The Civil Rights Movement In The 1960's

The Civil Rights Movement, was a mass movement that lasted from the mid 1950’s to the mid 1960’s. The purpose of this movement, was to ensure freedom, justice, and equality for African Americans. The movement achieved its success mostly from the practice of boycotts, sit ins, and other forms of non-violent resistance. The movement was also characterized by a notable list of activists and political figures that spearheaded several events that gained the movement momentum and attracted attention worldwide. Since the Jim Crow era, scores of African Americans fought for freedom, and the abolishment of racial inequalities However in the middle of the twentieth century, African Americans’ had their attentions drawn to the epidemic of the practices of white supremacy, discrimination in the work force, and political inequality. Several groups such as The NAACP, (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), however had already put together efforts to improve not only the political aspect but also the educational aspect in the lives of

On September 15, 1963 an African American church in Birmingham, Alabama is bombed, and is later deemed a racial hate crime. Four little girls Denise McNair, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Adie Mae Collins were all killed in this bombing. In November of that same year, President John F. Kennedy, is assassinated in Dallas Texas, and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson becomes president. The 24th amendment which ended the poll tax, also t that became part of the constitution. Poll Taxes meant that people would have to pay to vote. President Johnson stated “There can be no one too poor to vote.” On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. King’s murder sparked an outrage and several riots in 124 cities across the nation. Seven days later, President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of