They provided funds or lawyers such as Thurgood Marshall who was a leading black civil rights lawyer. Morgan v. Virginia (1946) and Sweat v. Painter (1950) were examples where the NAACP was successful during their legal challenges. The Morgan v. Virginia case was successful for the NAACP because Marshall won the battle and segregation on interstate buses became illegal. The Sweat v. Painter case was also successful because Sweat became the first black student to attend a white law school in Texas. These cases were a success for the civil rights movement because it demonstrated that it was possible to stand up to segregation and improve the rights for black people.
I believe that the contribution of Martin Luther King was huge for the Civil Rights Campaign, however many important campaigners were overshadowed by King who possibly got too much credit when it was due elsewhere. King had a giant effect on the progress of the advancement of black civil rights. The first major part he played in improving the social standing of black civilians was in his role governing the Montgomery Bus Boycott between 1955 and 1956. This boycott aimed to achieve, which it eventually did, the desegregation of public buses, which was partly initiated by Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat for a white man when asked to do so, who was then arrested. King was invited to lead the body which was coordinating the boycott, the Montgomery Improvement Association, so he was not responsible for creating and starting off this successful campaign, however his alluring personality and leadership skills helped motivate the campaign brilliantly.
The Black community, the bus company, the Montgomery Council, the actions of the NAACP in the Supreme Court and the Civil Rights Movement itself were all significantly affected by this event. Segregation in the Southern states was a major cause of the Montgomery bus boycott. In the South, a practice of “separate but equal” was followed. Southern states took advantage of the Plessy vs. Ferguson decision and started legalising segregation. Segregation was enforced by Jim Crow laws which kept Blacks and Whites separated.
This event was important because it gained international attention which put pressure on the different structures of the American government to make changes, and finally in 1965 the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on buses was illegal. It also brought the black community closer together to stand up for their rights this is shown when Jo Ann Robinson a head of a group of professional black women in Montgomery says, ‘we are asking every negro to stay off
Furthermore, the NAACP supported the case against Milam and Bryant in 1955 for the lynching of 14-year old Emmett Till, the NAACP helped by protecting his uncle Moses Wright. This allowed Mose Wright to give his testimony, drawing media attention in the blatant racism in the Deep South. The NAACP was also responsible for the success of the Civil Rights Campaign through peaceful protests, for example they organised the Montgomery Bus Boycott which led to the desegregation of buses in Alabama in the Bowler v. Gayle case. The Role of Individuals was another factor contributing to the success of the Civil Rights Campaign during 1945-57. Rosa Parks helped as she started the bus boycott of Montgomery by refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger.
Rallies were held to end discrimination, segregation and to change the culture, political and social mind set of America. Prior to the Civil Rights Movement, there were many discriminated things happening to African Americans. Importation and enslavement of African Americans was probably the most inhumane things the history of United States. A ban was placed on the importation of slavery in 1808, but it didn’t mean a thing. The importation continued.
The Brown family's case was brought to the Supreme Court by the NAACP; they were an organisation which fought for the rights of coloured people. The NAACP won this important case, and the Supreme Court decided to integrate schools, this was the first victory for the Civil Rights Movement. The supreme court decided to outlaw the statement that was made in 1896; 'separate but equal', and make this illegal, the supreme courts reasons for this were that black children had been raised as inferior beings within the community and this should change. Although the supreme courts decision had been made this caused many problems for the white southerners, many riots broke out as there were still strong racial attitudes within the south. Many white southerners did not want their children in the same classroom as
The ruling further paved the way for numerous state laws throughout the country making segregation which resulted in making discrimination legal in almost all parts of daily life. The emergence of two prominent leaders from the oppression movement, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Dubois improved the likelihood of black success. As a former slave and graduate of the Hampton Institute, Washington’s goal to teach southern African Americans skilled labor, economic self-help, hard work, and moderation attained substantial success. Thus, he opened Tuskegee University for this purpose. Washington clearly aimed to cement the integration and cooperation of races while also promoting economical and educational advancement on the national level.
The decision overturns the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson ruling that sanctioned "separate but equal" segregation of the races, ruling that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." It is a victory for NAACP attorney Thurgood Marshall, who will later return to the Supreme Court as the nation's first black justice. In 1957, King established the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) with fellow activists C.K. Steele, Fred Shuttleworth and T.J. Jemison. In Birmingham, Alabama, desegregation was being violently resisted by the white population.
Malcolm X demonstrated the anger and the struggle, of the African Americans in the 1960s. During his lifetime he influenced many African Americans to stand up for their rights against the injustices set by the American government. Malcolm was criticized for his extremist views and actions while on the other hand he has been praised for his efforts in raising the status for African Americans. The views of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X often collided because of their different methods of fighting for equality. Most of Malcolm X’s views collided with the views of Martin Luther King Jr. King’s philosophy was “turn the other cheek,” meaning violence will not elevate you and bring you closer to your goals.