Pros And Cons Of The African-American Civil Rights Movement

The Fifteenth Amendment granted African-American males the right to vote in the late 1800s. However, through the use of poll taxes, literacy tests and other means, southern states were able to effectively discourage African-Americans. It was not till 1965, almost a century later, that the Voting Rights Act was passed by Congress and signed by President Lyndon Baines Johnson; enforcing the Fifteenth Amendment. But acquiring the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was an enduring task for African-American citizens and supporters. A perfect example is “Bloody Sunday”, where a group of activist, in their attempt to march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama protesting for the rights of voters, were beaten and left for dead of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.

After the Civil War, African Americans went from bondage into gaining liberty. Twentieth President James A. Garfield stated, “The elevation of the Negro race from slavery to the full rights of citizenship is the most important political change we have known since the adoption of the constitution.” However, the centuries of racism, prejudice, and devaluation took its toll on Southern society, and they would take another century before all Blacks could vote unhindered. The ratification of civil rights legislation created only a beginning of a change because the Emancipation Proclamation failed to free all slaves, Whites did not view Blacks as social equals, and most Southern Whites would not cooperate with the new laws. The Emancipation

When the Ku Klux Klan was formed, they tried to cease the African American from participation in the political process. “We would state that we have been law-abiding citizens, pay taxes, and in many parts of the state our people have been driven from the polls, refused the right to vote. Many have been slaughtered while attempting to vote.” [Doc. 3] Southern States deprived the right to vote from the former slaves because of their race and color. “Their (Mississippi, South Carolina, or Louisiana) framers intended and did disfranchise a majority of their citizenship [deprived them of the right to vote] because of “race and color” and “previous condition”..”

The Confederate States of America had three different flags throughout the Civil War. The flag we know as the confederate was only symbolized as their flag after they lost the war. While this flag does symbolized slavery and racism one of ten people still feel positive towards the Confederate flag. Today there is a lot of controversy of the Confederate Flag.

Right before the start of the boycott, Rosa Parks famously refused to give her seat up to a white man on a bus (http://ow.ly/Yuqbq) .This shows how something as simple as not using public buses can help one gain

It seemed for a while that equal rights for the African-Americans would soon be granted. The thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth amendments were made. But then the South began

By the 1870’s after the civil war white politicians abandoned the cause of protecting African Americans. In the former Confederacy local governments had created a legal system set to re establish a society based on white supremacy. African American men were mainly banned from voting. Legislation known as Jim Crow laws separated people of color from whites in schools, housing, jobs, and public gathering places. Denying black men the right to vote through legal maneuvering and violence was a first step in taking away their civil rights.

In 1955, Rosa Parks nonviolently protested by refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger and was then arrested, this then led to bus boycotts to try to end segregation in buses. Interestingly enough, segregated buses were a violation of the 14th amendment. Another event that led up to the Civil Rights Act was the Little Rock school desegregation in 1957. A group of African-American students decided to integrate Central High School in Arkansas, they were faced with a white mob and the governor did not agree with these actions. The students still found a way in but left shortly after.

The Reconstruction period lasted from 1865 to 1877. The thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth amendment were created during the twelve years of rebuilding the country. All of the amendments were made to protect former slaves and their rights but on paper they did not have any rights. The reconstruction period had its successes and failures.

The consequences of peaceful protesting is, the marchers from Selma to Montgomery, had to go back and march three times. The first march wasn 't what they wanted to achieve and got sent back to the bridge. The second march was when they were crossing the bridge. The police officers attacked them with stick, teargas, clubs, arrested innocent people, guns were fired, knocked people to the ground, whips, rubber tubing wrapped in barbed wire was a weapon that the police officers whipped at the marchers. The third time they went to march, they won Federal Protection and they successfully marched for their cause.

A huge line of black people would line up in protest. The deputes came too, keeping them from getting water or food the entire time. From seven to four thirty, Everyone would line up in 95 degree weather without water or food. After JFK Died, John made a protest where everyone in the protest would buy a share of the dobbs corporation, and when they went to eat there, they were denied service to their own diner. He recruited many staffers, but before they could do anything, three went missing.

In high school and college I am starting to realize that teachers don’t give specific rewards for getting good grades. But I have learned that we are paving the way for us to get a better future and that is the best award of them all. Being a student athlete I believe that I am receiving more than regular students because you learn so many life lessons in sports. I believe that the field trip that I went on is what made me start to apply myself better in school. I received the about $4,000 in academic scholarships for attending UW Parkside.

Martin Luther King; a young Baptist minister with a doctorate from Boston University was a new leader with a captivating speaking talent. He made a great difference in the black movement with his courage and steadfastness while preaching non-violence. Protests continued until 1956 when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional Abraham’s law requiring bus segregation. African Americans “demonstrated they could sustain a lengthy protest and would not be

A few good things about slavery being ended this meant they were now citizens and could hold office. Society soon started targeting colored people for no reason other now hate. Many Colored people were brutally killed and beaten. Three years after the civil war the 14th amendment came to be law which made it so all states had to protect its citizens that were within their borders. Society during the point in time is harsh to those of color, but soon turns good for them as they fight for equality.

The bus driver asked for Rosa to give up her seat for the white man, but she refused. Rosa Parks was arrested and this outraged the black community. This event was controversial to the civil rights movement. On February 1st, 1960 four African American friends named David,