...nothing could change that. The rest of the family was gathered around the TV eyes intently watching as Melba walked over to them she saw the headline: “9 kids choosen to go to Central High School.” As Melba watched horrified she saw her name pop up on the screen, she was going to Central High. Segregation an ongoing problem throughout the United States history, Schools throughout the United States should have busing programs in between towns because it takes down the gap between test scores of minority and privilege students, it allows kids to interact with different racial and socio-economic groups that they would otherwise not be able to interact with, and is further corresponding to The 14th Amendment which gives equal rights and opportunities to all people regardless of race....
Words: 666 - Pages: 3
...Desegregation Desegregation was crucial part of American history which effected the lives of thousands of African Americans. The Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Topeka Board of Education in 1954 was one of the most revolutionary court ordered decision that pushed forward the process of desegregation. Segregation can be defined as; “to cause or force the separation of or to separate or set apart from others or from the general mass.” ( Merriam-Webster) This very unfortunate series of events happened across the United States mainly because of a court ruling in 1896 of Plessy v. Ferguson. Desegregation of school across the United States was certainly a task, that was not in its complete phase until the 1970s. The Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson involved Homer Plessy, who was 1/8 African American and 7/8 Caucasian which meant in the state of Louisiana he was considered Black. Plessy bought a first class ticket to ride on the railway in Louisiana, and took a seat in the all white rail road cart. He was then asked to leave his seat and sit in the “colored” cart because he was consider African American. Plessy refused and was immediately arrested. His case ended up in the US Supreme Court which ultimately proclaimed that Plessy's rights were not discredited because, the separate location provided to blacks were just as equal to those provided to the whites. This event adopted the “separate but equal” doctrine in the constitutional law. It was determined that all public...
Words: 2119 - Pages: 9
...Desegregation is the ending of a policy of racial segregation. In this case the racial segregation is between the white and black people. Segregation occurred in mainly the south around the 1900’s. States such as Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Louisiana, etc. Restaurants, bathrooms, schools, sports, transportation, neighbourhoods, jobs, and the military were all segregated. Not only were they segregated but everything was downgraded for the African Americans. The education would not be good, bathroom conditions would be horrible, transportation wouldn't be safe, the soldiers would be placed in different squadrons and would lack the common necessities.”When we need a babysitter at home, we have a Negro women come in, rather...
Words: 1388 - Pages: 6
...for the New South after Reconstruction tension still focused on the relationships between blacks and whites. Being of African American decent and raising a African American son I can still see the systematic effects of segregation, discrimination and isolation. However, through the civil rights movements of the past African American have attained equal rights in the present. In this paper, I will take a journey through the historical timeline of slavery. In addition, I will discuss historical events from 1865 to present that ended segregation, discrimination and isolation to attain equal rights. Africans were shipped to North America as Slaves in the 1600's, by 1787 the writers of the United States Constitution decided that slaves will count as three fifth of a person when deciding how many representative each state will have in Congress. In 1820 the Missouri Compromise was designed to maintain the number of free and slave states. During that period there were many notable freed slave that played significant roles in the advancement of the slaves. Isabella Baumfree also know as Sojourner Truth played a significant role in equal rights for women and the fight against slavery. Sojourner fought for women rights in the early 1800's in New York and other states. She fought for desegregation of streetcars in Washington D.C.. During that time Blacks rode on the back of the buses and street cars. She was one of the early pioneers to fight for the right to ride up front with...
Words: 1417 - Pages: 6
...1960’s the United States faced many issues, which can be traced back to the 1950’s. Some of these issues were related to racial discrimination and inequality, both of which can be traced back to the 1950’s when the Civil Rights Movement was taking place. Other events, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 can be traced to the Cold War that took place in the 1950’s. In the early 1950’s the United States was very segregated and African Americans did not enjoy many of the same rights that whites did. As the decade went along, segregation became a hotly debated topic, particularly segregation in schools. Since the Supreme Court case Plessy v Ferguson in 1896, the nation had operated under the doctrine of “separate but equal” (Potter 3/31). Then in 1954, a new Supreme Court case called Brown v Board of Education, was ruled on regarding segregation in schools. The opinion of the court was delivered by Chief Justice Earl Warren who said, “We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate education facilities are inherently unequal. Therefore, we hold that the plaintiffs and other similarly situated . . . are . . . deprived of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment” (Brown Decision, 1954). When the Brown v Board of Education decision was announced, it looked like it would be a major victory in the fight to end segregation. Unfortunately for Civil Rights leaders, southern states were not...
Words: 826 - Pages: 4
...Introduction Brown versus Board of Education was a major turning point in the history of the United States. This major case was actually several cases that were decided by the Supreme Court as one. These cases were argued by the NAACP and their expert team of lawyers led by Thurgood Marshall and his team the Legal Defense and Educational Fund. All the cases were filed by African American parents on behalf of their children. The parents of these children wished it to be brought before the courts that “separate but equal” was not fair. In the South though, Plessy v. Ferguson, “separate but equal” and Jim Crow laws reigned, they had a tough battle ahead. Leading up to Brown v. Board of Education The Jim Crow Laws were enacted in mostly the Southern and some of the border states of the United States and enforced between 1876 and 1965, slightly less than a hundred years (wikipedia). These laws mandated "separate but equal" status for black Americans. “In reality, this led to treatment and accommodations that were almost always inferior to those provided to white Americans. The most important laws required that public schools, public places and public transportation, like trains and buses, have separate facilities for whites and blacks” (wikipedia). In the Progressive Era the restrictions were formalized, and segregation was extended to the federal government by President Woodrow Wilson in 1913 (wikipedia). To discuss the Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education, a brief...
Words: 2256 - Pages: 10
...Century Segregation: Are We Still Divided by Race? Racial segregation was a concept that began in early history and is still prevalent in some societies today. It is often seen as a destructive forceful tactic of separating individuals based on their racial background. However, many new immigrants voluntarily choose to live in a segregated society. Segregation can be easily seen in certain communities where there is a concentration containing a particular racial group. The area where one lives significantly influences their overall quality of life as well as their job, education opportunities, formation of social relationships and networks or access to a mortgage. These aspects have an impact on socio-economic status and the accumulation of assets, and this makes housing crucial for the integration of minorities into society. Neighbourhoods that have a higher poverty rate are not able to support as many retail establishments, leading to inadequate access to quality of goods and services. When the neighbourhoods are geographically isolated it “may limit access to employment or social contact with other urban residents” (Walks, 2010). Segregation is defined as the policy or practice of separating people based on their race, class, ethnic group, religion or gender, especially as a form of discrimination. Racial segregation is not an isolated phenomenon. There are examples of segregation that can be dated back through history, most notably the racial segregation of African...
Words: 1658 - Pages: 7
...Education, became the stepping stones for the Little Rock Nine. The Little Rock Nine was a group of nine black students, who were chosen to go to an all-white, segregated school in Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1957, this group had some big problems facing them. This was the first real test of the 1954 Supreme Court ruling that said that school segregation was unconstitutional. The white population of the school, did not want to let the students in. Even the governor of Arkansas, Orval Faubus, did not want to let the students into the school. On their first day of classes at Central High, Faubus called in the state National Guard, in an effort to bar the student’s entry in the school. This move by the governor was almost grounds for a small war, since later the month the president at that time, Dwight D. Eisenhower, sent in federal troops to escort the Little Rock Nine into Central High. The troops stayed with the students as through their time in school, making sure they could not get abused. However, they did get abused in the locker rooms, were the guards could not go. The Little Rock Nine is just one example of how extreme racial segregation still was. This could not have happened though, without Brown vs. Board of Education. The Little Rock nine had all the backing of the Supreme Court, which said what Little Rock, Arkansas was doing was perfectly...
Words: 1488 - Pages: 6
...Nine were nine African American students from Little Rock, Arkansas who enrolled at Central High School. No African American student was allowed to enroll in an all White school, until the Supreme Court passed a ruling in which schools would be integrated. It was a trying time for these nine students as they suffered through violence, hate, segregation, humiliation, and fear. Little did they know that their actions during the 1957-1958 school year would mark an important event that changed history forever. They endured massive amounts of pain during their ordeal of mainly trying to get an education. But they received help and support along the way. The Little Rock Nine shaped the educational systems and gave hope to a divided nation at the time. They would grow to be successful individuals and remembered as unsung heroes in Civil Rights history. The Little Rock Nine: The Crisis That Shaped a Nation In 1957, nine ordinary teenagers walked out of their homes and stepped up to the front lines in the battle for civil rights. The “Little Rock Nine” or the “Little Rock Crisis” refers to a time in history in which nine African American students were prevented from attending Little Rock Central High School, located in the southern state of Arkansas. This also took place during the Civil Rights Movement. The Little Rock Nine were the first African American students to desegregate Little Rock Central High School. The nine students were: Minnijean Brown Trickey, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest...
Words: 3684 - Pages: 15
...Constitution. In my opinion the African American people should not had to of fought so hard to become equal if they were born as American, even slaves that were set free. The African American people should have had the same equal rights. African American men and women were beaten and forced to be less of the American because of the color of their skin. It was not always the fight for African Americans to have power but to equal as Americans. These movements that the United States have witnessed only made a way for the African American people to consider themselves as equals and proud Americans. African American should have the right to be equal and have the same opportunity to be equally respected. The rights of African American had such a great impact on our lives today. Fight for your Right! Many events happen over the decades for African American. So many important event and factors such as The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. The...
Words: 2215 - Pages: 9
...public places. However, not all of these are perfectly observed in the United States despite the amount of efforts that is done to prevent discriminations on age, sex, race, religion,...
Words: 1425 - Pages: 6
...of Congress" (Merriam-Webster Online). The 13 th amendment of the Constitution abolished slavery in the U.S., and the 14 th amendment insured African Americans of their legal citizenship and equal protection under the law (National Archives Experience). Movement is defined in part as "a series of organized activities working toward an objective; also: an organized effort to promote or attain an end" (Merriam-Webster Online). The Civil Rights Movement was an era dedicated to activism for equal rights and treatment of African Americans in the United States. During this period, people rallied for social, legal, political and cultural changes to prohibit discrimination and end segregation. Historic Roots Many important events involving discrimination against African Americans proceeded the era known as the Civil Rights Movement. The importation and enslavement of Africans is perhaps the most notorious example of inhumanity in United States history. The abolishment of slavery did not change the perceptions that allowed discrimination to continue. • In 1808, there was a ban on the import of slaves. The prohibition was in vein because the trade continued. • In1863, the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Lincoln officially ended slavery. However, the proclamation could not instantly transform attitudes of many citizens or the legacy of a country that had considered African Americans as less than human. • In 1865, the Emancipation Proclamation was confirmed by the 13...
Words: 831 - Pages: 4
...Segregation/Integration Writing Imagine going to school one day and seeing a mob screaming at you and telling you to go back to where you came from. That was what is was like for Elizabeth Eckford on her first day of school. Segregation was an awful thing that lasted for too long, and even after it was outlawed integration took too long to establish. Segregation had taken up most of America including Little Rock, Arkansas. Everything was segregated to water fountains to schools and even in buses. Segregationist fought back not only in courtrooms but on the streets, hurting and even killing African Americans and others supporters who spoke up for equality, from “On the Front Lines”. Integration was a step forward, but...
Words: 381 - Pages: 2
...I believe that there should be freedom from discrimination, equal opportunity in employment, education, housing, and the right to vote, and equal access to public and private facilities. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. influenced my political opinions and views because he fought for the civil rights such as freedom of speech, press, and assembly; the right to vote; freedom from involuntary servitude; and the privilege to remain equal in public places. During the period 1954 to 1968, Dr. King led the Civil Rights Movement, and he proved to government and society that different races of people can change politics and society. Dr. King has gone through multiple defeats, mistreatments, hatred, and discrimination from the people in the United States....
Words: 299 - Pages: 2
...a) Briefly discuss the effects of gentrification [9m] Effects • Social and economic polarization • The upward spiral of desirability and increasing rents and property values(erodes the qualities that began attracting new people in the first place • Displacement of that community(renters(prices go up, tenants are pushed out • Arrival of new investment, new spending power, and a new tax base(increased economic activity • Rehabilitation, housing development, new shops and restaurants(higher-wage jobs (previous residents may benefit(but mostly to well-educated newcomers • Some local economic activity(forced out either by rising rents or shifting sensibilities • Industrial activities that employ local workers(viewed as a nuisance or environmental hazard • Local shops may lose their leases under pressure from posh boutiques and restaurants • Physical changes(older buildings are rehabilitated and new construction occurs • Public improvement to streets, parks, and infrastructure(new arrivals often push hard to improve the district aesthetically(codify new standards through design guidelines, historic preservation legislation, and the use of blight and nuisance laws • The social, economic, and physical impacts of gentrification(serious political conflict(exacerbated by differences in race, class, and culture • Earlier residents may feel embattled, ignored, and excluded from their own communities • New arrivals are often mystified by accusations that their...
Words: 1484 - Pages: 6