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Civil rights movement in america
Civil rights movement in america
Civil rights movement in america
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Civil rights movement in america
Civil rights movement in america
Civil rights movement in america
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
The point of the lunch counter sit-ins was to battle segregation. The SNCC was set up. CORE (Congress on Racial Equality) organized Freedom Rides into the South on segregated buses. Voter registration was met with violence and threats from whites in the Deep South. 1963, famous speech: “I Have a Dream”. J Edgar Hoover, the FBI, spied on King at this time.
I agree with James Baldwin’s argument, because like me, he sees sit in protest as something that shouldn’t be labeled passive, but something that should be seen as an act of bravery he explains this by saying: “I don’t agree that it is necessarily passive. I think it demands a tremendous amount of power, both in one’s personal life and in terms of political or polemical activity, sometimes to sit down and do nothing-or seem to do nothing” (Baldwin). The sit in movement as I see were black taking action and demanding what they want in a country that has oppressed them for hundreds of years. An example of the power of the sit in movement is The Greensboro Protest of 1960 when four students from black Agricultural and Technical College of North
The students of Nashville College believed that King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” provided them justification for conducting sit-ins, and boycotts of public areas. King’s letter discussed that in order for negotiations to be made people must first create “tens[ion] and force people “to confront the issue”(2). This idea of tension shows that public demonstrations are the only way that leads to negotiation on Civil Rights. Therefore, King’s letter insinuated that for there to be change, people must do protests like sit-ins. Another way King’s letter gave premise for the students protesting was because he states that “freedom is never voluntarily given” however, “must be demanded by the oppressed.
When it comes to America's History you can clearly see how peaceful protest has brought this world to what it is today. If it wasn't for people such as Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks who voiced their opinions in a nonviolent manner, it's possible that our world would not have reached this equivalent state. While it is true that peaceful resistance has positively affected our society for centuries, these brave people have faced the consequences. For example, King was arrested after one of his nonviolent protests and sent to Birmingham Jail. While there he wrote the now famous piece "A Letter From Birmingham Jail".
After being inferior for years, the African American population decided that enough was enough. They soon began participating in nonviolent protests such as boycotting buses, leading sit-ins, marching, and picketing (Cozzens 1). Although the actions were nonviolent, the reactions to them sometimes were not.
Without the Greensboro Sit-In, many more important protests may not have been inspired and the Civil Rights movement might not be where it is today. “When service was refused, the students
In order to achieve true freedom one must discover that you can break unjust laws through peaceful protest. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and “The Speech at The March Washington” by Josephine Baker each article passionately argues about the disadvantages of the black community, the equality and power of education. We must learn to act with patients and not guns we must protect are self’s with a pen and paper not violence. Dr. King once4 said “Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. It is unique in history which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it.
When Rosa Park decided to not let her seat to a white in a public bus, she started what was later known as the Montgomery Bus Boycott in Alabama, during the boycott Afro-American deiced to walk instead of using the public transportation. Almost 60% of the money earned by the bus company came from Afro-Americans, Park stated that she was “tired of giving in” and later became known as an international icon of resistance to racial segregation. The Greensboro sit-ins was an even more remarkable event when four student decided to sit on a ‘whites only’ counter at the local Woolworth drug store, they remained there, without service, until the store closed, for the following six day more student followed them in this non-violent strategy in different business stores until Woolworth closed its door, later on the students founded the SNCC. In May 1961, “Freedom writer” with the racially integrated Congress of Racial Equality boarded buses and braved attacks by southern white mobs for daring to desegregate interstate transportation, many white people helped in the proses, there were cases in which white stand and received the attacks of the mobs so the blacks could continue their travel .Most of the pacifist strategies started by Martin Luther King, in August of 1963 the March in Washington in which he followed with more than over 200,000 American gave his famous speech demanding for civil and economic right for Afro-Americans.
Martin Luther King Jr once stated, “One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” in his Letter from Birmingham Jail in 1963. He was invoking the principle of civil disobedience. He wasn't justifying breaking laws just because, but instead, meant that you break the law and accept your punishment, in hopes that people will come to see that the law is unethical. Civil disobedience plays an important role in how our society has been shaped up until this point.
Sit-ins where another form of nonviolent protest that let the country know that these people were not going to give up. The people had to tolerate curses, ill-mannered remarks, vulgar comments, and even food being flung at them. Nevertheless, the point of this demonstration was to show the people who the violent ones were, by not fighting back no matter what transpires. In addition, they were not leaving until they were not deprived of the simple right of receiving service; which showed their perseverance. Religion assisted these people to stay at peace and center-minded.
The original sit-in in Greensboro had started a huge movement that spread around to many different cities and restaurants. The sit-in movement also changed how people went about protesting. People started to protest more peacefully because of the sit-in and realized they still got what they wanted without having to physically fight. This showed people that they could still “fight” without actually fighting for what they want. This was definitely a more efficient way of protesting than causing violence.
Furthermore, on August 19, 1958 Clara Luper would have a sit in at Katz Drug Store. She would participate in many more sit-ins and 26 of them would end with her being arrested (8). This is only one of many sit ins and even though it is only one it shows how important the groups of people. They would come together and make a difference to bring attention to their views in order to get more people helping with the movement. Also, many pictures from around the 1950’s show how children also would participate in sit-ins by going in day after day waiting to be served (10).
Mr. President I understand that this is a difficult time to be the president of the United States. With the mounting conflicts and troubles regarding the Tet offensive, assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., and the riots, which erupted soon after. Now many are in grief and rage throughout many cities. In addition, the current situations around the country have revealed an increase in disapproval regarding civil rights and the Vietnam War. A crisis of serious proportions has descended upon our cities, creating for our society a tremendous challenge.
Sit-ins were a justified act of civil disobedience during the civil rights movement because they were non-violent, they spread the news, they brought people together, and they helped people to stand up for themselves. One of the most important parts to civil disobedience is remaining non-violent. Sit-ins during the civil rights movement were great examples of remaining peaceful. There was a sit-in in Chicago that only happened because they were refused coffee.
They expressed their protest by sitting. It was highly effective because it initiated by black students. When Martin Luther King was in jail, the leaders in Birmingham decided a new strategy. A group of black children would march in Birmingham to protest against racism. If the children of Birmingham couldn’t awake American’s conscience, they thought, then nothing would.