Martin Luther King was one of the most influential figures in the civil rights movement in the years 1955-68. He gave many speeches and conducted/participated in many peaceful campaigns in the south fighting for equal rights for African Americans. The peaceful protest method used was adopted from Ghandi, who used these peaceful methods to gain India’s independence from British rule in 1947. Firstly looking at the peaceful campaigns conducted in the period 1955-68, and their effectiveness on the civil rights movement. The Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 showed that peaceful protests could be effective.
Yet, peaceful protests alone could not have achieved such success; factors such as federal intervention played a vital role in the achievement of success also. One example of how peaceful protest led to success in the name of civil rights was the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Starting in 1955 and lasting a whole year it drew attention to the inequalities in Montgomery. This campaign demonstrates the growth of Martin Luther King who represented peaceful protests as a whole, with his famous peaceful philosophy and clever tactics; one of these being creating elaborate protests to draw attention to the issues faced by blacks. The boycott bought 85% of the black community in Montgomery together and led to the establishment of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) by King which continued to campaign for desegregation.
The Board of Education ruling, which declared separate but equal unconstitutional. It was a great victory for the NAACP and for Black America. The victory in the courtroom, however, was not manifested until many years later as the majority of school districts continued their segregationist policies across America. The Brown vs. The Board of Education helped start the modern civil rights movement.
How successful was the civil rights movement in achieving equality for blacks between 1955 and 1965? During the civil rights movement between 1955 and 1965, there were many examples of direct action which made large contributions to the improvement of equality for blacks. The extent of how successful the civil rights movement in achieving equality for blacks in this time period is controversial. To assess how successful the civil rights movement was, it is important to consider economic, black consciousness, political and social change. Economically, there seemed to be a significant amount of change for blacks.
Martin Luther King responded to segregation by organising a successful bus boycott and establishing his use of passive resistance. He responded to the problem of voter-registration by organising a march in Selma to protest and to encourage blacks to enrol. Even though his actions in his response cost him the support of many young radicals, it resulted in the 1965 Voters Rights Act. King responded to the problem of poverty by organising a Poor Peoples Campaign where he aimed to unite the poor people and pressure congress to take action against poverty and consequences improving the lives of black people. All these responses by King, whether successful or not, made his a prominent leader in this civil rights
The bravery of Rosa Parks inspired the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, which is a major key turning point because it showed the importance of black people in the economy; one million dollars was lost during the 1 year boycott. Non-violent methods of Gandhi adopted by King, also helped the movement spread and gain respect from Federal Government and even non blacks. King’s Ideology helped influence more organizations such as the success of the Greensboro sit-in by the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). This is a key turning point as it leads to the desegregation of public places. Use of technology in the civil rights campaign is also a key turning point for the campaign as during the 60’s further advancements were made by national broadcasts showing ill treatment of activist in places such as Birmingham and Selma in Alabama, expanding further support for the Civil rights campaign internationally.
Phase #3 IP American Life and Culture in the Post World War II America Submitted by: Lonzo Warren Colorado Technical University HIST125-1201B- 13 Instructor: Fredrick D. Palm March 15, 2012 The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s: In the 1950s America was facing a serious challenge of racism and prejudice. Most of the racial backlash was directed towards the African American populace. Oddly enough the movement of the civil rights was not confined to just one group of people and organization. It made its way to the national forefront on its own merit and it is this merit which kept it on the national spotlight. (www.americanhistory.about.com) Thousands of Americans from all walks of life and races put their lives on the line to take a stand against racial inequalities.
at its lead. The MIA helped change the laws of segregation in Montgomery and it is said it did so because it had no reputation. Not only was another association against segregation formed, but it is said that Rosa Parks and the bus boycott, "...helped bring Martin Luther King Jr. to the forefront as the movements leader" (Galliard). Not only did Rosa Parks bring a leader to the forefront, she changed a nation. Parks is considered as, "...one of the most enduring symbols of the tumultuous civil rights era of the mid-twentieth century" (Galliard).
African Americans also began to stand up for themselves and what was right, just like Rosa Parks. She started the year-long African American boycott of the bus system after refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white person. So, Supreme Court decided that the segregation of buses was unconstitutional. The CORE began to organize Freedom Rides throughout the south, so they could desegregate interstate public bus travel. A great man, Malcolm X became a champion of African American Separatism and black pride.
These two great leaders opened up the door for the civil right movement for African Americans. Malcolm X left a notable impact on the Civil Rights Movement in the last year of his life. Black activists in the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) who had heard him speak to organizers in 1965, began to support some of his ideas on racial pride and creation of black-run institutions. MLK impact lead to the Jim Crow laws being illegal and cause a positive impact on the civil right movement. Despite the hardships these two great men faced, they stood up for what they truly believed in.