Reform or Revolution: Two Sides of the Civil Rights Coin
The most famous mass movement in the history of the United States would certainly be the Civil Rights Movement. During the period of its highest activity, many different groups fought for racial equality. The movement started in relative unity, yet it splintered into different factions, which all different tactics in reaching the goal of equality. Bolstered by disillusionment with the nonviolent and gradualist tactics of mainstream civil rights organizations, groups such as the Black Panthers combined Marxism and Black nationalism to fight aggressively for the civil rights of African-Americans.
The splitting of a movement into two separate factions is not something new. From the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks to the Montagnards and the Girondists, there has always been a struggle between radicalism and reformism in mass movements. In the Civil Rights
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Public places were desegregated and unfair voting requirements were ended because of the brave activists who stood up against oppression. Despite these great strides, some would argue that that these efforts did not go far enough in changing America. Racially motivated police killings were and still are common. Economic opportunities were still very scarce for African American people. These dissatisfactions would lead to the establishment of groups like the Black Panthers.
In this writer’s opinion, there so much to do in the fight for the full realization of the rights of African Americans in modern society. There are still are racially motivated police killings and African-Americans are still discriminated in many walks of life. I believe that the Movement should focus on the root problems of discrimination and unite to destroy them any means necessary. I also believe that they should reject working through the legislative system to solve these problems, instead embracing direct action to achieve their