It’s no doubt that America was not the most favorable place during this time period for most, if not all African Americans. But without all the events that occurred then, we might not be where we are today. I’m not trying to justify what they did was right. But if we think about it, without the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act, things might have never of changed. African Americans could still be treated like slaves and not treated like human beings.
Mike Wayman January 18, 2011 Mr. Milstead W.E.B. Dubois vs. Booker T. Washington Dubois and Washington were two of the very first civil rights leaders in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They both had very different backgrounds, which led to very different views on how the blacks of America could overcome poverty and discrimination. Both of these men’s strategies were good ideas, but some ideas don’t work in context, which is the problem these leaders were facing. In the end, one plan is always going to be better when put into action, and in this case I believe that W.E.B.
Despite Booker T Washington’s early impact on the progression of civil rights, other leaders have also had considerable and profound effects, which have been felt in the long term, and thus can be seen to challenge his pole position in the development of African American Civil Rights in the period from 1865 to 1992. Booker T Washington indeed was a significantly important leader in the period following Reconstruction in the late 1800s and at the turn of the century, exerting both short term and long term effects on the development of African American civil rights, however his protest focus and style was very much a product of the segregated South in that period, and did not have widespread appeal, and he arguably lacked eloquent leadership and oratorical skills compared to Martin Luther King or Malcolm X. Nonetheless, Booker T Washington’s long term significance potentially outweighs that of Garvey, Du Bois and Jackson, yet in people’s minds he does not seem to have left as much of a legacy as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. Booker T Washington was certainly an inspirational leader, with one of his particular strengths being his ability to magnetise white and government support, including the financial backing of white philanthropic entrepreneurs, like Carnegie, and a relationship with President Roosevelt, which positioned him well to go on to shape developments for black civil rights. However, not everyone appreciated Washington’s white links, with many feeling that he was wrong in prioritising strengthening the black community over working to abolish Jim Crow and southern segregation.
Many proposed the end of racial segregation and the Jim Crow laws that limited their social rights like the Black Codes did. State laws that violated the 15th amendment, which promises that the right to vote cannot be denied on the basis of race, color or previous condition of servitude, were removed and the federal government response to the Ku Klux Klan’s violence were effective in diminishing he clan’s actions against African Americans. Better job opportunities were present up north, causing many to join the Great Migration to the northern states. The African American community continues to fight against racial segregation and discrimination to live a life of equal rights and
Instead of the government allowing slavery, it looked like it found a loop hole to not treat people of color equally for anything whether it was sports, school or public facilities blacks were still treated as inferior. Thankfully the civil rights movement that occurred during the 1950’s and 1960’s would turn out successful after years of civil demonstrations (some which would become riots e.g. : Birmingham, Alabama), marches, and speeches. One might say that one of the most famous speeches of the civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech, would see fruition when looking at today’s society despite some traces of racism. Now we live in an era where different races can co-exist.
It threw many people together from various backgrounds who might not have met if not for the war.- Working class and middle class, black and white, different religions and ethnic groups. The African Americans fought in the war for their country and believed that their contribution to the war should get them recognized as American citizens. They were recognized as heroes, but couldn’t be served in restaurants back home. In the UK, it is popularly believed that for the first time, wealthy middle class country dwellers actually got to see the state of poor town children who were evacuated out of the town because of threat of bombing. Women, also, had been forced to do former men's work: munitions, farming, factory work etc.
Clegg strongly believes that “…programs are no longer necessary because African Americans, and the other members of ‘protected classes’ have made sufficient progress.” Clegg is clearly illuminating the fact that he sees things from one view. Though the protected classes have truly indeed grew from the time of slavery, and or rights against women; there’s still much that hasn’t been done. Clegg is making a claim in which everyone has truly made it far, but even though they’ve made it further than what they were they haven’t reached the pinnacle in which they’ve been trying to reach for years. To stop something now that has been a success would create an apostolic epidemic. Meanwhile, Staples and his theory that “….the notion of a color blind society, with no need for affirmative action, is a fantasy at this point,” may be a little inaccurate.
The Birmingham movement was a campaign organized by the SCLC to draw attention to the unfair treatment endured by blacks in Birmingham, Alabama. The movement ran throughout the spring of 1963, resulting in highly publicized confrontations between the youths of the African American communities and white authorities. King knew it would take more than demonstrations to come out victorious, and he knew exactly what it would take: children. To have youth demonstrators, to King, would open the nations eyes to the evil that he had been trying to expose for so long. Children are children, regardless of race, and King knew that the mistreatment of these children would expose the violence that had been ever-present in Birmingham.
Assess the view that divided leadership was the most important factor in preventing the advancement of African-American civil rights between 1865-1914 After the end of the civil war, there was much optimism amongst African-Americans that they would finally have civil rights after decades of slavery in the South. However, there were many problems facing the advancement of civil rights for blacks. Firstly, people in the south were still very hostile towards them as they still saw them as slaves. Also, segregation was a key issue because it highlighted the fact that there was no equality between blacks and whites. The failure of a common goal between African-American leaders did not help solve these issues, but it was not the main problem facing blacks and was not the most important factor preventing advancement of civil rights.
The political weakness of blacks has been replaced by political power and public office, as the access to education, and to public service jobs was gained. Now whites have to confront blacks in public positions of authority and power. One of the turning points of these changes was the Montgomery bus boycott, which catalyzed the African American freedom movement under the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr. The Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-56, which gave King the experience in movement leadership, created in some ways unique practice of revolutionary struggle very different from that in the previous revolutions of the early 20th century. In those days the main goal of the revolution was seize of power by the oppressed from