The Civil War did not end racism against the descendants of the African American selves who had been born into slavery. The purpose of the Civil Rights movement was to bring justice and equality for all citizens in the USA. But many people did not agree with the idea. George E. McMillan argument discusses the three main perspectives that divided the country. The three groups were (a) people involved in the Civil Rights Movement, (b) the Segregationists and (c) those that took no action because they thought a gradual approach was good. Finally it was the group that took no action but insisted on a gradual change that held the most power. The problem was that gradual change without forward momentum can easily stop or even fall backwards.
McMillan describes the atmosphere in the South at the time and the opinions. He reported that “The middle-class whites seem hopelessly committed to violence.” The whites had always been saying that any change in the balance that existed would result in violence. So they accepted violence. It was a self fulfilling prophecy because they had believed for so long that the end to segregation would lead to the beginning of violence. During the 1950s people had comfortable lives. Since more people were able to enter the middle class they were concerned with their own lives and their ability to afford consumer goods. The tragedy is that they did not take positive action for change that could avoid violence.
The protests for equality demonstrated that both blacks and whites were willing to demonstrate and hold sit-ins. They took action and they took risks in order to made desegregation a reality. The problem was that the majority of people across the country agreed with President Eisenhower’s middle-of-the-road attitude. The President’s attitude was that the traditional southern customs could not be changed quickly. This ‘gradual’ approach was not fast enough for young people in the South who wanted to lead normal lives. The title of McMillan’s article is based on a sign carried in one of the protests of the time “Mr. Local Custom Must Die.”
One reason for the timing of the Civil Rights movement was that so many blacks had graduated from college but could not find jobs. The inequality of gradual change was so gradual that the change headed backwards. The head of the National Urban League, reported that from 1950 to 1958 the income of black families had fallen to 44% of white families’ incomes.
The Golden Age in America sounds like it may have been very nice. Looking under the surface though shows many problems that were being ignored while only part of the population enjoyed comfortable lives. The Golden Age was for whites not for blacks. Also there was a lot of fear which led to the conformity of the people. Fear of blacks, Communists and new political ideas scared most people and that affected their unwillingness to actively support desegregation and equality. Conforming to what is expected to happen was bad as taking part in the violent lynchings and beatings.
There are three reasons the federal government was needed to become involved (a) to create jobs, (b) to make laws for equal pay, and (c) provide laws for equal access to public facilities. All employees paid for public services so it seems fair that all people should have access to the same services and the same quality of services. The Golden Age only sounds nice but many problems needed to be solved. It would have been better to address the problems and bring some resolution to them instead of hiding behind gradualism. Looking at history it is clear that gradualism did nothing to solve the problems of racial inequality and prejudice in the United States.
Reference
McMillan, G. E. (1960 July 5). Sit-downs: The South’s new time bomb. Look, pp. 21-25.
