Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Right Acts of 1965 guaranteeing basic civil rights for all Americans, regardless of race, after a decade of non-violent protests and marches. Throughout the novel, there were many different means of non-violent protests. The black community were taking a different approach to the racism unlike the white people who were very violent and abusive. The black people wanted to be free from the segregation and would do anything to escape it, if they had of fought back matters may have been made worse and their lives would have been made even more unbearable. One of the forms of non-violent protests was Boycotts.
4,000 people that had taken part in sit-ins had been arrested, transforming the struggle for civil rights into a genuine social movement . The Greensboro Woolworths finally began serving blacks six months after the sit-in began. These students went against a system and helped the nation realize that this system evidenced racial inequality and injustice, all of which this democracy is supposed to oppose. The Greensboro students were afraid they would be arrested, beaten or even killed, but they were determined to stand up for their rights and the rights of all African Americans which eventually lead to a great significance as it was the key to the movements success. It can be determined; that the sit-in movement, non-violent action was enforced particularly for public demonstrations, it took a radical initiative from the younger generation to kick-start the process, as it was not a new form of protest, but the response to the sit-ins in the southern cities was unique
The disappearance of the three civil rights workers spawned a national media circus upon which the center of the nation's focus was on Philadelphia, Mississippi. The SNCC fearing that foul play was at hand contacted the FBI which refused to intervene on the basis that the issue was of a local concern. Pressure from prominent black leaders brought to Washington the case of the missing civil rights workers where upon Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy ordered J. Edgar hoover to investigate. FBI agents where sent into Meridian and Philadelphia and after a grueling seven week investigation, the bodies of the slain civil rights workers were found entombed in an earthen dam. The hideous nature of the crimes committed by Deputy Cecil Price and other klansmen who participated in the murders shocked the nation but opposition to the voter registration initiative remained steadfast.
During the early 1900’s the mistreatment of African-American people was very prominent. They were oppressed and needed Activists. Activists who could aid and guide the civil rights for African-American. James Howard Meredith was one of those people. Born in Mississippi on June 25, 1933(Wikipedia) He was raised on a farm and shortly after he finished high school he joined the military.
Racial prejudice was a way of life in the deep south of the United States in the 1930’s and it dictated what people thought, how they acted, and what they believed in. Despite efforts to initiate change, most peoples’ repugnant attitudes towards African Americans in the South remained the same. After being badgered by numerous residents, Scout asks her father, Atticus, “Do you defend niggers?” prompting Atticus to explain, “Of course I do. Don’t say nigger, Scout” (Lee, 75). Although it seems so simple, Atticus redressing Scout about using this contemptuous term is a big step in helping her understand that African Americans are human beings.
Which set up special units of lawyers and investigators that would visit these sights. This initiative was so successful that lynchings were on the decline from 1955. This helped the black citizens to not be so scared, but this was crushed by the sad story of Emmett Till, who was in August 1955, beaten, lynched and thrown into a river. This had two reactions; some black Americans resorted to feeling scared and overpowered again. As some whites used this to react out again to the black population.
However, this book informs us that the march of the children proved to be a pivotal point for the movement. It was the Children’s March and a lost of other students, events that highlighted a falling and depressed civil rights movement. Since the government was failing to protect its black citizens from injustice and hate under the guidance of Dr. King and other leaders, young blacks stood up for their own freedom and justice. Dr. King needed a victory and the Children’s March seemed to have been the turning point for
[18] After the signing of the Civil Rights Act, Martin Luther King started his mission in helping the poor and facing socioeconomic problems. In 1966 King joined a March called “March against Fear” which was organized by James Meredith to inspire African Americans to vote. African Americans were afraid to vote because earlier, many places deprived them of their privilege to vote. [19] Therefore, due to the fear of being persecuted, many did not participate in the voting process. Now that they see that more and more places are slowly integrating and accepting more black people, more people were willing to vote and exercise their rights.
Africans-Americans used non-violent ways and civil disobedience to get their rights and freedom. Many risked and sometimes lost their lives for equality and freedom. The SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) was the most important organization in the civil rights movement. They organize a voter registration drive during June, July, and August in Mississippi that was known as Freedom Summer. Because of the movement and African-Americans wanting freedom, riots broke out in New York.
Grass roots protests such as Little rock showed that black people wanted to make change. Sit-ins were very successful to a large extent some being supported by 70,000 and more people and spread rapidly across the south and these helped to erode the Jim Crow laws. With the popularity of the sit ins it also emphasises how they where not reliant on Kings or Presidential support and that they could eventually make change for themselves if that’s what had to be done. The sit-ins created a huge momentum for change. Without the support of the grass roots involvement there may not have been such a success in the civil rights, 85% of blacks in the Montgomery bus boycott were to do with the grass roots organisation and also Birmingham and the children’s involvement was crucial in the success of desegregating