Civil Rights DBQ Essay

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The collapse of the Reconstruction Era in the south led to the rise of white supremacy and discrimination against African people. There were many state laws and acts like segregation made to make African Americans feel lower than everyone else, dehumanizing them. Africans all over the country wanted change and equality in their communities and these people coming together to make a change lead to the civil rights era. The Civil rights Era, a period of time in the United States between 1954- 1968, was a nonviolent social movement and campaign to abolish segregation, racism, and white supremacy. Additionally, during this era, civil rights activists organized protests, sit-ins, marches, and boycotts to fight for their rights. During the years …show more content…

After Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat and was arrested it led to the boycotts of buses. In an interview, Rosa Parks describes the segregation on the bus as “very humiliating, very oppressive” and “having to take a certain section as because of your race was also humiliating” (DOC 2) This shows how the inequality of bus riding led to the montgomery bus boycott, ending segregation for public transportation. One group that made a negative effort towards the civic issue was the FBI. The FBI spied on Martin Luther King and the document says “FBI director J. Edgar Hoover was personally hostile toward King, believing that the civil rights leader was influenced by Communists.” (DOC 3) They viewed MLK as an enemy in the country and wanted to find evidence so they could arrest him and end his protests. However they weren't able to find anything about him. Another group that made a positive effort towards the civic issue was the civil rights activists in document 4. The picture shows African Americans protesting and holding signs which demand the end of segregation and equal jobs. The Civil Rights march of August 1963 was very important because over 200,000 people marched to Washington to demand equal protection. This march showed how many people were willing to fight for change and lead to the ratification of the 24th amendment. The NAACP was another group that led a positive effort towards the civic issue. For example it says “NAACP Youth Council chapters staged sit-ins at whites-only lunch counters, sparking a movement against segregation in public accommodations throughout the South in 1960.” African Americans were tired of waiting and thus led to the massive riots in the country which eventually led to the civil rights bill on June 19, 1963. Wrapping up the long fight for civil rights for

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