African American Civil Rights Movement

The African-American civil rights movement is about a century old and it started from the grassroots level for the end of racial injustice and social discrimination towards African Americans. The struggle was a combined effort of the many black African American leaders, ministers and communities comprising the authorities of black churches, editors and publishers of black owned newspapers, racial and interracial organizations. The struggle was for getting the basic civil and human rights which the society was denying to them. There were many organized legal challenges in the court of law and also many acts of courage against cruel police actions against the movement. (History Topic, African American civil rights movement) A particular example of this type of struggle has been displayed in the book Warriors Dont Cry written by Melba Pattillo Beals. The author has narrated a horrible example which clearly shows the extent of racial feeling and hatred that was prevalent in the US society during 1950 after the Second World War. â€Å"As she walks through the halls and rooms of the old school, she recalls the horrible acts of violence that were committed by the white students against her and her friends.†(Warrior’s Don’t cry, Free Essays). In spite of the Supreme Court order in 1954 that all schools must provide equal education to all students and it would be unconstitutional for some schools to deny this opportunity to some, the worst incident happened at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. The school authorities took three years to complete the integration plan. The entire white community in the town started protesting the integration plan and acts of violence towards the African American community spread in the town. Seeing the public  outrage many black students decided to stay back in the black only school in the city that was under funded. (Warrior’s Don’t cry, Free Essays) The local Arkansas authorities passed laws and ordinances that would prevent the integration plan of the school. The Governor of Arkansas sent National Security Guards to surround the school building and prevent the black students entering the school premises. Nine black students, which includes the author Ms Beals defied the order and started walking towards the school. But they could not reach the school as â€Å"before they even reached the property they were met with great resistance from racist citizens who spat upon them, mocked them, threw sharp objects at them, and even physically beat them. Melba describes the deep hurt she felt as for the first time in her life she saw the harsh reality of racism at its worst.† (Warrior’s Don’t cry, Free Essays) The incident took the nation by storm as the African American civil rights movement was then at its peak form. Amazed by their courage against oppression, these young students popularly came to be known as Little Rock Nine and they were appreciated for the stand they had taken against the oppression that their people were facing for the past few centuries in America. The blacks were forced to use separate restrooms, drinking water, restaurants, sidewalk and every other means of public utility service. Though during this time, people started to believe that it is possible to co-exist peacefully with the blacks and that was good for the society at large, the South was not ready to accept the departure from their century old beliefs. (Warrior’s Don’t cry, Free Essays) The incidents of racism during the 1950’s in America’s south have also been described in the book ‘Separate Pasts: Growing Up White in the Segregated South’  written by Melton Alonza McLaurin. It is an honest admittance of the fact from a white Southerner that how severe was racism at that time. The author has described an incident of his in the book where he has punched a black boy named Bobo, because he used the same needle that he does to blow up the basketball. He has also referred an African American school teacher who forces him to call her â€Å"Miss†. (Amazon.com book review) This is an example which shows how African American school teachers were looked down upon by their white students during 1950’s.   These scattered incidents were enough to ignite the fire for the Civil rights movement. African American soldiers after returning home risking their lives from the Second World War, found that they were largely deprived and ignored at home. Thus â€Å"The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Urban League  Ã¢â‚¬â€ including their Minnesota chapters — joined other organizations in using legal, political, judicial, economic, and legislative means to gain full citizenship rights for their people.† (History Topic, African American civil rights movement) Then the famous Reverend Martin Luther King, along with his colleagues under the banner of Southern Christian Leadership Congress (SCLC), started a nonviolent and civil disobedience movement that took the movement to a new height amidst mass protests. It started with the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 and spread through sit-ins and large peaceful demonstrations, as local groups and their leaders joined the struggle. (History Topic, African American civil rights movement) The prominent                 leaders of the movement were W.E.B. Du Bois, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, etc. (African-American Civil rights Movement)