The Right Side Of History The Civil Rights Movement

On the Right Side of History: The Civil Rights Movement Open for interpretation, freedom is one of the most resonating and powerful words to Americans. The word ‘freedom’ has been utilized as a tool for social justice; however, due to its versatility, it may also be used as a weapon of destruction. When history is examined, it is often true that one man’s ‘freedom’ is another man’s oppression. Systematic institutionalization of the ideology that race was anything more than a social construct helped prolong the oppression of America’s black community past slavery which transformed into segregation. The strict enforcement of segregation prohibited the potentially beneficial learning experiences which occur during cross-cultural interactions. Unfortunately, the criminalization of even nonviolent actions resulted in the imprisoning and murders of segregation proponents. The following paragraphs will be an analysis of Rosa Parks, Martin Luthe r King Jr., William Gadsden, and Rubin Stacy and their impacts on history, captured forever in photographs. Arrested for not giving up her seat to a white male, Rosa Parks initiated the civil rights movement without the use of violence (Shi Mayer, 320). Claiming that her feet were tired, this reason should be taken in both as literally and figuratively. Not only were Rosa Parks tired from working, but she was also tired of the institutionalized racism and oppression within the Jim Crow South (Foner, 758). When Parks was taken in forShow MoreRelatedThe Era Of Freedom : A Generation After The Emancipation Proclamation1599 Words   |  7 Pagesevery African Americans across the U.S. The Civil Rights Movement, a movement to sees the cruelty that every African American faced on a daily bases, was one of the greatest events that took a step into a direction that no one would ve imagined during the 1950s. Many activist made themselves known during the movement, activists such as Martin Luther King Jr. Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, just to name a few, were key players in the advancement of the moveme nt, but who was responsible for the being theRead MoreEssay on The Civil War: A Women’s Time to Shine1334 Words   |  6 PagesThe Civil War was a defining point for the United States. The people of America were forced to step back and reevaluate what defined the American Citizen: a person with the rights and privilege to cast a vote for what or who he believes in. The key word here is â€Å"he†. The Civil War brought freedom and rights to African Americans, yet it had no directly positive effect on women’s rights. 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As a way to draw attention, many groups turn to acts of violence to attempt to rectify social injustice. Although violence may not directly change a negative situation, it indirectly helped the civil rights movement by drawing attention to the rising racial conflicts in Oxford, North Carolina,Read MoreThe Impacts Of Bob Dylan And The Civil Rights Movement939 Words   |  4 PagesThe 1960s were a time of gr eat protest, public opinion, freedom for music, invention, and racism. In America in 1960 the Civil Rights Movement was underway and the Vietnam War had already been going on for 5 years, where approximately 900 American troops were already serving. The 1960s produced some of the greatest musical artists seen in history, and one in particular was Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan is thought to be one of the greatest influence on popular culture in all time, and is one of the main andRead MoreThe Black Power Movement And The Civil Rights Movement1468 Words   |  6 PagesThe Black Power movement began towards to the of the Civil Rights Era. The Black Power Movement began in the 1950s and 1960s, many African Americans grew tired of the ineffective, peaceful protests so they turned to violence. Although it was not a formal movement and it contributed to a big turning point in history. The goal of the Black Power movement was to gain equal rights with whites. Even though it was violent many people thought it was necessary to the equal rights African Americans deservedRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement1204 Words   |  5 PagesVictims Frustration In general, historians will have us believe that the fight for Civil Rights was one fought in the South. While this is predominately so, there were still people to the North and West that needed representation during this struggle. The situation in the South mainly revolved around the reluctance of local authorities to follow the national legislature after the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision. Black Power became synonymous with urban riots in Harlem, DetroitRead MoreThe White Race And Its Heroes1623 Words   |  7 PagesPrimary Source Analysis: Cleaver, E. â€Å"The White Race and Its Heroes.† in Souls on Ice, 65-83. New York: Dell Press, 1968. Journalist, civil rights activist and criminal are some of the connotations attached to Eldridge Cleaver; a prominent figure of the radical shift in the civil rights movement during the 1960s and early 1970s. Cleaver spent a majority of his upbringing in youth reform schools and prisons within the state of California, which as evidence will show, affected greatly upon his workRead MoreA Stone Of Hope : Prophetic Religion And The Death Of Jim Crow786 Words   |  4 Pagesface of the National Civil Rights Movement delivered, arguably, the most renowned and recited speech of the past sixty years. The infamous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. In this historic moment, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr famously stated, â€Å"he was going back to the South with faith that his people could hew a stone of hope from a mountain of despair.† (1) An effort considered by many to be the greatest, most successful social movement in our nation’s history, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s-60s usheredRead MoreThe Civil Right Movement : History1705 Words   |  7 Pages The Civil Right Movement History can be absurd and sometimes can illustrate great accomplishment by great people. Why history is so important and significant to today’s society? It is something that people require to know about the pass and not remaking those same type of mistake again. Hence, history helps the world to understand changes and how the past causes the present to be the way it is in today’s society. Though the United States became a country with a rich foundation and great accomplishment