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Essay On The Civil Rights Movement

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The freedom of speech, and the right to vote may be things people take for granted nowadays. However, that was not the case for people of color in the countries of the United States and South Africa in the twentieth century. In the southern United States, there was a “starkly unequal world of disenfranchisement, segregation, and various forms of oppression”. On the other hand, “South Africa was governed by a system of racial segregation and discrimination called apartheid”. These people fought hard with their lives on the line in order to conquer discrimination and obtain the rights and equality. Each country had a powerful man that managed to lead them to gaining equal rights. The American Civil Rights movement, led by Martin Luther King, …show more content…

In 1963, civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested for protesting in the streets of Birmingham, Alabama. When in prison, he wrote a “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” to white critics to convey his emotions of displeasure and injustice towards the laws. In the letter, he states that “an ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and to deny citizens the First Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest”. By getting arrested, King saw that white people were infringing on the First Amendment Rights of African-Americans. This realization motivated him to lead the Civil Rights Movement. On the other hand, Mandela was arrested for treason in South Africa. P.W. Botha offered that “he would be released on the condition that he would renounce violence. Mandela stood firm, refusing to make such a statement until blacks were guaranteed full political rights”. His unselfish and stern character to stand for the entire black majority and not give in for himself, inspired the revolution. During the 27-year imprisonment, Mandela learned to “make your enemy your friend”. This skill was crucial in the dismantle of Apartheid, which Mandela accomplished by turning his enemies into allies. Both men learned important things through their time under confinement, which allowed them to build from their experiences and knowledges to fight for

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