The civil rights movement has been going on for decades. African Americans have fought consistently to gain basic rights that were granted to White Americans. In World War II, many minorities took the chance and fought for a country that did not have much respect for them. African Americans were fighting a war with enemies abroad and against segregation at home. For many, this was a difficult fight and after the war they were not met with the same loyalty and respect. For many years, African Americans have been met with discrimination and segregation because white society believed that they were not worthy of rights.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was established on February 12, 1909 in New York. Black and white activists banded together and formed it from the ongoing violence and segregation of African Americans around the country. The mission of the NAACP is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons (NAACP). The members of the group have fought tirelessly throughout history to gain equal rights. They fought through protesting, sit-ins and legal battles. Plessy v. Ferguson was a ruling that upheld the constitutionality of the separate-but-equal and it became the basis for the successful reversal of the doctrine in Brown vs. Board of Education.
Brown v. Board of Education was a major turning point in American history. On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that separate-but-equal was in fact unconstitutional. It was intended to abolish segregation in education. Many fought this ruling and resisted. The Supreme Court had to pass a second decision called Brown II, it ordered school districts to integrate. The first students to register at a previously segregated school was the Little Rock Nine. They were greeted with hate and abuse, but they persevered. This was an outrage to many White Americans. They did everything in their power to stop the integration.
127 our experts are availableright now
There was much controversy concerning the Supreme Court’s decision on desegregating schools. Many parents withdrew their children and enrolled them in all-white academies. Others turned to the courts to challenge the decision. Many southern school districts responded by closing all public schools. White southern racists frightened, turned to violence. In 1956, Senator Byrd created an agreement to resist the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, the Southern Manifesto, and was signed by a vast majority of Southern politicians. Senator Byrd also issued the Massive Resistance that is a collection of laws to prevent school integration. It also included a law that punished any school that integrated by eliminating state funds and closing the school.
Jackie Robinson was a major voice of the civil rights movement. He was the first African American to play in an all-white national baseball league. Robinson was an all-star and one of a few baseball players to attend college. He was outspoken towards his views on discrimination and worked with the NAACP. He was a leader for many African American athletes across the country. Robinson was seen as hope for abolishment of segregation in sports teams.
African Americans have been met with unwavering abuse and discrimination. The NAACP has been a main point in history that has fought tirelessly for equal rights. A critical turning point in civil right history was the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling. The ruling was met with resistance from students, parents, teachers, and state officials. The reaction to this ruling was not surprising. There could not have been a better path towards racial reconciliation because of the people who would do anything to not have equal rights between races. Different races will be met with discrimination for years to come just because people feel entitled.
