Most Significant Events

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Significant Events Rosalind Harris HIS/135 August 22, 2010 Dr. Gladys Vint The purpose of this paper is to describe the most significant events during the decades 1950’s to the 1990’s. The events mentioned in this paper entail how these scenarios made this country a democratic society. By examining each decade, the paper determines how each event played a role in the shaping of today’s society in America and the world. The Coming of Change---1950s During the 1950’s, the need for racial equality became apparent. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was the result of mistreatment of African Americans using the public bus system in Montgomery, Alabama. For the black community, segregated seating had been a long source of resentment. African Americans were forced to pay their fares at the front of the bus then board the bus in the back. Individuals were arrested for refusing to give their seats to white patrons. Vernon Johns and Claudette Colvin were two examples. Approximately four days after the Brown v. The Board of Education, Ms. Jo Ann Robinson, an English professor, wrote a letter to Montgomery Mayor W.A. Gayle on behalf of the WPC and the local chapter of the NAACP (Kinshasa, 2006). She was also arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white patron. This letter requested that the City of Montgomery desegregate the local bus system. Ms. Robinson stressed the fact that the black community would no longer tolerate second class treatment on the city’s buses. What she did not mention to Mayor Gayle was a growing sentiment within the WPC for a truly radical ultimatum to resolve to the problem of segregation. This meant that if the mayor did not integrate the city bus lines, the black community would prepare to put the company out of business and establish a transportation system of their own (Kinshasa, 2006). Community leaders were preparing for a bus boycott
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