Introduction
Few historic movements gained as much attention as the civil rights movement in the United States between the 1950s and 1960s. Recent political events in the US show that racial issues are still relevant, thus causing increased interest in similar past initiatives. Understanding how the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s ensured its victories is essential in ascertaining the most effective strategies for initiating positive social changes. Overall, exposure to racial injustice, the use of non-violent resistance, and the emphasis on consistency of laws helped the civil rights movement break the status quo in the 1960s.
Emphasis on Consistency of Laws
The first reason why the movement was successful lies in the attention to contradictions in legislation. One of the points made by Martin Luther King in his I have a dream (1963) speech was that the nation’s most important documents – the Constitution and Declaration of Independence – were not followed legislatively. It is evident in the large variety of state laws that institutionalized segregation, such as Birmingham, Alabama issues racial segregation ordinances (2022). As a result, actual practices and laws directly contradicted major documents. By pointing out these inconsistencies, activists won support because they were logical, reasonable, and in accordance with fundamental laws.
Exposure to Racial Injustice
The second reason behind the movement’s success was the increasing awareness of systemic racism. As Amenta and Polletta (2019) argue, exposure is critical in ensuring cultural empathy towards oppressed groups. One of the reasons why King and other figures gathered support was that many people, including white ones, were already educated about discrimination (Slate, 2022). Furthermore, exposure allowed other social groups to contribute to this cause and win support for their own future movements (Bair, 2020). As Mazumder (2018) argues, the effects of exposure were so strong that it continues to influence people in modern times. Subsequently, a careful combination of exposure and education allowed the movement to gain supporters.
Use of Non-violent Resistance
The third reason that made the movement’s achievements possible was the subtlety of means. First, King clearly articulated the importance of public resistance as opposed to moderate obedience in his “Letter from Birmingham jail” (1963). Second, the manner of resistance was non-violent, which highlighted the use of force against the protesters to be seen as evident oppression by the public (Banks, 2018). Third, the civil rights movement used this approach to target all Americans as opposed to rallying African Americans exclusively (Clayton, 2018). The result was the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited segregation. The peaceful manner of protests allowed the movement to elicit a positive response from mainstream society.
Conclusion
Altogether, exposure, logical consistency, and non-violent means allowed the civil rights movement to ensure social change. Had the activists chosen a more aggressive course of action, they would have likely alienated the majority of Americans. Instead, by carefully highlighting systemic racism, the movement convinced people of the righteousness of its intentions. These factors can provide important lessons for current activists who struggle to find support for their cause and achieve meaningful change.
Annotated Bibliography
Primary Sources
“Letter from Birmingham jail”. (1963). Web.
Letter from Birmingham jail was an open letter written by Martin Luther King while he was confined in the Birmingham city jail. In the letter, King called for Americans to unify against the system of oppression that African Americans were experiencing at the time. One of the most important points made by King was the concept of the white moderate – a white person who acknowledged discrimination but was not willing to actively end it. King argued that the lawful way of ensuring changes via courts was not effective and acceptable. Therefore, he called for active resistance and protests on the streets. The accuracy of the source cannot be properly established because the author used logical conclusions and summaries of personal correspondences and debates as evidence for his viewpoint. Nevertheless, this source is relevant to the thesis because it accentuates the importance of resistance as opposed to blind obedience to the oppressive system.
I have a dream. (1963). Web.
I have a dream was a speech delivered by Martin Luther King in Washington, D.C. in 1963. The speech was meant to arouse feelings of sympathy among Americans for discriminated population. King summarized the racial history of the United States and claimed that despite the emancipation of slaves, discrimination prevented African Americans from experiencing genuine freedom. King used emotional appeal in describing his dream of a society where races live in equality. This source is accurate because King references primary sources, including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Emancipation Proclamation, while combining them with accounts of contemporary discriminatory attitudes. This source is relevant to the thesis because it showcases how the civil rights movement managed to win support. Instead of arousing African Americans to take arms and rebel, King addressed all Americans and pointed to the inconsistency of the nation’s major laws, thus proving that the movement’s agenda was reasonable.
Birmingham, Alabama issues racial segregation ordinances. (1963). Web.
This source is a selection of city ordinances implemented in Birmingham, Alabama, between 1944 and 1951. Section 369 prohibited serving food for white and colored people in the same place, requiring owners to physically separate rooms. Sections 597 and 939 made it illegal for white people and African Americans to engage in games together, such as billiards, dominoes, cards, dice, and checkers. Section 1002 required to have separate transport accommodations for white and colored people. Furthermore, it was illegal for both white and colored Americans to have a ride together. This source is accurate because it contains actual ordinances that were implemented in Birmingham. This source is relevant to the thesis because it provides an example of segregationist laws, which institutionalized discrimination on a state level and were explicitly meant to prevent intermingling between races. Similar laws existed in other states as well and were known as Jim Crow laws.
Civil Rights Act of 1964, Public Law No. 88-352. (1964). Web.
Civil Rights Act was a law directed at reducing racial segregation and discrimination in the United States. There are eleven titles providing legislative details on the measures taken to reduce segregation. The law removed racial bias from the right to vote, made education and public facilities available for all races, proclaimed equal employment opportunities, and other legislative innovations related to desegregation. The accuracy of this source is ensured by the US legislative process. This source is relevant to the thesis because it highlights the important achievements of the civil rights movement. Not only did it provide a legal basis for the unacceptability of discrimination, but it also had far-reaching implications for other social groups that would use this law to promote their own rights. The fact that the civil rights movement managed to change legislation corroborates the idea that it chose the correct means to further its agenda.
Secondary Sources
Clayton, D. M. (2018). Black Lives Matter and the civil rights movement: A comparative analysis of two social movements in the United States. Journal of Black Studies, 49(5), 448-480. Web.
This paper explores the differences and similarities between the contemporary Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and the civil rights movement of 1954-1965. Clayton (2018) addresses a common criticism of modern activists, which revolves around the violent means BLM uses to promote its agenda. The major difference is that the BLM movement targets primarily African Americans, while the civil rights movement focused on the mainstream American population. The second difference is the absence of a single leader figure in the BLM case, whereas the civil right movement was spearheaded by Martin Luther King. The author argues that contemporary activists should learn from the civil rights movement in regard to leadership, audience, and issue framing. Overall, the source is accurate because it compares similar sources on both movements. The paper is relevant to the thesis because it exemplifies the importance of involving all people instead of focusing on one oppressed group.
Slate, N. (2022). “The answers come from the people”: The Highlander Folk School and the pedagogies of the civil rights movement. History of Education Quarterly, 62(2), 191-210. Web.
This source explores the important role education played in the success of the civil rights movement. The paper focuses on the Highlander Folk School, which was a training center for civil rights activists, the most prominent of whom was Rosa Parks. Slate (2022) argues that the reason for Parks’ success in winning support for the movement lay in the growing awareness of racial discrimination among Americans. The main argument of the paper is that meaningful social changes necessitate appropriate education. The subsequent implication is that students need to learn about diversity and inclusion in order to be accepting of other social groups in later life. This source is accurate because it explores the historical and educational context of the civil rights movement in depth while using Parks’ actual quotations. This paper is relevant to the thesis because it provides insight into the importance of public awareness in precipitating social changes.
Mazumder, S. (2018). The persistent effect of US civil rights protests on political attitudes. American Journal of Political Science, 62(4), 922-935. Web.
This source explores the effect exposure to the opinions of oppressed people can have on the viewpoint of mainstream society. The author argues that the civil rights movement of the sixties continues to impact the worldview of Americans in modern time. Mazumder (2018) dissects data from 150 000 survey respondents who support this idea. A special emphasis is put on critical junctures, which refer to situations when a profound change may transpire. The practical implication is that exposing people to the ideas of the civil rights movement and the oppression of non-white groups can lay the foundation for a new critical juncture and bring positive changes. This source is accurate because it outlines the real-existing social phenomena. This paper is relevant to the thesis because it points to the accumulation of factors that have led to the increase in popularity of the civil rights movements as a critical juncture in American history.
Amenta, E., & Polletta, F. (2019). The cultural impacts of social movements. Annual Review of Sociology, 45(1). Web.
This paper focuses on the cultural aspect of social changes brought about by various movements. The author argues that culture creates meaning and influences identity. Changes in cultural perception are as significant as laws and political initiatives are. However, unless society accepts these changes on a collective level, there is no actual change in attitudes. This paper is relevant to the thesis because it explains why Americans perpetuated segregation after the abolition of slavery – people did not perceive the political change as a part of the culture. A major reason why the civil rights movement proved successful in the sixties lay in the greater cultural awareness of racial discrimination, which explains how Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King found support. This source is accurate because the authors base their analysis on the review of existing scholarship on the effects different social movements, including the civil rights movement, had on culture.
Bair, S. (2020). The American civil rights movement reconsidered: Teaching the role of women. The Social Studies, 111(4), 165-173. Web.
This source explores the role women played in the civil rights movement. Bair (2020) analyzes the content of educational textbooks, common student responses, and research exploring women’s achievements. The author uses the study to criticize contemporary education, which does not take female activists into account and leads to students not being aware of the role women played. Bair (2020) delves into details regarding the impact of prominent women, such as Jo Ann Robinson. This paper is relevant to the thesis because it provides insight into an important aspect of the civil rights movement. Not only did it empower its target social group, but it also had a positive impact on other groups. Although the paper focuses on women’s empowerment, the subsequent implication is that meaningful social changes are compounded and can benefit many people. This source is accurate because the author studies real cases of women participating in the civil rights movement.
Banks, C. (2018). Disciplining Black activism: Post-racial rhetoric, public memory and decorum in news media framing of the Black Lives Matter movement. Continuum, 32(6), 709-720. Web.
This source explores the media coverage of the Black Lives Matter movement. The author argues that contemporary activists are frequently compared to the civil right movement. However, despite the overall similarity, BLM is framed as more aggressive, whereas the civil rights movement utilized nonviolent protests as a primary method of expression. Banks (2018) suggests that the aggression used by violent BLM activists allows the media to portray the movement in a negative light. This paper is relevant to the thesis because it explains how non-violent protests helped the civil rights movement gain support. It is easier to gain sympathy and win support when oppressed people are publicly beaten and humiliated than in situations when activists are the ones who start violence. This source is accurate because it uses actual quotes by Martin Luther King, research on the civil rights movement, as well as the content of news media.
References
Amenta, E., & Polletta, F. (2019). The cultural impacts of social movements. Annual Review of Sociology, 45(1). Web.
Bair, S. (2020). The American civil rights movement reconsidered: Teaching the role of women. The Social Studies, 111(4), 165-173. Web.
Banks, C. (2018). Disciplining Black activism: Post-racial rhetoric, public memory and decorum in news media framing of the Black Lives Matter movement. Continuum, 32(6), 709-720. Web.
Birmingham, Alabama issues racial segregation ordinances. (2022). Web.
Civil Rights Act of 1964, Public Law No. 88-352. (1964). Web.
Clayton, D. M. (2018). Black Lives Matter and the civil rights movement: A comparative analysis of two social movements in the United States. Journal of Black Studies, 49(5), 448-480. Web.
I have a dream. (1963). Web.
“Letter from Birmingham Jail”. (1963). Web.
Mazumder, S. (2018). The persistent effect of US civil rights protests on political attitudes. American Journal of Political Science, 62(4), 922-935. Web.
Slate, N. (2022). “The answers come from the people”: The Highlander Folk School and the pedagogies of the civil rights movement. History of Education Quarterly, 62(2), 191-210. Web.