noble in humanity that, once tapped, has the power to transform the world." 1 Compared to Malcolm X, Martin Luther King seemed to have had a background with less conflict and upheaval. Raised in Harlem, Malcolm X had a "ghetto" childhood involving

  • Word count: 2111
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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Civil Rights.

Civil Rights American clergyman and Nobel laureate, one of the principal leaders of the American civil rights movement and a prominent advocate of non-violent resistance to racial oppression. King was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 15, 1929, the eldest son of Martin Luther King, Sr., a Baptist minister, and Alberta Williams King. He entered Morehouse College at the age of 15 and was ordained a Baptist minister at the age of 18. Graduating from Crozer Theological Seminary as class president in 1951, he then did postgraduate work at Boston University. King's studies at Crozer and Boston led him to explore the works of the Indian nationalist Mohandas K. Gandhi, whose ideas became the core of his own philosophy of non-violent protest. While in Boston, he met Coretta Scott of Marion, Alabama. They were married in June 1953, and the following year King accepted an appointment as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. That same year the Supreme Court of the United States outlawed all segregated public education, and in the wake of that decision the segregated South was soon challenged in every area of public accommodation. In 1955 King, who had just received his Ph.D. degree, was asked to lead a bus boycott in Montgomery. The city's black leaders had organized the boycott to protest against enforced racial segregation in public transport after

  • Word count: 1223
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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Civil Rights

Working together is often more efficient than working individually. During the civil rights moment, many African-Americans spoke out against discrimination over skin color; however, the protests of a few people weren't enough to make racism disappear in the American society. Martin Luther King, were an activist and he led the civil rights moment. He led massive demonstrations in which millions of people participated. The more people he brought out, the more convincing they became. On the other hand, in order to be exceptionally convincing, his philosophy had to make a lot of sense to Americans at that time. His philosophy was to make blacks and whites equal in education, society, and working places. He wished that whites and blacks could work together and live their lives with each other. Equality in rights was very important because MLK believed that African-Americans should have the same rights other Americans had. To extent upon that, he also wished that African-Americans and White-Americans could work together and fight to eliminate other inequalities in the American society. In the "Martin and Malcolm DBQ" packet document 2, MLK says "With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to climb up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day." This was part of his famous speech "I Have a Dream".

  • Word count: 743
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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Black civil rights

History GCSE Coursework American Civil rights Black African Americans have been treated inadequately by the opposite race (white people) for centuries from when the slave trade was in full force to the contemporary day with gang violence and racism in all fifty states of the USA. I am going investigate the reasons why black Americans argued for their civil rights and what successes were brought about by this fighting in the 1950s and 1960s. Some evidence of racism to Black people in the USA was written in a black journalist's book quoted from 'American Dreams lost and found'. It shows no respect, and gives a sense of inferiority, illustrating white attitudes to blacks in the early to mid 20th century. It draws a powerful image of blacks being fit for menial jobs and be deficient in the ability to do professional jobs. One problem leading to Blacks fighting for their Civil Rights was the unjust Jim Crow rules in the Southern states. The white people who lived in the South wanted to maintain a two tier society. In 1880 they introduced legal segregation of races. This was a concept of Blacks being separate from Whites but the two societies being equal. There would be separate facilities for blacks and whites from hotels to schools. Inter race marriage was made illegal by these laws. This was all to keep a defined two tier society. An additional reason why Blacks

  • Word count: 2859
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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Black Civil Rights.

Black Civil Rights More than a hundred years ago the Europeans brought slaves to North America. The blacks found themselves in the midst of prejudice whites with no way out. When the blacks came over Jim Crow laws were incorporated. With these laws it was near impossible for blacks to rise in the white world. Booker T. Washington was the first black to rise to any prominence in this time. In the early 1900's blacks however began to fight back. In 1909 black advancement organizations began to increase all over North America. Unfortunately with the rise of these groups also came the rise of racist white groups like the Ku Klux Klan and others brutally killing blacks. All blacks coming into N. America were being brought into a very hostile environment. The first sign of blacks becoming more equal was the blacks to fight in the World War. For the first time they were looked upon as war veterans instead of black slaves. Although progress was beginning a black man named Garvey believed that the whites would never change, because of this he started an association called "Back to Africa". At the coming of the Second World War, blacks participating in the war were being more important positions than ever before. Franklin Roosevelt was the first president to make a strong contribution to the Civil Rights movement. He had signed a declaration that stated no one could be discriminated in

  • Word count: 623
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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