ipl-logo

Who Is Elizabeth Eckford Responsible For The Civil Rights Movement

1110 Words5 Pages

Throughout history, African Americans have faced a long and challenging struggle for Civil Rights. Their fight for equality and desegregation has had an enormous impact on the United States. Not only have their struggles against racism changed the lives of many people, their struggles have ultimately shaped the development of the country. The idea that the civil rights movement arose somewhere in the timeframe of the 1950s is somewhat plausible. If the civil rights movement was about equality and freedom of the blacks, and the goal was to inspire white people to give black people the same rights of equality as the rest of the society, then the Civil Rights Movement began long before the 1950s. Anytime a person or persons, and in this case, …show more content…

Eckford tried to enter the school campus twice, she was turned away both times by the Arkansas National Guard troops. She was then confronted by an angry mob of people, men, women, and teenagers who opposed integration. To face a mob and the National guard took unimaginable courage. At the age of 15, this young lady was very determined. and thanks to her bravery, many people can go to any school. Eckford handled the situation with grace and dignity. If I were Elizabeth Eckford, and I were faced with the same circumstances as she was, I would have done the same thing with much prayer. As Eckford, although scared, I would have shown courage and character in the face of adversity. Elizabeth Eckford changed U.S. history. Other notable faces that have made changes in American history are two men by the name of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcom …show more content…

Malcom X is mentioned in history textbooks, but not with the same emphasizes as Dr. King. The reason for this is that the two had very different approaches to fighting for the transformation of American democracy. Unlike Dr. King who believed that through peaceful demonstrations equality of the races could be achieved, Malcom X believed that equality among the races was impossible due to the white man’s moral conscience. The way to keep the average black man down and in his place was through the government and its unfilled promises. As he saw it, according to the video “The Ballot or the Bullet” no matter what political party you belong to (speaking to a black audience) you are still segregated and denied the same civil rights as your white adversaries. The speech was a wakeup call for blacks to take a stand. Let the white adversaries choose between the ballot or the bullet; give us our rights or face death. Advocating nationalist and separatist doctrines based on his Islamic religion, Malcom X believed that only through a violent revolution which entailed, intimidation, threat, and whatever means necessary could blacks achieve their rightful and legitimate place in society. Through his speeches, Malcom X encouraged

Open Document