Civil rights movements existed before the cold war but they became stronger during this period. African Americans were behind these groups. The conditions that created the need for this movement include poverty, constant lynching of black people by white Americans, segregation, slavery and the denial of the right to vote. This was also a recipe for the Soviet Union which was engaged in a cold war with the US to dwell on propaganda about the American situation.
The Civil rights movement accomplished a lot during this time. At the end, black children could go to the same schools as the white children. Segregation was abolished and illegalized. Slavery was also abolished and most importantly, the African Americans earned the right to vote. The movement empowered African Americans to go to school and pursue political leadership positions.
Initially, the United States saw this movement as a threat to its efforts to defeat communism. The US was also threatened by the fact that the USSR was exploiting the grievances of African Americans in order to increase its influence on the international stage. To avoid this, the US tried to tame its domestic racial problems by the promotion of gradual desegregation.
Despite all the efforts of the movement, racism is an issue that remains to date. This has generated a lot of conflict and division between white and black Americans. Abroad, the United States actively engaged in seeking the peaceful decolonization especially in African colonies. This promoted the US as an ally of many states and this provided the opportunity for the US to spread capitalism. In the end the US was able to prevail over the USSR as many states preferred capitalism to communism. To support this argument, the policy of containment is a good example. This policy was designed by the US to stop the spread of communism.
References
Leroy, A. (2009). Capitalism Versus Socialism and Communism: A Refutation of Socialism and Communism. Wisconsin : Christopher Publishing House.
Mary, D. (2007). Cold War Civil Rights: Race and the Image of American Democracy. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Sean, S. (2011). The Cold War. London: Hodder Wayland.
