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Essays on nonviolent resistance best means of effecting changes in a society
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The civil rights movement
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In “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” they had a lot of protests, they had sit-ins where they sat in places where only whites were allowed while people threw stuff at them. The African Americans walked for miles holding signs and even got arrested trying to change the way things were. All of their protests were nonviolent to insure they would get the best result. They also knew being violent would not help their cause, but it would most likely hurt it. The “We are the 99 Percent” movement had protests all over the U.S with people everywhere holding signs.
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.
America has long been considered “the land of the free”, illustrated in many historic documents from around the time our country was born. The Declaration of Independence of 1776 immediately showed that freedom, as we declared ourselves independent of Britain’s rule. A little over a decade later, in 1787, the Constitution was created, after the failed attempt of the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution initiated the setup of America’s government during the Constitutional Convention, in which George Washington was selected as the first president of the United States. Another four years later, in 1791, the Bill of Rights was adopted as part of the Constitution, giving Americans their basic freedoms that are very much debated about today.
The Greensboro sit-ins were a series of nonviolent protests in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1960,[1] which led to the Woolworth department store chain removing its policy of racial segregation in the Southern United States.[2] While not the first sit-ins of the African-American Civil Rights Movement, the Greensboro sit-ins were an instrumental action, leading to increased national sentiment at a crucial period in US history.[3] The primary event took place at the Greensboro, North Carolina, Woolworth store, now the International Civil Rights Center and Museum. Contents [hide] 1 Background 2 Events at Woolworth 3 Impact 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Background[edit]
Civil Disobedience Compare and Contrast Henry Thoreau and Martin Luther King both wrote persuasive discussions that oppose many ideals and make a justification of their cause, being both central to their argument. While the similarity is obvious, the two essays, Civil Disobedience by Thoreau and Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. do have some similarities. King tries persuading white, southern clergymen that segregation is an evil, unfair law that ought to defeat by use of agitation of direct protesting. Thoreau, on the other hand, writes to a broader, non-addressed audience, and focuses more on the state itself. He further accepts it at its current state, in regard to the battle with Mexico and the institution of slavery.
The tactics used civil rights movement of both the 1950’s and 1960’s were different helped them succeed in different ways. During the late 1950s the tactics that were used were political, while in the early in 1960s they used social and political tactics to get their goals achieved, but in the late 1960s the tactics that were used were primarily economic and social, In the 1950’s, the civil rights movement was very successful because activist showed the level of racism and segregation in the south. The tactics and resistance made in this time period helped achieve desegregation because and the resistance that the activists dealt with just made them become more aware in the media and hopefully spread nation wide.
As Oscar Wilde said, “ It is through disobedience that progress has been made-- disobedience and rebellion.” Disobedience during the American Revolution was originally peaceful, but as grievances grew and British rule became harsher, Americans could no longer sit idly by. Radical disobedience to the law was necessary in order to promote change for American society. During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s, a drastic nonviolent movement was necessary to counteract the expectation of violence, reiterating to Americans that peaceful resistance to laws can positively affect a free society. The Civil Rights movement was split by two factions: one was a violent resistance named The Black Panthers and the other was a nonviolent protest led by Martin Luther King Jr.
In general, the non-violent protests orchestrated by Dr. Martin Luther King and other successful black political leaders were viewed as a success as the mistreatment of African Americans had improved. However, racism is viewed as deeply rooted and it was going away overnight or years to come. The whites were still finding ways in the law to discriminate against African Americans and believe the non-violent protest didn’t benefit them so, this sector of the African Americans led to existence of black power. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law. Therefore, this new law outlawed segregation in public accommodations of every of every kind throughout the country (Robin D. G. Kelley, 2000, p. 236).
The nonviolent protests conducted during the Civil Right Movement gained public attention and demonstrated the need for anti-discrimination laws (“Race”). The court cases and nonviolent protests were successful and Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and many other acts to provide rights and protections to people of
Martin Luther King Jr., the leader of nonviolent Civil Rights movements, once proclaimed, “...non-violent resistance does not seek to defeat or humiliate the opponent, but to win his friendship and understanding... The aftermath of non-violence is the creation of the beloved community, while the aftermath of violence is tragic bitterness” ( MLK Jr. Doc 11). The Civil Rights Movement began as a nonviolent movement in order to integrate white and black Americans to create an equal nation.
The topic of Social Justice will be examined as well as black consciousness, religion and police brutality. In this paper, we will look at these specific topics in level of importance as well as examine the lyrics from Strange fruit and Mississippi goddamn by Nina Simone as well as Alright and the Blacker the Berry from Kendrick Lamar. These two artists have truly embodied the meaning of black resistance from the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Lives Matter Movement. Also, their music has great symbolism and helped move the culture forward in the fight to end Social Injustice. The definition of black resistance is going against the establishment that is been provided for us and creating new rules.
The Black power movement was more than just a raised fist. It was an influential movement established in the 1960s, and began to slow down in the 70s, it promoted self-sufficiency among the black and African community, and they fought for equality and power among those who faced discrimination in society. The Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power Movement were two different movements with very similar motives, but different ways of going about their fight for equality. Symbolism played a significant role in representing the Black Power Movement, and helped unify the group by using one symbol that all recognized. The movement began as a reaction to the Civil Rights Movement and continued into the 1970s as a force for good.
The Civil Rights Movement and the BLM movement are driven by a desire to end racism and inequality. During the Civil Rights movement, activists fought for the end of segregation, voter suppression, and other forms of discrimination that were deep in American society. Similarly, BLM activists today are fighting against the disproportionate number of police killings of Black Americans, the mass incarceration of Black people, and the ongoing effects of historical racism on social and economic outcomes. The Civil Rights Movement and the BLM movement share a common goal: to create a more just and equal society while the BLM movement has brought more attention to issues of police brutality and racism, there have been few concrete policy changes
While sitting in jail for nonviolent protest, Dr. Martin Luther King wrote, “One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws” (King). This message of civil disobedience defined the American Civil Rights Movement: when the law is unjust, nonviolent action becomes morally and fundamentally required. Through boycotts, marches, and other forms of peaceful resistance, the American Civil Rights Movement ultimately lead to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (The Civil Rights Act of 1964), a key piece of equal rights legislation that outlawed discrimination based on sex or race. Peaceful resistance to laws is the cornerstone of progress in a free society, and it is fundamental to democracy and equality.
The Black Panthers were a Black Power group that wanted equality for everyone. The Black Panther Party for Self Defense helped shape the Civil Rights movement immensely. Who they were, what their core beliefs were, and how they shaped the Civil Rights movement, and America today will be covered. The Black Panthers were originally started by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton.
