The Civil Rights Movement: Martin Luther King Jr., And Rosa Parks

The Civil Rights Movement was a monumental era that concentrated on ending racial segregation and discrimination. The movement is mostly known for occurring in the United States between the 1950s and 1960s; this is a general time period, but it is what most historians tend to focus on. Within these two decades, many advocators organized marches, peaceful protests, and speeches that were intended to draw attention to the movement and encourage government officials to make a change. Some of the most famous individuals that receive praise for their involvement within the movement are Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Stokley Carmichael, and Rosa Parks. Most people know who these leaders are, but they do not perceive the whole story. Rosa Parks

The master narrative on the topic concentrates on the physical events like “protests…sit-ins, bus boycotts,” (Julian Bond) but there were more crucial events that took place behind the scenes. One woman who changed the education system for African Americans was Septima Clark. Clark was a firm believer in the power of education. During the 1950s and 60s, in order for African Americans to vote they had to pass a literacy test. This unconstitutional action omitted a large portion of African Americans from voting because they never received a decent education. To combat this problem, Clark became very involved in citizenship schools that taught adults how to read and write. In addition to this, Clark also concentrated on educating local community women so that they could gain confidence and become leaders in their town. She appreciated all the effort that Martin Luther King Jr. had put into the Movement but also thought that he should not be the only one speaking on behalf of the African American population. This was Clark’s motivation: “I train the people in that community to do their own talking” (Southern Oral History Program). If more people were encouraged to speak up about the animosity that was ongoing in the United Stated then, government officials may have taken action sooner. On the contrary, Clark was not alone. There were hundreds of other women who dedicated their time

These organizations were often times discriminatory towards women, but this did not stop women from fighting for what they believe in. Ella Baker, executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, had to overcome sexism in her duties to the SCLC. When there were executive meetings, women were not allowed to speak until the very end of the session. This is discouraging for women because not only do they have to overcome racism but sexism was a factor as well. Baker is known as the, “Godmother of the modern Civil Rights Movement” because she worked closely with Martin Luther King, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the SCLC (Say it Loud). In addition to her involvement within both of these major organizations, Baker also helped assemble the Freedom Rides that took place in the southern United States. When describing Baker, Septima Clark said she was concerned about not getting recognized in a “man-made world” (More than a Lady). Baker was not a woman to remain silenced; she wanted to ensure that her voice and opinions were heard. She traveled all throughout the southern part of the U.S. to help guide Martin Luther King and raise awareness for racial inequality. Baker was only one of many women who were committed to these organizations and lived her whole life in honor of civil