During the 1950’s and 1960’s, black Americans faced a number of civil rights problems. These problems included segregation, black voter – registration as well as poverty which began to become Martin Luther Kings focus after major civil rights legislation. Martin Luther King responded to these issues by organising a successful boycott to end segregation on transport, a march in Selma and his Poor People’s campaign. During the 1950’s and 1960’s one of the problems blacks faced was segregation. After the 1896 ‘Plessy vs. Ferguson’ ruling on ‘separate but equal’ everything was segregated.
He was a very important figure as he attracted many new converts by his influential, powerful oratory. He convinced people such as Muhammad Ali to become a member of the nation of Islam. Malcolm X was highly critical of Martin Luther King, addressing him as ‘Uncle Tom’ and the civil rights movement. He argued that the SCLC and the NAACP trusted the American system and believed in the ‘American dream’ therefore they’d never be able to set the black people free and gain them independence. He also criticised Martin Luther king by saying that he was preventing black people from effectively fighting for their rights by involving religion, which he explained in his speech, ‘The ballot or the
After the Civil War the abolishment of slaved black Americans had an uphill battle that would, and in many ways, continue to this day. At the earliest period of time the rise of the KKK and Jim Crow laws attempted to marginalize the newly freed black population with open violence and little justice coming from the law. A sense of hopelessness griped many in the black
The American Civil Rights movement was a very treacherous and horrific time in American history. African Americans were long censored in this country and they finally took a stand to make American citizens follow what the constitution says, “All men are created equal”. For activists, such as Malcom X and Martin Luther King, Jr., this journey to bring their people justice would certainly not be an easy one. Although they both wanted the same thing, both of these activists had very different thoughts and ways to make it happen. In order to reach this desired goal that they have been awaiting, strategies were much needed.
In the late 19th century, state and local governments imposed restrictions on voting qualifications which left the African community economically and politically powerless and passed segregation laws, known as Jim Crow laws. Therefore the movement focused on three main areas of discrimination to address, racial segregation, education, and voting rights. Racial segregation is the separation of humans into ethnic groups. Segregation affected many African-Americans day-to-day life, forcing them to go to separate restaurants, water fountains, public toilets, schools, and even making them ride the back of the bus. In 1955 African-Americans in Montgomery, Alabama formed a boycott in protest of the segregated seating on the city buses, In response to Rosa Parks, an African-American woman, getting arrested for refusing
However, racial discrimination continued after the war. The Southern legislatures, former confederates, passed laws known as the black codes, which severely limited the rights of blacks and segregated them from whites. They were separated in schools, theaters, taverns, and other public places. Congress quickly responded to these laws in 1866 and seized the initiative in remaking the south. Republicans wanted to ensure that while remaking the south, freed blacks were made viable members of society.
Martin Luther King JR. Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader of the American Civil Rights movement. During the 1950’s and 1960’s, this movement helped African Americans gain the same rights as whites. During Martin’s lifetime, African Americans and whites were segregated. Laws also separated all blacks and whites in public places like theaters and restaurants .The laws also made it hard for blacks to vote and to get a good education. It also limited job opportunities for blacks.
They returned home to find that racism was part of everyday life. Between 1915-1922 more than 430 black Africans where lynched. The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965 .These where laws discriminating the black Americans. The laws segregated blacks in schools, parks, hospitals, swimming pools, libraries and other public places, Black found it extremely hard to get fair treatment. They were also denied access to good jobs and a reasonable education and where even banned from voting.
Judge Marvin Arrington, a black judge in Atlanta, confirms that in Atlanta, African-Americans are 54 percent of the population, but are responsible for 100 percent of homicide, 95 percent of rape, 94 percent of robbery, 84 percent of aggravated assault, and 93 percent of burglary. Source: APD Uniform Crime Reports, Apr 2011 to Apr 2012. The real problem is the moral structure deterioration so prevalent around the country, not the skin pigmentation of our citizens. It is sad that more of our black citizens are not more upset about the realities of these statistics as the black citizens seem to be suffering the most acutely as
Birmingham, Alabama was one of the most tightly segregated cities at the time (“Alabama”). There were racial segregation laws called Jim Crow Laws enacted between 1876-1965. They separated black and white schools, forbade interracial marriages, and had restaurants and stores that only accepted white citizens. They also had separate hospitals, parks, army troops, and African Americans couldn’t even walk on the same sidewalks as the white people (“Racism in the 1930s”). Not soon after, trains and buses started reserving seats for white citizens forcing blacks to