Why Resistance Was Necessary

After the Civil War ended in 1865, slavery was abolished but it was only the beginning of the necessary fight for equality. Even with slavery gone, extreme racism and discrimination against black people persisted, and especially so in the south.

During Reconstruction, the period directly after the civil war, lots of good changes were being made that gave black people more power and made progress towards equality. The 14th and 15th amendment gave Black people equal protection to whites by law and the right to vote.

However, many white people were enraged that the people they’d once enslaved were becoming more equal to them. Because of this, they sought out as many ways as possible to hinder black people and prevent them from flourishing. They practically erased all of the progress for equality during reconstruction by establishing the “Jim Crow” laws. These laws prevented black people from using the same public facilities as white people, living in the same town or going to the same schools, marrying interracially, and they also enacted voter literacy tests which disproportionately prevented black people from voting.

All of these limitations to black people were disguised in a phrase “separate but equal” when in fact, they were preventing equality in every way. In every case of segregation, Black facilities and amenities were minimally funded, which prevented Black people from having what they need to succeed in society.

In addition, amid all of this oppression by the government, The Ku Klux Klan was working to incite fear into Black people to prevent them from seeking equality. Their tactics included lynchings, arson, threats, and cross burnings which were seen by everyone.

With this constant oppression and injustice, black people had only one way of prevailing towards equality which was by standing together as a strong immovable force.

How They Resisted

When World War II began, war-related work was increasing, which offered better-paying jobs. However, Black people were not given these jobs, and they were also discouraged from joining the military.

In 1941, Philip Randolph, the founder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters which was a pioneering labor union of predominantly Black people, called for a march on Washington D.C. This march was meant to draw attention to the exclusion of Black people from jobs in the national defense industry, and they planned march with 100,000 people.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt chose to avoid the protest and issued an executive order to allow anyone to work in the defense industry regardless of race. In addition, Black people served heroically during the war despite the segregation and discrimination from white people, which inspired people within Black communities and was a source of pride.

World War II

Rosa Parks

In the year 1955, segregation laws stated that Black people had to sit in designated seats at the back of the bus. On December 1 of that year, a 42 year-old woman named Rosa Parks in Montgomery, Alabama got on the bus and sat in a “colored” seat, complying with the law. However, a white man got on the bus and couldn’t find a seat in the white section, which prompted the bus driver to demand she leave her seat. She refused and was arrested for disorderly conduct.

This act of protest was not the first of its kind, and in the prior year, there were multiple Black people who challenged segregation and were arrested in the same way. However, after the arrest of Rosa Parks, word of it spread far and wide and ignited outrage and support among Black communities.

A few days after the arrest, ministers and leaders in the city of Montgomery met and discussed a prolonged boycott of city buses. In this meeting, the Montgomery Improvement Association was formed and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was elected president.

The newly founded association began a boycott of the Montgomery bus system which lasted 381 days. During this time, Black people had to find other ways of transportation to get to work which included riding in Black-owned taxis, carpooling, and walking. On June 5 of 1956, a federal court in Montgomery ruled that segregation on buses was against the 14th amendment of the constitution, and after over a year of boycotting a major victory was won for equality.

How The Civil Rights Movement Bettered The World

March On Washington

On August 28, 1963, over 250,000 people participated in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The march drew in activists from far and wide, with six of the most prominent civil rights groups combining into one force. In this march, Martin Luther gave his famous "I have a dream" speech that is widely renowned to this day. Because of the grand size and reach of the march and all acts of protest before it, civil rights and equality were becoming much more widely supported issues and the general population was shifting in its ideals.

On July 2nd of 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This came after a lengthy process of the act moving through congress, with it facing harsh opposition from southern representatives. In the end, the senate voted 73-27 in favor of the bill which allowed the President to finally sign it into law.

The Civil Rights Movement was a long and painful mission that required black people to be fearless, disciplined, educated, and outspoken. Through persistent acts of peaceful protest and resistance, the children of former slaves were able to command the respect and rights they deserve.

Through the signing of the Civil Rights act of 1964, all segregation was ended and forbidden by law, discrimination for any reason was forbidden by law, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was established in order to enforce laws against workforce discrimination, and more.

The Civil Rights Movement was not only a success in the United States. Throughout the world, it was an inspiration to everyone of what can be achieved by standing together. To this day, peaceful protests around the world follow the structure and framework of the Civil Rights Movement.

However, with all the good that the Civil Rights Movement achieved, there are still large inequalities present in the United States, and it is important to always strive for a better world. Through the inspiration of the Civil Rights movement, we can push ourselves to continue the fight for freedom and equality today.

“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.”

– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.