The world has documented in its history gazillion years of oppression and disregard toward certain social groups across cultures. The chronology of oppression was institutionalized in the course of time and had unfortunately become the normative. Even the innumerable people who were being shackled by the brutal forces of inequality could not assemble and raise their voice against the ill forces of the society. It was in the second half of the 20th century when the social groups exuded the valor and zeal to realize their journey of emancipation in United States of America. Voices of protest echoed across the land and the oppressed united having delved deep into their hearts and having nurtured the dream of freedom and equality since times unknown. Several social movements now voiced the claim of civil rights and fought resolutely to achieve their goal of nullifying the social evils.
Martin Luther King channelized the fervor in the hearts of the many blacks to stand up against the inequality and oppression which the community had faced since ages in the United States of America. A country which had been the witness of slavery and the depiction of the Ku Klux Klan now was seeing the assembly of innumerable Negros who cried foul over the social discrimination which had dares to victimize them all along. They now raised their demand of being given equal status in the nation. Thus the inception of their struggle for identity and honor shook the institutionalized white supremacy and brought out the real essence of humanitarian conflict. In an awe-inspiring speech directed toward his fellow blacks, King urged them not to resort to violence of any sort. They were all devout Christians and respectable civilians and would snatch their goal by the virtue of their integrity and persistence.
The other facet of ominous oppression was brought upon the women folk of the society who had been for so long conditioned by the patriarchal society to remain within the domain of the household and raise a family, thus giving up the individualistic aspirations and dreams which the women would repress in the deepest corner of their hapless hearts. But, by the 1950s women gathered the courage to nurture their dreams of flying high in the azure sky. Women now started coming out in the open talking about their goals and wishes. The female was not to be shackled inside the household and her role could not be limited to childbearing and nurturing. Feminist movements shook the patriarchal ‘order’ from its core in the last half of the 20th century. The American women were now fighting for their equal status and were ready to take on the outer sphere, a realm the gender had so long been denied to participate in. The American stereotype now no more hindered the women who were now aiming to be independent.
Many argued that the women liberation movement actually aimed at jeopardizing the social institutions of family and was going to hinder the sacral bond of marriage, impede child rearing. However, the social group which had been under baleful influence of the oppressive clutches of the patriarchal society was now instilled will an unparalleled zeal. The dream of achieving economic freedom, greater opportunities in work and equal status in society fueled the souls of the group and kept the flame of struggle for emancipation burning all along. Holding a position at par with the male folk was a matter of honor, pride and individualistic need for every woman in United States now. The Beijing Declaration of 1995 concluded that it was of paramount importance to ensure equal human rights for women and girl child across the world. The women need to be guaranteed the opportunity to realize the optimum potential in the society. Moreover, social development and economic growth need the participation of women. From promoting the economic independence of women to curbing the acts of violence against them, all were discussed in the declaration.
The advent of greater globalization in the 1990s provided the social groups with heightened inspiration for toiling to achieve equality and freedom. The physical distance was now insignificant in the wake of the immense advancement in technology and the world took the shape of a global village. Cultural barriers and national boundaries blurred and a sense of global unity among the affected groups developed which further enhanced the inertia of the movements all over the world, including America. In the very recent times, beyond the boundaries of America, from FEMEN to IFAD, a social empowerment group in Asia, voice their concerns in chorus. Indeed, technological advancement aids to these efforts by increasing communication, knowledge about the fellow members of the group and so on. Freedom has now taken the subversive form and aims to uproot the ominous forces with the sheer force of protest.
Thus, the social movements were triggered off in the second half of the 20th century. The members of the social groups understood the wrongs which they had been facing from a long time back and finally were in unison against the ills which impeded their emancipation and equal status. The racist practices were vehemently challenged by the blacks in America who demanded their equal status and honor in comparison to the whites. The women folk of the society stood up against the patriarchal stereotypes and voiced their protest. They organized their movement to find equality and freedom in the society. Globalization only added to the zeal of the social movements by bridging the barriers. The movements continue to fight against the odds and achieve the rights of the innumerable members of the social groups.
References
Friedan, Betty. (1963). The Feminine Mystique.
King, Martin Luther. (1955). The Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Schlafly, Phyllis. (1972). “The Fraud of The Equal Rights Amendment.”
The Beijing Declaration on Women (1995).
