The Civil Rights Movement has left a significant impact on the United States and has characterized a great part of the 20th century. Starting as a black movement in the 1950’s it soon extended beyond black communities, inspiring other minorities, like Hispanics, Native Americans and women (Civil Rights Power Point). Although it is difficult to choose among the personalities, events or organizations that formed the movement throughout its history, it could be adduced that three of the most important components of the movement are Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King’s speech in Washington in August 1963 and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
In 1955 an African American woman, Rosa Parks, a 43 year-old seamstress disobeyed the law in Alabama, Montgomery and sat in the white section of a bus, refusing to give her seat to a white man (Berkin, 739). She was arrested, but her action led to an extensive boycott of mass transportation by black people that lasted for months (Berkin, 739). The boycott was a success, as it subsequently led to the end of segregation in American buses after a ruling by the Supreme Court that all buses in the United States must integrate (Power Point). The importance of Rosa Parks does not simply lie on the fact that her act of defiance inspired a whole generation of African Americans and led to a series of significant changes in their treatment. Rosa Parks became a symbol of equal rights and her action is considered a landmark in the Civil Rights Movement, often signifying its beginning.
Martin Luther King was among the leaders of the 1955 boycott (Power Point). But it was his speech in Washington in August 1963 that left its mark more than any other of his actions in the Civil Rights Movement. In front of 250,000 people, King spoke of the inequalities the black population faced in the United States and of his vision of a world without discrimination. His phrase “I have a dream” is still embedded in our culture as a symbol of equality and justice. It was a massive demonstration and its importance in the Civil Rights Movement is primarily symbolic. It is the impact that King’s speech and words had on that and subsequent generations that makes this an integral component of a decades-long fight for equality, along with King’s pacifistic ideas and philosophy that resonates with many, even in our postmodern world.
The last component of the Civil Rights Movement to be examined had a practical effect for the black community. It was the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and its purpose was to strengthen the right of all Americans to register and vote. The law, signed by President Lyndon Johnson, prohibited discrimination in voting and its effects were immediate. In all the Southern States, African American voter registration grew dramatically. For example, in Texas it grew by 76,2 %, in Alabama by an impressive 278,8 %, while in Florida by 65,6 %, to name just a few (Power Point). These numbers show how important and effective the law was in just a few years. In the long run, this act, that was amended five more times, ensured that African Americans could finally take part in the democratic processes of their country, electing the people they wanted to represent them. It is this law that put the basis for the election of the first black President, Barack Obama, in 2008.
Works Cited
Berkin, C., Miller, C., Cherney R. and Gormly, J. Making America, vol. II. A History of the United States from 1865. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. 2011
“The Civil Rights Movement”. Class Power Point. Spring Semester 2014
