Civil Rights Movement: Great Success And Legacy

Civil Rights Movement Name Institution Civil Rights Movement The 1960s were a defining moment in the United States. Having depicted its might by annihilating Japan during the Second World War, the US was seemingly unstoppable, but the Soviet Union had other plans, and this led to the Cold War which lasted the better part of the second-half of the 20th century. However, while the country was externally showing its might and getting involved in an arms race with the Soviet Union, internally, it was disintegrating, and the cohesive forces that had seemed unbreakable were slowly growing softer. From the antiwar movement to the civil rights movement, the country was taken through a series of events which forever changed and altered its trajectory. Many will agree that the country’s history was re-written and took a turn during the 60s mainly because of these two movements. The antiwar movement was against the country’s involvement in the Vietnam War, but the Civil Rights Movement was for social justice something which had been inherently ignored since the country’s independence. The African Americans had since before independence been regarded as inferior to the White Americans and apparently, the law allowed the disparity to exist. However, people like Philip Randolph, Dr Martin Luther King Jr., James Farmer Jr., John Lewis, Whitney Young Jr., and Roy Wilkins had had enough and sought for change. These individuals had seen it all and had decided that they wanted a different and new America. One which recognizes the rights of the African Americans and considers them equal to the White Americans. While seeking to dig deeper and uncover truths about the civil rights movement, it is essential to note that the movement did achieve great success and its legacy forever remains ingrained in the brains of the Americans and the history books. The discontent that Inspired the Movement in the First Place The civil rights movement cannot be said to have begun in the 1950s because the African Americans have been fighting against social injustice since time immemorial. From the slavery era to the Jim Crow laws, the African Americans found themselves fighting against statutes that were purposefully instituted to humiliate and condemn them. While their struggle might have paid off, there seems to be still issues that need to be dealt with even today. However, none can say that the change has not been immense. Some of the issues or the discontent that led to the civil rights movement include: * Segregation laws. * Inequality in everything. * Discriminatory housing laws. * African American inclusion in the government and other institutions. Main Goals and Objectives of the Movement The civil rights movement had several goals and objectives which it sought to achieve. Aside from exposing the rot in America’s system, the movement showed the world the social injustice as well as the unequal divide between the white and black races. The government had allowed the adoption of laws which only meant to seclude and condemn the black race to poverty. In the minds of some white Americans, the African Americans were still second to them and were meant to serve. However, as more African Americans became informed about their rights, it became appare...