The Civil Rights Movement In The 1950's

The Civil Rights movement was a major event that changed the world. It made people question was the United States actually a free country, people were tortured and lives were lost. It began in the 1950’s, after World War II veterans returned wanting equal rights and there was an injustice on African Americans. It created a chain of leaders that guided people through these tough times. Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks and students were some of the people who impacted on the Civil Rights Movement. The aims of the Civil Rights Movement were to obtain equal rights for African American citizens. Martin Luther was the power that rallied people to non-violent protests. He was a believer in Mahatma Gandhi’s peaceful protest. King encouraged the use of non-violent actions. He believed it was possible to achieve moral goals by moral means. . Rosa Park’s actions were another stepping stone on the path to equality as were the “Sit-ins” that the students of North Carolina Agricultural & Technical College started. These small steps were just the beginning for a long and challenging battle for equality. The non-violent protest s and campaigns that took place in the 1950’s proved to be difficult times for the

After the new Civil Rights proposal by President John F. Kennedy, nearly 250,000 people congregated by the steps of the Lincoln memorial on the 28th of August 1963. Here King gave one of the most inspirational speeches the world has seen today, “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up ... all men are created equal”. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed two days before the 4th of July by Lyndon B. Johnson, as John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22nd 1963. This Act outlawed discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex, or national origin. Even thought this Act was passed many African Americans were denied the right voting in the