“The Black Freedom Movement and the Cold War Climate” The onset of the Cold War produced a tumultuous environment in the United States, where many innocent people were accused of being connected to Communism. African Americans played a large role in this period, and the unrest and anxiety stirred up by the threat of Communism personally affected many blacks. The black freedom movement was heavily influenced by the climate of the Cold War, and the organizations that survived were the ones that modified their strategies. It was necessary for organizations to alter their approaches in order to sever any Communist ties. This requirement to adjust was both beneficial and detrimental the the black freedom movement, because it granted some issues more attention, while other issues were pushed to the side. Furthermore, the Cold War generated an atmosphere that supported various black freedom organizations. As a result of this climate, a liberal anticommunist rhetoric arose. This rhetoric aided African Americans in their fight for basic …show more content…
The black freedom movement advocated for the rhetoric of anti-communism, and used liberal anticommunism to its own advantage. In a similar way to the Soviet Union, the civil rights movement brought attention to the inequalities present in America. They used several tactics to place the issue of race in America on the international radar. Activists focused upon segregation and disenfranchisement, in order to highlight the hypocrisy between American democratic ideals and the methods that subjugated African Americans. The main tactic utilized to bring these issues and to light, was non-violent direct-action. This powerful, peaceful strategy was extremely effective, as it directly paralleled with anticommunism. The black freedom movement advanced its cause one step at a time, by adapting and adjusting to the social and political landscape of the Cold