Civil Rights and Historical Distortion
Following the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Martin Luther King, Jr., widened his concerns beyond African American Civil Rights; he went on to question the Vietnam War and advocate for those in. King’s departure from his original campaign caused many of his followers to question the goals and principles of the Civil Rights Movement. After reading your text and viewing the provided materials, answer the following questions in your discussion post: What do you think the goals of the Civil Rights activists were? Why did the movement split in the mid-1960s? What do you believe are the most important successes of the Civil Rights Movement? What were the failures of the movement? Have modern Americans distorted either the understanding of the Civil Rights leaders or the movement itself? Fully explain your answers.
To receive full credit for this assignment your post must:
1. Address the ALL questions asked in the paragraph above in at least a 300-word post and cite all outside sources appropriately.
2. In your initial post, include at least one interesting question the readings raised for you.
Sample Solution
The goals of the Civil Rights Movement were to end racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans in the United States and to ensure that they had full and equal rights under the law. The Movement sought to achieve these goals through a variety of means, including nonviolent protest, boycotts, and litigation.
Why did the movement split in the mid-1960s?
The Civil Rights Movement split in the mid-1960s due to a number of factors, including:
- Differences in strategy: Some activists, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., believed in a nonviolent approach to the Movement, while others, such as Malcolm X, advocated for self-defense and black nationalism.
Full Answer Section
- Disagreements over focus: Some activists believed that the Movement should focus on racial equality, while others believed that it should also address other social issues, such as poverty and war.
- Personality clashes: There were also personal clashes between some of the Movement's leaders, such as King and Stokely Carmichael.
- The passage of landmark civil rights legislation: The Movement helped to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968. These laws outlawed segregation in public places, prohibited discrimination in employment and housing, and guaranteed African Americans the right to vote.
- The end of segregation in the South: The Movement also helped to end segregation in the South. In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. However, it took many years for this ruling to be fully implemented. In the 1960s, the Movement used nonviolent protest and boycotts to force the desegregation of schools, buses, and other public facilities in the South.
- The rise of African American political power: The Movement also helped to increase African American political power. In the 1960s, African Americans began to be elected to public office in large numbers. As a result of the Movement, African Americans have become a powerful force in American politics.
- The persistence of economic inequality: African Americans continue to lag behind white Americans in terms of economic opportunity. The Movement did not fully address the issue of economic inequality, and this remains a major problem for African Americans today.
- The continued use of mass incarceration: African Americans are disproportionately incarcerated in the United States. This is a problem that has worsened since the Civil Rights Movement.
- The rise of neoconservatism: The rise of neoconservatism in the 1970s and 1980s led to a backlash against the Civil Rights Movement. Neoconservatives argued that the Movement had gone too far and that it had undermined traditional American values.
- Portraying the Civil Rights Movement as a monolithic movement: The Civil Rights Movement was a diverse movement with a variety of leaders and strategies. It is important to recognize the diversity of the Movement and the contributions of all of its leaders.
- Minimizing the role of nonviolent protest: Nonviolent protest was a key strategy of the Civil Rights Movement. It is important to recognize the importance of nonviolent protest and the sacrifices that activists made in the name of equality.
- Omitting the role of African American women in the movement: African American women played a leading role in the Civil Rights Movement. It is important to recognize the contributions of African American women and to tell their stories.