The rights and freedoms of Americans have been evolving since the decision was made to break free from England. Even though African Americans were granted freedom at the end of the Civil War they were not granted equality and they were denied many of the basic rights of enjoyed by white Americans. Things reached a boiling point during the 1950’s and 1960’s when powerful activists challenged the United States federal government to uphold their rights as American citizens. As a result, the federal government was forced to intercede with state governments on their behalf in order to restore their rights as guaranteed by the 14th and 15th amendments. In the 1950’s an adolescent boy visiting his grandpa down in Mississippi was beaten to death …show more content…
For some, freedom may be too late to experience and enjoy, but for their children and family, they will be able to cherish this right when remembering that their ancestor was deprived of this right and helped fight for it. However, they had to be smart when fighting for what they wanted because if they chose to use violent methods, it would only enforce the white American’s beliefs that they did not deserve the very rights they deserved. So, they used mostly peaceful ways to draw attention to their cause because, “Whoever debases others is debasing himself.” (James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time). In unfortunate circumstances, these protests could reach a point to where things would get out of hand and turn into a self-destructive riot that would shine negative light on to the movements such as the one Baldwin witnesses. The riot is used as an example to show why peaceful protests and speeches were the best way to handle the situation of demanding equal rights because riots were out of a rage that usually had the opposite effect of what was trying to be done. “Hatred, which could destroy so much, never failed to destroy the man who hated, and this was an immutable law.” (James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time). The riot helps to portray how hatred is a negative aspect of society that will only lead to destruction because hate breeds hate, but with the hope of gaining equality, people could begin to be more accepting of each other will get rid of the hate. Since the day that America broke away from England’s grip, the rights and freedoms have been ever evolving. During the 1950’s and the 1960’s the rights and freedoms that white American’s enjoyed, were also being fought for by African American’s. They demanded to be treated as equals through various methods which included protests, literature, and speeches
This book represents those who were discriminated against based on their race and who were put down based on the color of their skin. This fight against discrimination had been happening for many years and thousands of individuals were tired of getting treated differently. The march on Washington was a peaceful protest where more than 250,000 people joined to have their voices heard as stated by Evans. The goal of this march was to create changes within the minority community. Where African Americans in specific had equal-paying jobs, where they would be able to have access to the same places and things as other Americans.
Roberts, Gene, and Hank Klibanoff. The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation. New York, New York: Knopf, 2006. In 1963, the United States watched as violent protests and events in the American South unfolded the Civil Rights Movement, a story and era that became challenging, yet important for th¬¬¬¬e media and press to cover.
What does freedom mean for the Negro chained by practices of Jim Crow, but inspired by the promise of equality in the Civil Rights Act (1964)? Why did the March on Washington have a profound effect in shaping the trajectory of the Civil Rights Movement and propelling the movement on the national stage? How did “We Shall Overcome” shape the ethos of the Civil Rights Movement in 1963? Dr. King’s I Have a Dream speech and Mr. Baldwin’s
During the 1960s, the fight for equality based on race was progressive. Hence why this was known as the Civil Rights Era. Although Africans Americans had been set free from the chains of slavery, they had other injustices to endure. The 15th Amendment which states “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall
White Americans have enjoyed a comfortable life living in America since the Declaration of Independence was founded. The history we have of this country is that the men who founded it only wanted the best for us and would lead our future towards that. While this had been happening, slavery continued to thrive in America, with more and more slaves coming in to help plantations with their dirty work. James Baldwin’s essay, The Fire Next Time, explains what this country was actually about. Baldwin explains in his essay that from the white people who founded this country to the white people now, there has been a constant stream of lies about the real history of white people in America and are not subject to the oppression blacks have always faced.
Brown v. Board of Education During the 1950’s, aspects of slavery and discrimination were still prevalent in the United States, even after the 13th amendment was passed in 1865, which abolished slavery. African Americans were separated from the whites and forced into worse facilities under the justification of “separate, but equal.” This is the time period and world that Linda Brown, an eight year old African American girl, had to endure. The United States had old policies and old rules that were still in place and it was only a matter of time until someone took a stand.
This proves how dangerous it was for them to protest. They wanted a brighter future for themselves where they would have fair rights and be treated as equals, yet they were met with violence. Later, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his
In American society today, we often represent minority communities, especially the black community, as less than. While we pride ourselves and our country for being a place where we accept all people and give all people opportunities, so many people and races are under-represented and ostracized in society. The book The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, is written in two essays, “Letter to My Nephew on the One Hundredth Anniversary of Emancipation” and “Down At the Cross Letter from a Region in my Mind”. The Fire Next Time was published in 1963, in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. Baldwin writes about the relationship between black and white men, including the problems and ways to solve these problems.
Injustice for African- Americans in the 1900’s occurred consistently even after slavery had ended in 1865. “The Murder of Emmett Till,” and the Tom Robinson case in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” show how African Americans experienced injustice. Emmett Till was a 14 year old boy from Chicago, Illinois that traveled to Mississippi to see relatives. It was there that Carolyn Bryant accused Till of whistling and verbally assaulted her.
In Martin Luther King, Jr.’s book, “Why We Can’t Wait,” the author explores and retells the events and movements behind the Civil Rights movement. King, writes about the determination and motivation of the African American community during this time. He writes about what it was like to be a vital part of the Civil Rights movement, and most importantly he writes about how the community rallied together to fight a battle that could have been very violent with nonviolent force. King illustrates the drive to demand freedom and paints a vivid picture of what actually occurred. The cover of his book contains a quote, “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed,” throughout King’s book the reader is allowed
Throughout history, African-Americans had been denied basic human rights. In the 1900s the black community dealt with challenges, such as segregated schools, buses, bathrooms and racial oppression based upon their skin color. In the 1950s and 60s, mass nonviolent protests were organized by major Civil Rights groups and the roadway to racial equality was underway.
The Civil Rights movement in the United States during the 1940’s and 1950’s saw rise to sweeping societal changes in the United States. World War II opened new job opportunities for African Americans at home and as members of the Armed Services. African Americans benefited economically during the war and saw some improvement regarding discrimination and segregation in the Armed Services however; they still were a seriously disadvantaged group (Divine 957). In the post war years, the expectations of African Americans rose, and challenged the old patterns of racial segregation. After fighting for the freedoms of others during World War II, African Americans were determined to fight for their own freedoms at home.
Violent protest and nonviolent protest in Civil Right Movement In American history, the period of the 1960s always was considered a decade of great social change. This is the era that the group of lower class or color skin became stronger and more confident to assert themselves even though white people still dominated every aspect of American society. During this period, American Civil Rights Movements emerged everywhere, such as Native-Americans Movement, Women’s Movement, Latino Movement, and especially African Americans Movement. By that time, there are many varieties of actions that civil rights activists waged to seek to end racial inequality and secure rights in political, social, and economic for African Americans.
Freedom. The importance of freedom is often forgotten as Americans live day by day taking this gift for granted. In this day and age, freedom seems as a “simple gift’ obtained by every American, but one forgets to think about those who were once unable to enjoy the freedoms one is promised daily. Back in the day, freedom seemed as nothing more than a dream to those of color. Everyday of a colored person’s life consisted of harassment and discrimination as no one cared to treat them as equals.
The riots were counterproductive for the image of African Americans but necessary for their emotional health. After years and years filled with frustrating days of racial oppression, it all reached a limit. A limit where emotions poured onto the street in the form of lootings, fires, destruction and violence. Emotions were expressed but opinions were changed. As white privileged Americans watched from home, they did not and could not understand the frustration felt within the violence and chaos of the Watts riots.