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Televisionbecame a major part of American life in the 1950's with over 90% of homesowning a television. Blacks fight against racism was shown all over America andto the rest of the world, but how much of an affect did it have on the lawspassed?

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Introduction

The main reason for the ending of segregation was the TV, do you agree? Television became a major part of American life in the 1950's with over 90% of homes owning a television. Blacks fight against racism was shown all over America and to the rest of the world, but how much of an affect did it have on the laws passed? During the 1950's, as television grew, there were several big segregation incidents in the south. First Brown versus the Education Board, 1954, which led to the end of segregation in schools. Despite this, it did not attract the media they needed. Next came the Bus Boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, 1955. After a year of resisting to use buses a new law was passed ending segregation on transport. This protest, lead by Martin Luther King, brought the first Television media. The third was Little Rock, where blacks wished to enter a white school but the Governor stopped them, which caused violence between whites and blacks. Television shocked the world with the truth of segregation. President Eisenhower had to act. This led to the civil rights act of 1957, making discrimination illegal. ...read more.

Middle

In 1966 a new slogan appeared: 'Black Power'. The movement was the Black Panthers, set up by Huey Newton and Bobby Searle, who wanted to fight violence with violence. In 1965, Watts, Los Angeles, a riot broke out lasting five days after white police officers provoked blacks. It ended with 34 killed, hundreds injured, and 4,000 arrested. What television showed appalled whites, but to blacks it meant that they would no longer be pushed around. More riots ensued. 1967 the worst riots erupted with 83 people dead. President Johnson set up a commission that looked into riots. Despite TV images showing mistreatment of blacks, the commission still said that racism towards whites was to blame. The assassination of King in 1968 appalled the black community. People believed his killing a conspiracy by the FBI. In 1968, King was giving a speech in Memphis, when he was shot dead by James Earl Ray using a rifle. Blacks were enraged and blamed 'White America' for Kings death. Television showed this atrocity, which followed with riots and more people joining the Black Panthers to use violence. ...read more.

Conclusion

They believed in peace and were strongly against the war and against racism. The 4th May 1970, Kent State University, Ohio, hundreds of students protested against war. National Guard soldiers were brought in so the students threw stones. Without warning, the soldiers released 61 bullets leaving four dead and nine injured. TV images of their own people being killed made the war in Vietnam insupportable and gained support for blacks. To conclude, I believe television played a major role in the case against segregation. TV was the only way people could see what was really happening because no one could visualize the horrific images that were being broadcast. Television didn't change the laws, but it influenced enough of the right people to change the laws on civil rights. Television gained support for the black community, but without people such as King there would have been no case for the blacks. It was King and others that people were watching and supporting to follow the case against segregation. Television is a very powerful tool, which has great influential power. Although many laws were passed to help segregation, segregation never came to an official end, and it still a major problem in America which causes the most unrest amongst it's own people. Daniel Sibley ...read more.

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