Race, Law, and Civil Rights
Garvey Group,
Briefly discuss the major accomplishments (e.g. major court cases and
outcomes) of the Civil Rights Movement. Do you think the strides
achieved during the Civil Rights Movement are still intact today? If
not, what accomplishments have relapsed and why?
One of the first major accomplishments happened in Little Rock when 9 black students went to Central High School in 1957. That was the beginning of the end of segregation in schools. The Sit-Ins in 1960 were also a major acomplishment because they stopped segregation in public restaurants and throughout the community. In 1964 another major accomplishment came about with the right for blacks to vote. I think that most of the strides that were accomplished are still intact today. I think the United States today is a much better place than what it use to be. Im sure there are still things that need improvement but those accomplishments haven't relapsed.
Reply to this
I thought that one of the most interesting accomplishments was the sit-ins and the freedom rides. The sit-ins were in 1960, in order for the sit-ins to take affect people had to be highly disciplined and very organized. This was a major accomplishment because by doing these sit-ins segregation on public transportation was stopped. I also thought that one of the most interesting and affective actions taken was the March on Washignton in 1963. The march had many ultimate goals, one main one being full and fair employment. The march was extrmely televised by the media, which probably made it a bigger impact on the nation. I think that the various civil right movements that happened in the past are still intact today. The actions that were taken during the civil rights movements were very affective on the nation.
Reply to this
Establishing equality for a group of people who had done nothing to deserve their oppression was the daunting task of the 1940's to 1960's for African Americans. Peaceful movements and lawsuits paved the way to end segregation in American school systems, restaurants, buses, etc. For me, the most startling consequence of segregation was the effect it had on young black children. Dr. Clark's doll experiment was astonishing and I believe that was one of the first times the Supreme Court could not deny the harm that segregation was causing Black Americans not only in regard to economics or education or social class, but mentally. Breaking down legal racist barriers was a long process, but now, just a few generations later, the idea of passing legislation which oppresses a race of people seems unimaginable. Only, it isn't because we are doing the same thing to homosexuals right now. In 50 years after the Gay Rights Movement has came and triumphed, our grandchildren will look at us with the same shame and embarrassment that we have when we think our ancestors who supported segregation. They will call us ignorant, and they'll be right. But right now, we can justify it because it IS the right thing. Just like segregation was the right thing to many people 50 years ago. So yes, much of what the Civil Rights Movement sought to do has gone forgotten. They fought for freedom of all people, not just Blacks, but now we are ignoring the lesson and just seeing a sexuality, not a person.
Reply to this
For starters, the one thing that I admired most about the accomplishments of the Civil Rights Movement was the intelligent way in which they were achieved. The leaders of this movement recognized that you cannot fight hate with more hatred and violence. Their methods exposed the evils of racism to America without drawing negative attention to the African American community and their cause. For instance, the bus boycotts following Rosa Park's arrest showed the community that their buses could not operate without the support of its black customers. In Little Rock, all of the world watched as white supremists used powerful water hoses and even police dogs against peaceful high school children. The federal government had no choice but to act out against these highly televised crimes. The sit-ins in 1960 crowded the public jails. In Albany, many of those jailed were children. As the local jail filled with citizens who had committed no crime other than to request equality, one governor had no choice but to concede that segregation on the basis of race is "morally wrong". All of these small peaceful acts forced white Americans to question their racist ideals. I think many of the strides accomplished by the civil rights movement are still very intact today, but progress should still be made. For instance, there certainly are no Jim Crow laws and African Americans vote right beside White Americans. We may even have an African president, which is huge considering the attitude of the 60's. However, it is obvious that less obvious social barriers exist for African citizens. Of course, the children in the East St. Louis school district sees this. Rather than allowing ourselves to believe that equality totally exists, we must continue to recognize institutional factors which cause still inequalities and alter them in an effort to continue working towards the goal of equality for all.
Reply to this
There were several major movements that were in the video. The first part of the video where the little kid was killed was very important, because it seemed to bring the civil rights movement to national attention. (Even though the people who murdered the kid got away with it) The Rosa Parks case was significant as well because it was one of the first times that blacks were allowed to sit whereever they please on the bus. It was ordered unconstitutional by the goverment. Obviously many of the things King done were very important to the civil rights movement.
I think a lot of the strides achieved in the Civil Rights movement are still intact today. However, there are still some things that aren't. Obviously its no longer legal to deny anyone service at any business because of the color of their skin. You are not legally allowed to deny someone employment because of the color of the skin.
However, I think there are still predjudice people in this country. I am sure there are black people who don't get hired for jobs because of their race. Its just not brought up. Ofcourse after reading the Savage Inequalities the school systems are very bad in the big cities. The inequality really is horrible and schools still seem to be segregrated from what I have read. I would definetly say that desegregation has relapsed.
Reply to this
The Civil Rights movement had many accomplishments. The Sits-Ins of 1960, were a group of fearless dedicated people who would sit anywhere they wanted in public places. As a result many of them were arrested and sent to jail just for sitting in a whites only area, when all they wanted was equality and to end segregation. The students of Little Rock that would go to high school even to they would face a mob of angry white supremists. During 1964 African Americans finally got the right to vote. There also were many more accomplishments during the Civil Rights movements, like Rosa Parks and refusing to give up her bus seat.
I do believe that the strides are still intact today, eventhough racism is not over, I do belive things could be a lot different if it was not for the Civil Rights movement.
Reply to this
In my opinion, one of the most remarkable things about the civil movement was the way African Americans were able to make their point by using completely non-violent means. It seems that these days, if anyone wants something done, they think that the only way to get it is to riot or use threats. Sit-ins on buses, in restaurants, marching through Washington, all of these seemed like such little things but they managed to make huge impacts on our society. I think that there are still some levels of racism present today, especially when one sees that more whites with criminal records are hired than African Americans who don't have criminal records. Sometimes it's difficult to tell whether or not the idea of segregation is still present though, because it is so easily disguised by economic class.
Reply to this
Brown vs. the Board of Education was important because it no longer legally supported segregation in public schools. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 stopped the legal support of public segregation and discrimintion in the public sector. The voting rights act of 1965 abolished all forms of voting discrimination. There was the Montgomery Bus Boycotts, the March on Washington, and numerous other great acheievments of the Civil Rights Movement for the advancement of all people.
I think that one important thing that should not have happend, was to allow the strides that african americans made during the movement to not just become achievements. I think that after we won those victories, we became complacent. We started getting a little more freedom and people got too comfortable. Dont get me wrong, what happend during the movement was major strides in the right direction for where america needs to go to solve the race problem, but I think complacency and comfortablity shortend thoses strides back to baby steps because of the problems we still have to this day.
Reply to this
I think that the Civil Rights movements has over come so many barriers and are still working hard to gain compltete equality. However, I don't think that they have come to a complete victory in the case of Brown V. Board of Education. Still, schools are very segregated, why? I cannot completely answer that question. I think that so many factors come into play that it would be difficult to come of up with a solution. For example, I went to a very predominately white school with may 5 black students, a few more latinos and an equivalent amount of Asians. The area that I grew up in, I would consider middle-class, but a conjoining town that also pooled into my school would be considered lower middle class and poorer. So, why wasn't there more diversity in my school? The area covered a pretty large social class range. I think that the segregation is due to location and not just money or social class. I lived in Northern Indiana, and diveristy just hasn't moved into our area yet. But when you take into consideration the inner city schools, the larger populations of Black and Hispanics just seem to be congregated into one area, if they wanted they could most likely move to Northern Indiana and pay what they pay in NY for housing and go to a better school.
Reply to this
The film that we watched in class on Tuesday constructed a time line to capture the sequence of significant events during the Civil Rights era. The first significant even discussed was the murder of Emmett Till in 1955. Till's death and his killers' acquittal spurred discussion on the rights of African Americans. After Till's death, African American lead a boycott of all city busses. This boycott was the result of years of segregation of black people in the community. Dr. Martin Luther King led this boycott and soon this spirit of equality spread across America. In Little Rock, Arkansas a local all white high school and the community were rebelling against the admission of nine black students into the school. Little Rock's governor was at the helm of this rebellion sending in the local National Guard to refuse the admission of the black students. However, then President Eisenhower requested the deployment of the United States Army to stand guard against the city's growing tribulation and escort the black students into school. I think that the media footage shown in this film was an excellent visual guide to the frustrations and triumphs of the Civil Rights era. Although this country has come a long way since the 50's and 60's I still notice segregation in our society. Whether it is in local public school systems, employment or the criminal justice system, segregation is still tolerated.
Reply to this
The legal finding of "separate but equal" being unconstitutional throught the Brown v. Board case, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and Dr. Martin Luther King's non-violent approach to equal rights for African Americans were all major accomplishments in ensuring justics and freedom for minorities in the United States. I honestly believe that although racism still exist in its various forms, the trides made during the civil rights movement are still intact today because African Americans no long have to march and protests for voting rights, property rights, and equal education systems.
Reply to this
There were a few major accomplishments which were acheived by the civil rights movement. The first accomplishment to me was that Blacks began to standup for themselves. After being pushed around and treated so badly for so long blacks finally said it was time to stand up and do something about it. Even though some violence was used there were many great leaders who rose up and had their voices heard. Such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Another great accomplishment was the intergration of schools, starting off at Central High School in Little Rock. Even though it was not a smooth process for the black students, it was a achievement which lead us to where we are today. Also the Montgomery Bus Boycott started by Rosa Parks not giving up her sit on the bus, led to more blacks standing up for thier rights. These events might not have accomplished alot for blacks at the time but many blacks were encouraged to stand up for their rights because of these events and men who rose up as leaders.
Its hard to say if there still intact today because so much has changed. I guess you can say yea because we can all sit anywhere we want on the bus, go to any school we want to, and are able to vote. The real thing to say is that some of the equal opportunities now might not be here for blacks if these past events would have never happened.
Reply to this
Some of the major happenings in the Civil Rights movement include the death of Emmitt Till, the bus boycott, sit ins, the Little Rock 9, and the march in Washington. All of these led to national attention to the issues of segregation and racism and caused people to come together to fight them. I think that for the most part the effects of these strides are intact because African Americans today have much more power in society than before.
Reply to this
I feel that although the Emmit Till court case did not accomplish putting the men who murdered Emmit behind bars, or sentenced to death, I feel that it accomplished a whole new awareness and a new driving force for the civil rights movement. Little Rock, 1957 was a major accomplishment of the civil rights movement. It took great stength and bravery from just nine teenagers to try and break through the barriers of segretion in public schools, and to face the hostile mobs that waited for them. The Sit-ins in 1960 also another major accomplishment. This time instead of only nine students trying to make a difference thousands participated in peaceful sit-ins in order to further their cause and establish their rights. The sit-ins eventually caused the government to act, and the result of the sit-ins allowed blacks to eat in resturants and walk into the same stores as whites. I think that the strides achieved during the Civil Rights Movement are still intact but for some I feel they are beginning to detriorate and lose what the civil rights fought for. As for example, there are still segration in schools today. Although society might not want to admit it schools are becoming more segrated. Schools are just one example of not staying intact from the major strides achieved during the Civil Rights Movement.
Reply to this
Major accomplishments like the Little Rock nine are definitely great for the Civil Rights Movement. The video showed changes in attitudes which white students had toward the black students after all the harshness had occurred. One single student which had a change of personality may lead others to change their attitudes toward the students. Court cases such as Brown v. The Board made great strides also. Not only did Brown eliminate segregation in public schools, it also accomplished segregation in other domains. A lot of other public places were no longer segregated after the trial. The sit-ins and and bus boycotts also made great strides. I think that a lot of the strides made are still intact for the most part. De jure segregation has been eliminated by law. Although segregation is no longer institutionalized, de facto segregation can be seen in housing patterns and schools. There is not much we can do about de facto segregation though. If everything is already integrated it would be in poor taste to try to force integration on certain cliques in schools.
Reply to this
There were many accomplishments that occurred in the Civil Rights Movement that caught the attention of the government to take action. Some examples of specific happenings are the case surrounding the murder of Emmitt Tills and Rosa Parks refusal to move seats on the bus for a white person. There was also the community car pools and boycotts against public buses which forced the Congress to take action. The march to the Lincoln Memorial made President Kennedy realize that it was necessary to pass a civil rights law. With all of these accomplishments made throughout the Civil Rights Movement I feel that this had lead the African American rights to where they are today. Still today there are always issues of discrimination among our society but the efforts made by the people during the Civil Rights Movement had made a huge impact on the rights of the African Americans today. Things still may not be as equal as it really should be, but because of what was accomplished then has made where we are today.
Reply to this
I think that it is always important to note how movements get there energy and force from the start. The Civil Rights Movement really started picking up momentum after the Brown decision and the murder of Emmett Till. Blacks saw the Brown decision as finally having someone in power on their side, and Till's death gained national attention because he was just a boy on either side of the color line. MLK also helped tremendously by being a fresh face for the cause of equality. I also think the movement was helped because of just how real the situation was. Every person involved had been touched by segregation in some way. I think that the strides taken in the parts of the movie we watched in class are mostly intact today. All things are not equal for all people though. I think the Civil Rights Movement resulted in huge leaps for equality, but I don't feel much has been done since then to keep moving the cause forward. A lot was done to better society and the lives of people in the country during that time, but there was and is still much left to do. The reason for this I feel is basically just that people get bored with something after it's been around too long, even if it's something this important.
Reply to this
The brown vs. the board of education was a big step for the civil rights movement and the force that started the movement. The next big opportunity was the Montgomery bus boycott, which turn the heads of a lot of white folks. Even if the people do not like blacks, most people need to make a living and love money. The march on washington was also a big step and one of the most powerful speeches ever. So when they started fighting segragation with money, the government had to change the laws. I still think the message of the civil rights movement is still entact today for most people. If it came down to it we still have the power to stand up against unjustly laws.
Reply to this
I think that there were four major accomplishments in the government during the Civil Rights Movement. First, in 1954 there was the Brown vs. the Board of Education case which overturned the legal doctrine of "separate but equal" and made segregation in schools illegal. Then there was the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This act banned discrimination in employment hiring practices and public accomadations (hotels, etc.). Next, there was the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which gave African Americans the right to vote. Finally, there was the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act) that prohibited discrimination when selling, renting, or financing an individual for a residence based on race, religion, sex, ethnicity, handicap, and family status.
I believe that the Civil Rights Act of 1968 is the only one that is still intact today. The Voting Rights Act of 65 has to go through a renewal process. The Civil Rights Act of 64 may still be on paper, but I have seen employment hiring practices that say differently. The case of Brown vs. Board of Education is being overturned by loopholes like the ones discussed in Savage Inequalities. The book conveys how segregated some of the worst school systems in the country really are.
Reply to this
I would say some of the major accomplishments of Civil Rights Movement would be when Rosa Parks refused to move from her seat on the bus and the march in Washington. After the Rosa Parks incident, may people, even whites seemed to really think about whether separating blacks from whites was the right thing to do. All the support received during the march was very significant in showing how many people were involved in this issue.
I would say some issues benefitted fromt these movements. It was definately a start towards desegregation. There are still many problems today that need to be solved.
Reply to this
The Civil Rights Movement was very important for not only the African American community but America as a whole. Events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the case involving young Emmit Till's murder, and the Little Rock Nine have played a huge role in sculpting today's society. I do feel that the strides achieved during the Civil Rights Movement is still intact today because instead of having to fight to be seen as an equal indivuals, we are already seen as equals due to the hard work of those during the Civil Rights Movement. Though there are still signs of racist acts, America has come a long way.
Reply to this
There were many accomplishments during the Civil Rights Movement that forced the government to change its policies and laws. Several of these accomplishments were the Brown vs. Board of Education Case which overturned "separate but equal" laws, many sit-ins and nonviolent marches, and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
The strides made during this era are mostly intact today. However, despite the laws against segregation, we now find that inner-city schools are more segragated than ever. However, black Americans now have the right to vote and many other liberties thanks to pioneers and revolutionaries such as Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King in the Civil Rights Movement. We now must uphold these new liberties and laws to the best of our abilities.
Reply to this
I feel that some of the major accomplishments of the Civil Rights Movement were when Martin Luther King gave his speech, Malcom X, the Brown v. Board case, the Bus Boycott, the death of Emmit Till, and Rosa Parks refusing to sit in the back of the bus. I think the strides that were achieved during the Civil Rights Movement are still intact today. Although we are not all the way finished with our fight for equality, we have come a long way since the Civil Rights Movement and should be proud.
Reply to this
The beginning of the Civil Rights Movement was after the death of Emmett Till, which acted as a spring board for the following events. Throughout the Movement the major acts were the Montgomery bus boycott, the integration of Central high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, and sit-ins throughout the South. The bus boycott caused for desegregation of buses. The integration of Central HS gave hope to other black students to attend white schools, but otherwise this act showed how much whites were going to resist integration since the National Guard had to be sent in. The various sit-ins in the South eventually caused desegregation in diners and other public facilities.
The achievements made by the bus boycott and the sit-ins are still present today, but as far as the integration of schools, there are still problems. All public areas from where I am from are desegregated, as well as the schools, but there is busing to even out the populations within the schools. I think that the school integration has not fully gone through because there are still private schools that can be selective as to who they allow in. There is also the problem of where schools are located, if one is in a white neighborhood it will be predominately white, unless there is busing which is not fair to students that have to be on the bus for long amounts of time. So in the end there has been a relapse in segregation of schools, but I really don't think you can consider it a relapse if it was never thoroughly integrated.
Reply to this
Many events from Emmett Till murder, The Little Rock 9, The sit-ins, the bus boycotts, the DC march brought attention to the racial inequality and violence in the U.S. To me the most impressive thing about the movement shown was the non-violence approach that they had throughout. I believe that there were strides in equality in the Civil Rights Movement, that are still around today, but there is still much more that needs to be done.
Reply to this
Of all the accomplishments that came from struggle during the movement such as the Emmitt Till case in 1954 all the way through the Million Man March, it is important for all of us to realize that these occurrences were necessary. If they did not take place, the movement may not have made it to the national level because the media plays gatekeeper and with a lot of instances they have the ability to quiet the news so that certain stories do not get out. Now the question at hand is do I believe that these strides that were made, are they still present today. I would say that there are definitely present because we still pay homage to those who had undergone such scrutiny and injustice for the future generations of African-Americans. I can not however say that they have eradicated the problems that they were facing. Yes, bills were signed to show support for the minorities but just because there are legalities in place, that does not mean that the mindsets of people will be changed. Essentially, no the strides that were made for our progress are not present anymore, but the difference is the fact that the injustices are now implicit as to make it more difficult for anyone to make a case on anything.
Reply to this
The case that stands out to me, it has to be the Little Rock 9. It was the first step that we needed in order to encourage our children to break away from the idea that white = superiority and black=inferiority. It also brought attention to the inequalities found in our educational systems solely based on race. Since, this took place I feel that we have made some strides to equality in education or so we believe. I mean IU states that we are diverse and that they support diversity, they have done so by providing the minority students with multicultural centers however, they are now threateaning to close down the Black cultural centers' History Library. Also, the TRIO programs have proven to be successful as they continue to give first generation or working class college students a chance to enter a prestigious university such as IU. The relapses that I think are now taking place I feel are being caused by governamental decisions in which they are eliminating grants and scholarships for minority stuents but yet they are increasing the loan amounts. This will eventually cause for Affirmative action to be forfeited, and also will lead for a bigger gap between socio economic groups to expand even further.
Reply to this
Devan Graves
Rayshawn Ray
U495
Dec 12 2009
Race, Law, and Civil Rights
There were a lot of great accomplishments that happened during the civil rights movement. Some of these great accomplishments were that the civil rights movement banned things such as racial discrimination in employment, voter registration, and public accommodations. It also ended red lining which was denial of purchasing items based on race, even if you had the money for it and it gave black people the ability to go to better schools and go to school with whites, and someone could marry someone of a different race without being killed. All of these things helped by doing things such as giving minorities the right to vote, and have an equal opportunity to get a job and prove that they could do the job just as good as anyone else could. I think that the strides achieved during the civil rights movement are still intact in today’s society. In today’s world, a person from every race or background has an equal opportunity to be successful in life and all it takes is hard work and dedication to reach the goal that a person would want to achieve in life.
Reply to this
During the Civil Rights movement there were many different things that African Americans were not allowed to do before. During this time they gained the right to vote. During the movement a court case called Brown vs. board of education started the whole "separate but equal" argument. This case eventually led to segregation being phased out. Another important event was the one with Rosa Parks, the Montgomery bus boycotts. This nonviolent action led to the desegregation of the buses in Montgomery. Also during the movement Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. received the Noble Peace Prize. I think that these three events I believe were some of the greatest influences in the equal rights for African Americans. These three events did the most because they showed the ability to change a whole country without the need for violence. I think that the acts of the Black Panthers were not exactly what the movement needed. The whole idea of being violent was not an idea that should have been used to fight the racist whites, who were using violence. The whole actions and what the Black Panthers stood for was, I believe, counterproductive for the movement. It gave the movement a bad look, of violence, whereas the nonviolent actions of Rosa Parks and King Jr. made the whites look like aggressors and a group that needed to be stopped.
Reply to this
When most Americans think of the Civil Rights Movement, they have in mind a span of time beginning with the 1954 Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which outlawed segregated education, or the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The movement involved both local groups and established organizations like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). In 1910 W. E. B. Du Bois, a black educator and writer established the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The NAACP’s initial purpose was to promote Civil Rights for African Americans through court cases. This organizations most famous legal victory was the Supreme Courts unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education in1954. The Brown decision overturned Plessy and ordered the end of racial segregation in public education. Thurgood Marshall, the associations chief legal counsel in this case, became the first black Supreme Court justice in 1967.The Civil Rights Movement became better known to Americans nationally because of televised news coverage of Civil Rights demonstrations in the South, especially those led by Martin Luther King Jr., a black minister in Alabama. The most significant national accomplishments of the Civil Rights Movement were the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited racial discrimination in public accommodations, public facilities, employment, and the use of federal funds. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 authorized the federal government to register voters and supervise elections, prohibited literacy tests, and expressed opposition to poll taxes. The most controversial of them all was the Civil Rights Act of 1968 that prohibited racial discrimination in the sale and rental of housing. After the assassination of King in 1968, the Civil Rights for African Americans became more controversial among whites as they associated the Civil Rights movement with affirmative action and court-ordered busing to racially integrate non-southern schools. Nevertheless, the black Civil Rights Movement inspired other Civil Rights Movements in the United States, especially those for women, gays, opponents of the Vietnam War, and Latinos. I do believe these achievements during the Civil Rights Movement have significantly changed the world and are still intact today.
Reply to this