Exploration of the Civil Rights Movement Major Events Between 1950 and 1960

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Exploration of the Civil Rights Movement Major Events Between 1950 and 1960

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The impacts of African American slavery and subjugation continued in the twentieth CenturyCentury through acts of discrimination and segregation. However, eradicating slavery did not end the underlying hateful sentient of the whites towards the Blacks and did not stop African Americans’ oppression in the US. Instead, discrimination and segregation led to African Americans being treated differently from the American citizens. African Americans were discriminated against based on their religion, race, and culture, and unlike the whites, they were continually faced with poor societal treatment, violence, and depreciating racial epithets.

To fight against these injustices, activists, leaders, and the discriminated races organized themselves into groups known as the Civil Rights Movement. This was a combination of peaceful, nonviolent activities, protests, and demonstrations intended to attain the civil rights of African Americans. Civil Rights Movement demonstrations were in the form of sit-ins, marches, and freedom rides. The primary goal of the Movement was to create public awareness of the injustices inflicted on the Blacks and produce change since the discrimination and oppression of the Blacks was no longer acceptable. The battle between the whites and African Americans tormented the US for many years, and up-to-date, this battle is still evident in some parts of the US. The Civil Rights Movement emerged in the 1950s and reached its peak in the 1960s. This paper explores the major Civil Rights Movement events between 1950 and 1960. It also examines the success of these events in terms of desegregation and improvement of the economic conditions of African Americans. Furthermore, it explores the challenges faced by the leaders of the Movement in the 1950s and 1960s.

Statement of the Problem

Since the Europeans settled in North America, the Blacks were enslaved and oppressed by the whites. Even though the Civil war resulted in the abolishment of slavery, white supremacy’s harsh system continued to exist, subjecting African Americans to harsh living conditions. The Blacks were barred from associating with the whites in public accommodations and other institutions such as schools, hospitals, hotels and restaurants, movie theatres, among other social places. African Americans were also deprived of their elementary rights, such as the right to vote. This led to the White and Black liberal reformers forming the Civil Rights Movement. The goal of the Movement was to attain equality and justice for the Blacks during the 1950s and 1960s. Among the Civil Rights Movement leaders included Martin Luther King Jr, John Lewis, and Whitney Young. They fought for the end of racial discrimination and segregation, an improvement of the Blacks’ economic conditions, African Americans’ right to vote, and representation of African Americans within the American political system. However, despite the efforts of the Movement, one-third of the Blacks in the US still lived in poverty in the 1980s, and overt and covert discrimination remained a reality for many African Americans. To the best of the researcher’s knowledge, researchers are yet to explore the achievements of the major Civil Rights Movement events of the 1950s and 1960s and the challenges faced by the movement leaders during this period. This study seeks to fill this research gap by examining the success of these events and exploring the challenges faced by the leaders of the Movement between 1950 and 1960.

Research Questions

This descriptive research aims to explore the major Civil Rights Movement events of the 1950s and 1960s. Secondly, the study seeks to examine the success of these events in terms of desegregation and improvement of the economic conditions of African Americans, and also failures of the Movement. To fulfill these aims, the following research questions will guide the research.

What are the major events of the Civil Rights Movement between 1950 and 1960?

What are the achievements of the major events of the Civil Rights Movement between 1950 and 1960?

What challenges did the Civil Rights Movement leaders face between 1950 and 1960?

LITERATURE REVIEW

This section presents the review of literature that relates to the topic of the study.

Civil Rights Movements and its Mission

Civil rights movements encompass the struggle for equality and justice for African Americans. It took place in the 1950s and 1960s, marking the beginning of equal rights and protection of American citizens irrespective of racial affiliation. According to Levy, the civil rights movement was a historic event in the United States of America. The Movement altered the relationship among the races triggering the need for human rights protection and the principles of democratic governance. Africans needed a guarantee of equal rights and protection from the government, the same way the system guaranteed privileges to the whites.

The research by Morris also involves the analysis of historical events from historical sources, especially the history of the south of the United States of America. The races like the native Indian Americans joined the Civil Rights Movement to spark America’s political, economic, and social inclusivity. African Americans were denied opportunities like favorable employment and access to health amenities by the government. Therefore, they needed a system that could eradicate forms of racial discrimination that had taken shape in the country. The mission of the civil rights movement of 1950 and 1960 get based on eradicating forms of racial segregation that made the lives of African Americans vulnerable to political, social, and economic transformation.

Organization of Civil Rights Movement

The Civil Rights Movement was an organized effort by Black Americans to eradicate racial discrimination. The study investigated how the support by the institutions led to Civil Rights Movement. Ending racial discrimination requires the government, citizens, and organizations to enact equal rights under the law. The African Americans formed organizations such as the Congress of Racial Equality, the National Association of Colored People, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Within the organizations, there were civil rights leaders. Whitney Young, James Farmer, John Lewis, Roy Wilkins, and Martin Luther King Junior.

Notably, the Civil rights movement was strategically organized. The organization involved the use of radio broadcastings. The black broadcasters worked together with the civil rights leaders by offering interview opportunities. However, the broadcasters never got involved extensively like foot soldier recruitment. An example of a journalist who worked extensively was Taylor in the radio station, who showed industrious black Americans positively. Also, Winslow became the first black Dj to play hip hop, blues, and New Orleans music targeting the blacks.

Civil Rights Movement and Political Developments in America

The research by Ogbar used historical sources to determine how politics was a benefactor for the black power movement. The political motive of civil rights influenced society by giving African Americans a political identity. The identity energized the activists to march, make speeches, and fight restlessly towards achieving legal victory. The Movement in American History sparked political development by resulting in a crisis that required interventions by the federal government. The federal government overturned the segregation laws by restoring voting rights for African Americans. The government was also forced to end the legal discrimination in employment, education, and housing.

Civil Rights Movement’s protest shaped the nation’s politics outside formalized channels. Also, it caused the institutional and attitudinal changes that define present-day American politics. The researcher developed a theory where the protest drifted the persistent attitudes against the biased political governance in the country. Data comprising of over one hundred and fifty thousand survey respondents was evidence that supported the theory. As a result, the whites from states that experienced civil rights protests are likely to be identified as Democrats who support affirmative actions against racial discrimination. Therefore, the social Movement played a persistent role in shaping American politics.

METHODOLOGY

Research Method and Design

This study adopted a qualitative research approach. This method was ideal for this study since it allows researchers to utilize multiple data sources, analyze the data, and interpret the findings subjectively. A qualitative approach was also suitable for this study since it allowed the researcher to extract detailed information from numerous secondary data sources. The qualitative method made it easier to compare and contrast data extracted from diverse sources and interpret it to address the research questions that guided the study. The researcher utilized a literature-based design. This research design uses a methodology by investigators to base their arguments on the things they know and those they do not know concerning a phenomenon under investigation.

Search Strategy and Selection Criteria

The researcher searched through trustworthy databases, which included ProQuest, Google Scholar, EBSCOhost, Sage publications, Science Direct, among others, to identify relevant data sources. Several search terms including, “Major Events of Civil Rights Movement during the 1950s and 1960s,” “impacts of Civil Rights Movement,” “Benefits of Civil Rights Movement,” and “Challenges during Civil Rights Movement,” were used in the systematic search. The researcher established inclusion and exclusion criteria to ensure only the most relevant and credible sources were retrieved for data extraction and analysis. Based on the inclusion criteria, the researcher included books and books chapters, research and journal articles, and government reports. Also, only the materials published in English were included for review to ensure a proper understanding of the source of data. Only materials that contained at least one of the search terms in either the title or abstract were included for review. On the other hand, podcasts, blogs, and newspapers were excepted. Besides, studies that reported findings to the editors in the form of letters were excluded. Besides, summaries and book reviews were also excepted because they did not provide complete information.

Data Analysis

The researcher applied thematic and content analysis of secondary data to address the three research questions. First, the researcher performed thematic analysis to assemble evidence obtained from the various data sources. Usually, the thematic analysis focuses on patterns that result in the identification of the major themes. The researcher then applied content analysis to familiarize themselves with the data and critically evaluate major themes obtained from thematic analysis to address the research questions. The findings of the study are presented in the next section.

RESEARCH FINDINGS

Introduction

This study’s main aim was to explore the major events of the Civil Rights Movements in the 1950s and 1960s. The study applied secondary data to address the research questions. This section presents the study’s findings, which were guided by the following research questions.

What are the major events of the Civil Rights Movement between 1950 and 1960?

What are the achievements of the major events of the Civil Rights Movement between 1950 and 1960?

What challenges did the Civil Rights Movement leaders face between 1950 and 1960?

RQ1: What are the major events of the Civil Rights Movement between 1950 and 1960.

The first research question sought to determine the major events of the civil rights movement between 1950 and 1960. Several themes were generated. Each of these themes is discussed below.

1954: Brown v. Board of Education.

Segregation of schools was to come to an end after a ruling by the United States Supreme Court. This was an overturn of the earlier Plessey v Ferguson system that allowed equal but separate education for Black and White Americans. In the real sense, the facilities were not equal but separate, and the blacks faced discrimination in most cases.

1955: The killing of Emmett Till

Another event that contributed to the civil rights movement was the murder of a teenager named Emmett Till from Chicago by white Americans. The reason for his killing was daring to say bye to a white woman in a store. This event caused outrage among the Black Americans who had to seek justice for Emmett.

1955-1956: The Bus Boycott in Montgomery

At this time, segregation in America was a very big challenge, especially to African Americans and especially because Jim crow laws had legalized it. These laws resulted in employment and poverty issues because African Americans were treated unfairly for all these opportunities. Public premises such as hospitals, schools, parks, diners, toilets, and restaurants were segregated. The African Americans were disadvantaged because their schools and hospitals had insufficient financial resources and staff. One of the first reactions to the aspect of segregation was that of Rosa Parks, who ignored the demands to give up her seat at a bus to a white which led to her arrest. This led to the Montgomery Association on improvement aimed at boycotting the bus transportation system, which was a nonviolent protest by blacks. One of the national figures that led this kind of protest that was nonviolent was Martin Luther King. His main goal was to center his leadership protests on African American civil rights.

1957: The Little Rock School Crises

National Guard troops were called to Little Rock’s Central High School to prevent desegregation by Arkansas Governor Orval E Faubus. Nine black students were allowed to attend school after president Dwight D Eisenhower sent soldiers. Also, Shuttlesworth Fred, Charles Steele, and Martin Luther King established the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

1960: Sit-ins

The first sit-in was held in Greensboro in North Carolina by four black students. They were denied lunch service, and this made them refuse to move from a lunch corner that was segregated. Also, after the murder of a young black male named Trevor Martin through shooting by a police officer who was later acquitted. A group named black lives matter was formed.

RQ2: What were the success of the major events of the Civil Rights Movement between 1950 and 1960?

Findings revealed several benefits of the Civil Rights Movement. These benefits are discussed below.

Legislation of Civil Rights Which Favored and Benefited African Americans

Due to the many social movements and campaigns, one of the achievements was that it led to the legislation of civil rights, which favored and benefited African Americans. The Supreme court also ruled in favor of African Americans in the battle of a segregated education system through the NAACP’s legal strategy. This gave them the freedom and rights to gain practical and formal education in both secondary and primary schools alongside their white peers.

Equal Employment and Housing

Another accomplishment of the Civil Rights Movement Association is that African Americans were entitled to equal employment and housing. Since the blacks were fighting for not only freedom from slavery but equal treatment and services, they continued fighting for what they deserved even if they were arrested (Ševčík, 2016). Laws that do not allow discrimination and segregation in public premises and services were passed to protect African Americans.

African Americans Gained Voting Rights

In 1957, the Civil Rights Act was signed by President Eisenhower into law which emerged to be the first legislation law of civil rights since the period of reconstruction. This was an achievement and heed to the African Americans call as it allowed prosecution of any person who prevented other people from voting especially African Americans, in the federal court. Voter fraud was also to be investigated through a commission formed through this Civil Rights Act of 1957.

RQ3: What challenges did the Civil Rights Movement leaders face between 1950 and 1960?

Findings revealed that since back in the 19th CenturyCentury, America was ruled by racism. African Americans were made slaves by white people. To free these people from slavery, there was the introduction of the emancipation proclamation, but this did not change a lot. Some of the leaders who were part of the fight for freedom for African Americans were Martin Luther King Jr, especially in the 1950s and the 1960s, when the problems associated with civil rights were dealt with and acknowledged. There were different challenges faced by these leaders. For instance, Martin Luther King Junior faced the challenge of battling for equal rights, which were incorporated in opposing good white Americans to his strategies. He was forced to oppose them and seek justice and freedom for black people by deciding to proceed nonviolently. His plan was pushed back, and he had to bring it back to unite black people in the late 1960s. Also, he had decided to join the Albany Movement, where his leadership credibility was completely damaged because he realized that the Movement’s campaign had so many divisions and objectives which made it very difficult to overtake a local community Sheriff. King failed in leading this Movement as he had no capacity.

During the Montgomery bus boycott, which protested against segregation after Rosa Parks who was arrested for ignoring the demands to give up her seat at a bus to a white, Martin Luther King hindered a bus during the nonviolent demonstration which led to his arrest, and he was fined five hundred dollars.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Conclusion

The main goal of this project was to explore the Civil Rights Movement major events between 1950 and 1960. Findings revealed several major events, including Brown v. Board of Education (1954), The killing of Emmett Till (1955), The Bus Boycott in Montgomery (1956), The Little Rock School Crises (1957), Sit-ins (1960).

Another goal of this study was to determine the success of the major events of the Civil Rights Movement between 1950 and 1960. Findings revealed that the Movement led to the legislation of civil rights, which favored and benefited African Americans, reduced discrimination and segregation, and allowed for equal employment and housing between the whites and Blacks. Also, the Movement led to the signing of the Civil Rights Act by President Eisenhower into law which emerged to be the first legislation law of civil rights since the period of reconstruction, allowing the Blacks to gain their voting rights.

The third goal of this study was to identify the challenges did the Civil Rights Movement leaders face between 1950 and 1960. One of the challenges was that America was ruled by racism since the 19th CenturyCentury. Also, leaders of the Civil rights movement were arrested and detained. For example, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr were arrested.

Limitations of the Study

This study was faced with a few methodological limitations. The main limitation of the study was the research bias. Since the researcher was responsible for data extraction, analysis, and interpretation, this increased the researcher’s bias. The study also faced methodological limitations where it was a bit challenging to define whether the populations of the studies reviewed were representative of the wider population. Lastly, the study was limited to the use of secondary data limiting the researcher’s ability to collect primary data to support the research findings. To minimize these limitations, the researcher reviewed publications authored by experts in the related field of study. Also, to enhance credibility, the researcher reviewed studies that explained the validity of the data used.

Recommendations

The Modern Civil Rights Movement is recommended to continue fighting for equality and justice in some parts of America where African Americans are still oppressed and discriminated against. Also, since this research project was limited to the use of secondary data, future scholars should replicate the study using primary so answer their research questions.

Bibliography

Books

Dierenfield, Bruce J. The civil rights movement: Revised edition. Routledge, 2013.

Levy, P. B. (2019). The Civil Rights Movement: A Reference Guide. ABC-CLIO.

Morris, Aldon D. The origins of the civil rights movement. Simon and Schuster, 1986.

Newman, M. (2004). The civil rights movement. Edinburgh University Press.

Ogbar, Jeffrey OG. “Black power: Radical politics and African American identity.” (2019).

Journal Articles

Baptiste, Bala. “Black-focused radio and the civil rights movement in New Orleans.” Journal of Radio & Audio Media 26, no. 1 (2019): 104-118.

Brown, Laura Michael. “Remembering silence: Bennett College women and the 1960 Greensboro student sit-ins.” Rhetoric Society Quarterly 48, no. 1 (2018): 49-70.

Devlin, Erin Krutko. ““It’s Only Convincing If They Say It Is”: Documenting Civil Rights Progress in the USIA’s Nine from Little Rock.” Film History 30, no. 4 (2018): 22-47.

Grimm, Josh. “Hegemonic framing of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr., in northeastern newspapers.” Howard Journal of Communications 26, no. 3 (2015): 313-332.

Mazumder, Soumyajit. “The persistent effect of US civil rights protests on political attitudes.” American Journal of Political Science 62, no. 4 (2018): 922-935. HYPERLINK “https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ajps.12384” https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ajps.12384

Mcghee, Felicia. “The Montgomery bus boycott and the fall of the Montgomery City Lines.” Alabama Review 68, no. 3 (2015): 251-268.

Newman, Mark, and David Gough. “Systematic reviews in educational research: Methodology, perspectives and application.” Systematic reviews in educational research (2020): 3-22.

Okonta, Patricia. “Race-based political exclusion and social subjugation: Racial gerrymandering as a badge of slavery.” Colum. Hum. Rts. L. Rev. 49 (2017): 254.

Onwuachi-Willig, A., 2016. Policing the Boundaries of Whiteness: The Tragedy of Being Out of Place from Emmett Till to Trayvon Martin. Iowa L. Rev., 102, p.1113.

Onwuachi-Willig, Angela. “Reconceptualizing the harms of discrimination: How Brown V. Board of Education helped to further White supremacy.” Va. L. Rev. 105 (2019): 343.

Ševčík, Tomáš. “Portrayls of the Vietnam War in Afro-American Identity and During the African-American Civil Right Movement in Selected Examples of Film and Literature.” (2016).

Shakouri, Nima, and O. Nazari. “Qualitative research: Incredulity toward metanarrativeness.” Journal of Education and Human Development 3, no. 2 (2014): 671-680.

Teixeira, Cátia P., Russell Spears, and Vincent Y. Yzerbyt. “Is Martin Luther King or Malcolm X the more acceptable face of protest? High-status groups’ reactions to low-status groups’ collective action.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 118, no. 5 (2020): 919.