...The March on Washington Introduction It is August 1963, and tensions have been mounting in the year leading up to this day. I don’t think anyone realized the impact this march would have on the civil rights movement or if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. knew his impromptu speech alone would have a significant impact on the American people and on the soon to fallow political choices. Had this march not have gone the way it did things may have taken longer to move forward and the Civil Act Movement in my opinion may have been stunted and delayed. Body Between 1940’s and 1963 there had been two marches organized on Washington the first was led by A. Philip Randolph whom was the consummate black political organizer of his age. He labored unrelentingly to get individuals and groups to put aside their divisive, parochial, and often petty concerns and close ranks in the formation of a mass movement for the common good. The foremost architect of the modern Civil Rights movement, he urged boycotts in the South against Jim Crow trains, buses, schools, and businesses. “Nonviolent Good Will Direct Action” is what he labeled his movement to gain social equality decades before Martin Luther King, Jr., and others emerged on the 1960’s political scene. If not the man himself, then his influence and ideas were at home at the forefront of virtually every civil rights campaign from the 1930’s through the 1960’s, including desegregation of public accommodations and schools, ending of restrictive...
Words: 940 - Pages: 4
...important thing that led to the success of the civil rights movement? To refresh your mind a little the Civil Right movement was african american people fighting for equal treatment as they were discriminated against from people of caucasian descent. I myself believe that they are Dr. King and The March on Washington. Two major factors that led to the success of The Civil Rights Movement were Dr. King and The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. To begin, The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was a significant event that led to the success of the civil rights movement. This event impacted civil rights the text states, “By pressuring the U.S government to establish jobs and equality for everyone.” (Source A). This was made so as many prominent civil rights leaders attended this event and 250,000 people are estimated to...
Words: 530 - Pages: 3
...The Civil Rights Movement Sharon L. Jordan HUM410 Contemporary History Instructor: Lila Griffin-Brown October 16, 2011 African Americans’ efforts to stop the segregation of trains and streetcars, the organizations created to contest Jim Crow laws, and segregationists’ attempts to silence the protests all provide rich testimony to the spirit of agitation present even in this bleak time in American history (Kelley, 2010, p.5). The Civil Rights Movement was a struggle by African Americans in the mid-1950s to late 1960s to achieve civil rights equal to those of whites, including equal opportunity in employment, housing, and education, as well as the right to vote, the right of equal access to public facilities, and the right to be free of racial discrimination (Law, 2005). This movement sought to restore to African Americans the rights of citizenship guaranteed by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. The words civil rights often raise images of Martin Luther King Jr. delivering his soul-stirring “I Have a Dream” speech before the nation’s capital. "The practical cost of change for the nation up to this point has been cheap," Martin Luther King Jr. conceded “(LITWACK, 2009). Martin Luther King Jr., and other leaders of the movement anticipated, the movement provoked gains not only for African Americans but also for women, persons with disabilities, and many others. Organized efforts by an African American, W.E.B. Du Bois, who exhorted blacks to fight for the rights was...
Words: 2894 - Pages: 12
...violence. Later and bigger protests such as the March of Washington made bigger changes such as pushing towards the Civil Rights Bill. During the late 1950s and early 1960s the main forms of peaceful protest were the sit- ins, freedoms rides and Montgomery Bus Boycott in. The sit-ins in 1960 were important to the civil rights movement because they raised a lot of awareness when they spread to 54 cities in 9 states in just 2 months. They were also important because they showed that despite the fact the black protestors were not being violent, white racists would still react violently. The Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1956 was significant because it showed the effect that black Americans can have economically and also the power they could have without using violence. The violence black people involved in the boycott received from white southern racists showed their determined racism. The bus boycott raised more northern support and inspired boycotts in other cities and caused the buses to be desegregated, however the rest of the city remained segregated. The Freedom Rides in May 1961 was another non-violent protest that was greeted with violence from racists. The Freedom Rides were significant to the civil rights movement because it caused some businesses and shops to desegregate even before laws were changed in the states. The March on Washington in August 1963 was a very significant event to the civil rights movement. The march was to...
Words: 894 - Pages: 4
...Jobs and Freedom March on Washington on August 28, 1963 was one of the largest human rights protest in the history of the country. With over 200,000 people in attendance, it was one of the first civil rights rallies to get such extensive media coverage. The march was a resounding popular success and paved the way for the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, followed by the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Even though the African Americans were no longer slaves, had citizenship status with full voting rights for men, they faced intimidation when they went out to vote and were prohibited from interracial marriage in many states. There was also widespread discrimination against them in the army and government. The African Americans were subjected to segregation and during World War I...
Words: 916 - Pages: 4
...change, the renowned ‘March on Washington.’ On Wednesday August 28, 1962, more than 250,000 Americans, Black and White, convened in Washington D.C for the celebrated and famed political rally known as the ‘March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.’ The purpose of the non violent protest was to expose the continuation of political and social challenges African Americans faced across America, over a century after the Emancipation Proclamation, urging for reforms to be made in civil and economic rights. To try...
Words: 479 - Pages: 2
...Martin King on January 15, 1929, lead the way for a more diverse america. King played a prominent role to civil rights by forming marches and delivering speeches during the 1960’s. During the Civil Rights Movement King was named president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). On August 28, 1963, King lead the March on Washington and carried out his I Have a Dream Speech, also in 1964 King became the youngest man to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Lastly, on April 4, 1968 King was assassinated by James Earl Ray while delivering a speech in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. King’s interest in equal rights created America’s diverse society. To begin, King led the March on Washington in order to help guarantee jobs and freedom for the colored. Playing an immense role in deciding the future of Civil Rights, “ ...The event (March on Washington) is widely regarded as a watershed moment in the history of the American Civil Rights movement and a factor in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964” (“Martin Luther King Jr.”). The Civil Rights Act of 1964 guaranteed that no one is to be discriminated against based on their skin color, sex, or ethnic background, meaning segregation was...
Words: 512 - Pages: 3
...weren’t allowed or where segregation was present. 1963 Martin Luther king Jr he began to lead many campaigns against discrimination using large gatherings to protest it. The campaigns where stop by police and their dogs. Has well in 1963 he organized a march in Washington DC called the March on Washington. They did this march so that Kennedy who had created a bill could get congress to pass the bill that he created. Many people like whites and black gathered on the base of Lincoln memorial. Where Martin Luther King Jr gave his famous speech called I have a dream. “I have a dream,” he declared, “that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’ … I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” (Staff, 2011)The speech defined the moral basis of the civil right movements. By 1964 they had a victory in congress which they pass the civil rights bill that Kennedy had created. The civil rights act was created to stop racial discrimination in public places. In 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act. "Voting is the foundation stone for political action," announced Dr. Martin Luther...
Words: 848 - Pages: 4
...Event | Who Involved | What Happened | Why Important | Jackie Robinson | Jackie Robinson, Brooklyn Dodgers, and African-Americans. | Jackie Robinson became the first African-American in U.S history play for a major league baseball team in 1947. After he retired, he joined the Civil Rights Movement, playing a huge role. | Jackie Robinson’s achievements broke down racial barriers and helped wake up America’s conscience. Within the first five years of his career, over 150 African-Americans joined the minor and major leagues. | Montgomery Bus Boycott | African-American Bus Boycotters, Rosa Parks, Supreme Court | On December 1, 1955, African-American Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus for a white man and was later arrested for it. After this incident, African-Americans refused to ride the city buses in Montgomery to protest the segregated seating. | The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately ordered Montgomery to integrate its bus system, and one of the leaders of the boycott, a young pastor named Martin Luther King Jr.), emerged as a leader of the American civil rights. | Little Rock Nine | The Nine African-American Students, President Eisenhower, Orval Faubus, National Guard, 101st Airborne Division. | After the U.S Supreme Court decision after Brown v. Board of Education, all segregated schools were declared unconstitutional. So after a group of nine African American students enrolled in Little Rock Central High School, they were prevented from entering by Orval Faubus...
Words: 723 - Pages: 3
...Protest of the March on Washington In 1963 a group of people who were united together marched to a nation’s capital to defend equality for all. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was the united face of America in the 1960’s (“1963 Civil Rights March on Washington”). This key event during the Civil Rights movement pushed forward in the creation of the Civil Rights Bill, which granted everyone the freedom to vote and outlawed segregation acts. Even if someone’s ancestors were not discriminated against because of skin color the protest still showed a path to equal rights to all genders, nationalities and religions. The time of the march was perfect in itself, happening during the peak of inequality protests and setting...
Words: 603 - Pages: 3
...Over time there were many people that helped create defining moments in history, these individuals helped not only shape their communities but also the ideas of the people within these communities, one such person was Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15th 1929 and originally given the name Michael Luther King by his mother, before having his name changed at a later age, went on to become a advocate for the civil rights of the back people. He participated in various protest followed in the footsteps of this father and grandfather by becoming the co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. His belief in using an approach based on non- violence and peaceful protests was something that impacted many around him, and despite his being treated like an outcast, being arrested, having his house bombed and ultimately being assassinated, he worked to make the world a better place and to change the minds of society about persons of other races and ethnicities and cultures and his sole goal in life was to create peace and harmony within the bounds of unity. Martin Luther King attended Morehouse College in Atlanta in a program for gifted students and received his Bachelors of Science for Sociology in 1948. As an undergraduate he wanted to study fields such as law or medicine but in turn decided by his senior year that he would enter the world of ministry and continue his family’s level of the church. He then went on to Crozer Theological Seminary to receive...
Words: 2911 - Pages: 12
...Over time there were many people that helped create defining moments in history, these individuals helped not only shape their communities but also the ideas of the people within these communities, one such person was Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15th 1929 and originally given the name Michael Luther King by his mother, before having his name changed at a later age, went on to become a advocate for the civil rights of the back people. He participated in various protest followed in the footsteps of this father and grandfather by becoming the co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. His belief in using an approach based on non- violence and peaceful protests was something that impacted many around him, and despite his being treated like an outcast, being arrested, having his house bombed and ultimately being assassinated, he worked to make the world a better place and to change the minds of society about persons of other races and ethnicities and cultures and his sole goal in life was to create peace and harmony within the bounds of unity. Martin Luther King attended Morehouse College in Atlanta in a program for gifted students and received his Bachelors of Science for Sociology in 1948. As an undergraduate he wanted to study fields such as law or medicine but in turn decided by his senior year that he would enter the world of ministry and continue his family’s level of the church. He then went on to Crozer Theological Seminary to receive...
Words: 2911 - Pages: 12
...The Civil Right movement brought all Americans together as one. The movement for racial equity in the U.S. is known as the Civil Rights Movement. This started in the late 1950s, when Rosa Parks was on the bus, Martin Luther King’s march to Washington, and the group pf black college students. On December 1, 1955 a black woman named Rosa Parks, was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. This made protest that risen the Civil Rights. As a result African Americans did not ride the bus for a hoe year. Similar protests action soon speeded to communities. This was wide spread protest. This helped The Civil Rights Movement. The march on August 28, 1963 was the climax of the whole movement. Several...
Words: 265 - Pages: 2
...How important was the contribution of Martin Luther King to the civil rights movement of the years 1955-68? Martin Luther King was born on the 15th of January 1929. His father was a minister and all throughout king’s younger year’s king aspired to be just like his dad. King became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, when he was twenty-five years old, in 1954. It wasn’t till a year later in 1955 that his involvement in the civil rights movement truly came into action. He had heard of a bus boycott, taking place in Montgomery; a young lad called Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man, she was arrested and fined. There was then staged a boycott, it lasted for 385 days; the situation became so tense king’s house was even bombed, and he was arrested. Because of his extreme involvement this was the start of people viewing king as this national figure for civil rights. Some people do argue however king’s involvement to the cause was not that important, and it was more the action of the people and the long overdue action from the government that made the biggest contribution. The Boycott was most successful for both king and the civil rights movement; In December 1956 the court outlawed segregation on buses. This showed how much the public made an impact on protects, and showed how much king was a key figure in its achievement. After that in 1957 King and several other important activists including Ralph Abernathy, Fred Shuttlesworth, Joseph...
Words: 1043 - Pages: 5
...Running head: CIVIL RIGHTS IN THE SIXTIES PAPER Civil Rights in the Sixties Paper Craig Miller University of Phoenix The American Experience Since 1945 HIS/145 Mark Tate May 20, 2010 Civil Rights in the Sixties Paper The Civil Rights Movement refers to era in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring suffrage in Southern states. “The truth is that no bill insuring civil rights to any person can be enforced so long as there are loopholes available in our political systems loopholes that are the progeny of the very basis of that system, federalism”.(Johnpoll,1964) Civil rights are guaranteed by law but took many years to achieve. For example even after the Civil War, African Americans were treated badly. They got the worst jobs and were paid poorly. Blacks and white were segregated. In other words, they were kept separate in public places including at theaters, restrooms, schools and in transportation. In the 1950's and 1960's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. became known as the leader for the nonviolent civil rights movement. Malcolm X quickly became very prominent in the movement with his own group of followers. Noted legislative achievements during this phase of the Civil Rights Movement were passage of Civil Rights Act of 1964, that banned discrimination based on "race, color, religion, or national origin" in employment practices and public accommodations (n.a.2009). The Voting Rights Act of 1965 that...
Words: 800 - Pages: 4
