Civil Right Movements in the 1960s
Civil rights movements in America began to rise in the 1960s. These movements basically aimed at liberating the African Americans from the operations and discriminations that they were facing at the time. The African Americans were greatly being discriminated against in areas such as employment and were wrongly profiled and criminalized. They suffered hunger, Homelessness and high levels of poverty (Fiedler, 2009). As such, the civil rights movements wanted to agitate for the rights of African Americans in accessing employment and eliminating any form of discrimination against them. The center of the civil rights movements in the 1960s was the need to achieve a just society that did not profile or discriminate against its citizens based on their race (Supriana, 2017). There are several wars through the civil rights movements advocated for this agenda. These diverse methods adopted by the civil rights groups ultimately lead to their success and the creation of a just society.
Civil rights movements advocated for equality in the society through Riots. The civil rights movements led the people to the streets in riots and demonstrations. The protests were largely against the injustices against black people such as brutalization by the police and the criminalization of the African Americans (Fiedler, 2009). Secondly, the Civil rights movements used the judicial systems to adjudicate for the rights of the African Americans. The Legal challenge of the Jim Crow laws was an example of such legal avenues that the civil rights movements used to address injustices against the African Americans. These laws were greatly skewed against the Africans Americans and largely segregated them in most social amenities such as schools and hospitals (McKissack & McKissack, 2004). The Civil rights movements were able to contest against them in the court and successfully petitioned the court to reject such laws. The Boycott campaign was another avenue that civil rights movements used in seeking to address injustices against African Americans. Under this strategy, the civil rights led the African Americans in Boycotting to buy products from companies that denied them employment. An example of one such campaign was dubbed “Don’t buy where you can’t work” (Supriana, 2017). These were the major ways through which Civil rights movements changed the social political and cultural landscape for African Americans.
The major effects of this struggle were the creation of a just society that socially accommodated the African Americans. The subsequent enactment of the Equal Employment Act played e critical role in changing the social landscape and status of the African Americans. Among other things, the law prohibited discrimination against any person based on their race in employment (Supriana, 2017). Consequently, the people were able to access equal employment opportunities. This period also saw tremendous growth in the appreciation of the black culture. Literary writings, visual arts, and music that were characteristic of the African American life and struggled was greatly enhanced by the civil rights movements and found a place in the American Cultural Framework (Fiedler, 2009). This tolerance and growth of the black culture in America greatly shaped the cultural landscape for the African Americans.
In summary, the Civil rights movements emerged and became very prominent in 1960. Their struggle was aimed at creating a social, cultural, and political level field for all Americans regardless of their races. Moreover, they aimed at creating a society that is just and equitable for all races and particularly for the African Americans. They did so through riots, legal suits, and economic boycotts. Consequently, the socio-cultural and political landscape for the African Americans greatly changed. They were able to access equal employment opportunities and eliminate other forms of social discrimination and segregation.
References
Fiedler, S. P. (2009). The Right to Rebel: Social Movements and Civil Disobedience. Cosmopolitan Civil Societies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 1(2), 42.
McKissack, P., & McKissack, F. (2004). The Civil Rights Movement in America: From 1865 to the present. Chicago: Children’s Press.
Supriana, D. (2017). African Americans in Arms. Becoming American under Fire, 12(4), 229-236.