Non-violent activism ultimately gave African Americans civil rights. The use of violence to gain equality proved ineffective. Black people in the 1930s were already propagated as ignorant subhumans, so indulging in the stereotype would only further the plight. Bayard Rustin, Andrew young, Martin Luther King and a host of others served as the vertebrae to the civil rights movement. Protest, marches, and sit ins, were the heart of the campaign that brought needed media and government attention. These demonstrations had a pivotal impact in the black struggle for rights. The standout forms of non-violent activism included the African Americans abillity to become educated and prove their worth, various protest and sit ins, and the social shift towards …show more content…
They were represented as fools that enjoyed serving “the white man”. The movie “The Birth Of a Nation” made 337 million dollars selling the idea to nine million americans that Blacks were buffoons content with slavery. They would laugh and happily pick cotton, delighted with the position of being second class citizens. Comic strips and radio also instilled such a psyche in americans. The Chicago and Harlem Renaissance played a big role in tearing down these conceptions. When African Americans became educated and represented the population with smart literature and government positions, they metaphorically practiced a form of non-violent activism. Richard Wright wrote outstanding works giving social and political attention to the black community. The invisible man was a standout addressing marxism and nationalism. W.E.B Du Bois lead the niagara movement opposing disenfranchisement and racial segregation. Booker T washington with the same agenda as educating blacks provided proof that african americans were capable. Black descendants of World War II felt empowered and hungry to change the policy with non-activism. Black soldiers exhibited exemplary combat skills on the battlefield simultaneously fighting for equal rights. The tuskegee airmen for example, achieved multiple awards in valour while still being subjected to jim crow