Historical Antecedents Of The Civil Rights Movement Analysis

1. Discuss the historical antecedents of the Civil Rights Movement. Why did it occur when it did? What was the catalyst for it? What galvanized local energy into a Civil Rights Movement?

The Civil Rights Movement began in 1863 after the emancipation proclamation was made by President Abraham Lincoln. This stated that all slaves of the rebelling states are free, although in reality, it did not free any slaves, it was the beginning of the movement. At the time when this occurred, the United States was divided between the northern and southern states. Agriculture was the basis of power during this period, and the south had more control over this power. The division of power between the north and the south was why we see the civil right movement

Although laws had been put in place banning segregation, de facto was that these laws were not being upheld in many areas of the country. To fight back against the still present segregation organizations like the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), used litigation and legislation to attach the government, lawmakers, Plessy V. Ferguson, and the President. This was one of the central strategies led by the NAACP’s legal foundation started by Charles Hamilton Houston, the Dean of Howard University Law School. Another central strategy, which was adopted when Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was brought into the movement by the NAACP, was non-violent protests. King also taught these practices as president of the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference). These non-violence tactics were also used by SNCC (Student Non-violence Coordinating Committee), to perform sit-ins at segregated lunch tables in Nashville. Also at the time, the Brother Hood of Sleeping Car Porters, who were part of the labor movement that fought for equal pay for black workers, were adopting these non-violent practices. The similarities between these movements were achieved through tight networking. These organizations worked together to achieve a common goal using similar tactics. Ela Baker, who was the Executive Director of SCLC, helped advise SNCC to

Claudette Colvin was 15 Years old when she was arrested for not giving up her seat to a white passenger. Angela Butler and Dian Nash Helped to start the Student Non-violence Coordinating Committee. Rosa Parks, who was arrested for the same reason Claudette Colvin was, become the face of desegregating buses, she also was secretary to E.D. Nixon the head of the NAACP. Ela Baker was the Executive Director of the SCLC and helped to organize SNCC, as well as guide them through their organization. These women where an integral role in the civil rights movement, they held positions of power within different organizations such as Executive Director. They were the organizers and helped to distribute material regarding when protests would happen. What we should learn when discussing women in the civil right movement is that they are underrepresented. The women of the civil right movement were key to achieving every victory, and they faced twice the adversity. Not only did they fear for their life, they feared for the potential sexual abuse and rape that could happen to them. The women of the civil rights movement are the strongest individuals who helped fight back against