...Women Most people, when they think of the 1960s, think of a decade of extremes, transformational change, bizarre contrasts, flower children and rebellion. Others refer to it as the baby boom generation. However, do not forget a decade of change for women. Deep cultural changes altered the role of women in American society. More females entered the workplace, women looked up to their greatest idol, Betty Friedan, and there were profound changes happening in the bedroom (birth control). Women were starting to gain respect, value their place in society and stand up for their civil rights. Before the 1960s, women were limited to jobs as teachers, nurses, or secretaries, generally unwelcomed into professional programs. According to tavaana.org, one medical school dean declared, “Hell yes we have a quota, we do keep women out as much as possible. We don’t want them here.” As a result, women accounted for only six percent of the doctors, 3 percent of lawyers, and less than one percent engineers. The conditions of their employment were unequitable because they were paid much less, were denied opportunities, and many employers assumed women would quit once they were pregnant so they were often not even hired (Walsh). The feminist movement in the 60’s originally focused on these issues. In 1964, Representative Howard Smith of Virginia wanted to help women and proposed to add a prohibition on gender discrimination in the civil rights laws. He was greeted by laughter from other...
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...The Chicano Movement began during the civil rights era with three goals, which are, rights for farm workers, restoration of land, and education reforms. Latinos lacked influence in the national political arena before the 1960s. That changed when John F. Kennedy was elected president in 1960, this established Latinos as a significant voting bloc. After Kennedy was sworn into office, he appointed Hispanics to posts in his administration but he also considered the concerns of the Hispanic community. Mexican Americans began demanding that reforms be made in labor, education, and other sectors to meet their needs. Chicano radicals began demanding that the land is given to Mexican Americans during the civil rights era. They believed that it constituted...
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...There have been numerous social movements that affected specific gender groups in society and transformed the world they live in. Well-known women’s movements have existed throughout the century, one of the best known movements of current times was the movement led by a feminist group called the suffragettes; the Suffragettes fought for equal rights for women they fought for their right to vote and an equal right to work, the basic equal right that many young women in society take for granted. During the civil rights movements in the 1960s and 1970s women’s right movements rose once again when women entered the workplace in masses and the controversial introduction of abortion and the pill changed the face of the world women lived in. Women are not alone in their battles for equality, the gay rights movement that started in California in the 1950s and finally made large ground in the late 1960s with the riots at the iconic stonewall inn changed the way minority gender groups lived in society. The Suffragettes was a was a women’s movement group in search of equal right for women, in particular women’s rights to work, much like their male counterparts and be able to cast their vote. It took over 70 years for the movement to gain the right for the ability for women to vote, it was in 1928 that all women could legally vote. During the time of war from the 1940s to 1950s the suffragettes fought for women’s rights to work and during this time when labor was needed in the masses to...
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...Influence of the 1960s The sixties were the age of youth, as 70 million children from the post-war baby boom became teenagers and young adults. The movement away from the conservative fifties continued and eventually resulted in revolutionary ways of thinking and real change in the cultural fabric of American life. No longer content to be images of the generation ahead of them, young people wanted change. The changes affected education, values, lifestyles, laws, and entertainment. Many of the revolutionary ideas which began in the sixties are continuing to evolve today (Bradley & Goodwin, 2010). Because of the sixties, I was able to grow up in a neighborhood where different cultures live harmoniously. Before the sixties, non-white people were not allowed to mixed-in with the white families. It is because of the 60s that one neighborhood can include a Hispanic family, and Asian family and an African-American family (Carter, 2010). The Civil Rights Act of 1965 gave more people the right to vote and took down the obstacles which prevented many people from participating in democracy and exercising their full rights as citizens. This enabled me to exercise my right as an individual living in the United States. The Civil Rights Act provided not only me but a lot of people the right to be vote, be heard, and express their opinion (Farber, 1994). The legacy of the 1960s can be seen including society and family structure in America. America. American society is more...
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...The U. S. Civil War and Civil Right Era Abstract This paper will contain information dated during the Civil War through the Civil Rights Era. Throughout this paper you will hear about the expansion of the U.S Federal government and the events of the Civil War, The Reconstruction Period, The Progressive Era, The Great Depression and The Civil Rights Era. The U. S. Civil War and Civil Right Era The Civil War is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic or less commonly between two countries created from a united nation. The Civil Right Era began in 1955. Another important factor of this particular era was the great depression. Throughout this paper you will hear about the events, trials and tribulations that transpired throughout this time frame. Through the expansion of the U.S Federal government are the events of the Civil War, the Reconstruction period, the Progressive Era, The Great Depression and the Civil Rights Era, which will also be discussed. The Civil War officially began on April 12, 1861, when confederate troops attacked Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. The bloodiest battle of the Civil War took place in Maryland on September 17, 1862, which was called the Battle of Antietam. This event caused Abraham Lincoln to announce abolish to slavery in the South, which became official in 1863. More men died in the Civil War than any other American conflict, and two-thirds of the dead perished from disease. (Facts, 2011)...
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...The Black Panthers vs. The Black Panthers The sixties was a time in American society where the youth from the post-war baby boom era became teenagers and the young adults. The movement from the conservative fifties continued and eventually resulted in the revolutionary ways of thinking and change in the cultural of the American way of life. With an extreme admiration of no longer being an image of their predeceasing generation, young Americans wanted and demanded change. These changes affected education, values, laws, entertainment, and the way of life for several citizens around the country. As society, it is extremely important to understand that although the valiant efforts and impact that African American’s had, particularly in the 1950’s and 1960’s, in helping restructure American culture, many of the racist views of the past still play apart in American society. The 1950’s is often described as the calm before the storm of the 1960’s. During this time period, society was very much conformed to the views of conservative living. The desire for security during this era, reinforced by McCarthyism at home and the Korean War, created was known as the cold war culture. During the post WWII period in America, the face of the nation changed greatly under President Truman and Eisenhower. Because of extreme paranoia caused by Communism following WWII, conformity in the United States became an ideal way to distinguish American culture from the rest of the world. Conformity...
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...In 1960 the role of the American women was severely limited in every aspect of her life from her workplace to her home life. A woman was expected to find a man to marry, have kids, and bare the full domestic chores and responsibilities, nothing more, nothing less. The treatment of women back then was that of property, and to never be taken seriously besides the duties outside of her domestic realm. The 38 percent of American women who did whoever work in 1960 were typically limited to the jobs of teacher, nurse and secretary, outside of those jobs women were typically unwelcomed especially when it came to professional programs. In 1962, Betty Friedan's book The Feminine Mystique captured the frustration of college educated housewives who felt trapped and unfulfilled with no purpose but to be Suzy Homemaker this was the first budding blossom of the flourishing feminist movement. The amalgam of these and other happenings finally led to start of the feminist movement of the 60’s and 70’s. The movement originally focused on eliminating workplace inequality (i.e. denial of access to better jobs and salary inequity, via anti-discrimination laws.) Although the movement never strayed far from its original purpose, it went deeper into various topics ranging from everyday to taboo....
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...1960 Time Capsule Vickie Canzenza Kaplan University The first of the five items that were found in the 1960 time capsule was a newspaper with “Kennedy Assassinated” on the first page. http://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/from-the-archive-blog/2011/nov/22/jfk-assassination-tragedy-world-archive Late in his brief term of a thousand days, Kennedy took up the civil rights issue because of the increased in violence in some of the southern states. He called for increased federal power so that voting rights could be enforced. The major civil rights acts included public accommodations opening and an end to job discrimination. (Salem, 2009) After the Bay of Pigs incident he became “hard line,” by appointing militant anticommunists such as John McCone as CIA director and General Curtis LeMay as commander of the Air Force. He also insisted that western powers remain in West Berlin. (Salem, 2009) The major event of Kennedy’s foreign policy arose in 1962, when Khrushchev tried to establish nuclear missiles in Cuba. Kennedy used information and ideas from his task force and his advisers and blockaded Cuba and to threaten Khrushchev, Khrushchev then withdrew the missiles. (Salem, 2009) He was interested in “peace as a process,” and in 1963, the United States and the Soviet Union ended the nuclear threat. Kennedy listened to advisers who insisted that the United States should send troops to Vietnam to show the South Vietnamese army how to fight, even though skeptical, Kennedy...
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...Clayborne Carson’s In Struggle: SNCC and the Black Awakening of the 1960’s gives detailed information and factual accounts of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee also knows as (SNCC) for short. Known as one of the most influential and effective civil rights organizations in the 60’s. In Struggle tells the story SNCC’s story from its beginning in 1960 Greensboro, North Carolina wheere four black college students planned to protest segregation by a “sit-in” at Woolworth lunch counter. Carson explores how the SNCC was able to raise a lot of attention in the black community by bringing light to long avoided racial tensions. Because of this the SNCC stimulated blacks through the country and the methods used serve as a model for future activists. Carson explores the SNCC’s evolution which went through three major stages, and describes how each stage impacted the SNCC and how they played a very important role in the civil rights movement....
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...The Civil Rights Movement was a time of social change in America. Slavery had been abolished but African Americans still lacked rights. With all the injustices a change needed to happen, and for this, many brave people were needed. Brave people who wanted change and were willing to do whatever was necessary to get it, to fight for the belief that all men were created equal and that they should be treated that way. Some of these key figures in the Civil Rights Movement were Jackie Robinson, Martin Luther King Jr., and John F. Kennedy. Jackie Robinson helped shape and influence the Civil Rights Movement. In the 1940’s, baseball was considered America’s game, and baseball was right at the heart of all Americans. Baseball at this time had an...
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...Renaissance: A Flourishing of African American Culture The Harlem Renaissance was a pivotal period in American history that spanned the 1920s, marked by an extraordinary outpouring of African American art, literature, music, and thought. This cultural movement not only redefined African American identity but also had a profound impact on the broader American cultural landscape. The movement was characterized by a newfound sense of racial pride and a desire for social and economic equality. This book explores the contributions of key figures in the Harlem Renaissance, the impact of their work, and the lasting legacy of this significant cultural awakening. ORIGINS OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE The Great Migration, which saw millions of African Americans move from the rural South to urban centers in the North, set the stage for the Harlem Renaissance. Harlem, a neighborhood in New York City, became the epicenter of this cultural explosion. The migration brought a concentration of talented individuals who sought to escape the oppressive conditions of the South and to find new opportunities in the North. The vibrancy and diversity of Harlem provided the perfect environment for a cultural renaissance....
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...We shall overcome The music behind the Civil Rights Movement We shall overcome The music behind the Civil Rights Movement Jennifer Christopher Christopher.jenniferj@gmail.com HUMN 303 Course Project December 14, 2014 Jennifer Christopher Christopher.jenniferj@gmail.com HUMN 303 Course Project December 14, 2014 There is no other social movement in the entire history of the United States that is more poignant and significant than the civil rights movement – not even the Boston Tea Party. Some may argue that this movement was nearly our downfall as a country since it allowed the world to see all of our imperfections. How can we say that all men are created equally in our Constitution when in the south, African-Americans were treated as second-class citizens? We had no rights and contrary to what was stated in our Constitution, we definitely weren’t freed. As a researcher and student, you cannot research this period of time without perusing the countless articles, news reels, pictures, and the written accounts given by people who actually participated in the marches and sit-ins. My research led me to numerous articles and videos of events that occurred during this time period. My heart ached as I watch people of all color being hosed down and attacked by dogs. I cried at the images of seeing young black men swinging from tree branches as onlookers stood there laughing and pointing at these “Strange Fruits”. I wondered what their crime was and why the crowd felt...
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...to Come,” became a movement anthem when he wrote it in response to being arrested for attempting to stay in a “whites only” hotel (The Role Of Music). Cooke became a large part of the movement and became an idol to others who wanted to make a change in the Civil Rights movement. Bob Dylan was born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota (Bob Dylan Biography). At a young age, Dylan showed an interest in music and was influenced by old rock stars such as Elvis Presley. Bob wrote many folk hit songs throughout the beginning of his career, but the first album that determined his stance in the sixties protest movement was “The Times Are A-Changin’” (Bob Dylan...
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...lack of “finding a better word” moments, are when revolution seeds are planted in the hearts and tongues of the passionate. And if this is a truth, then Adrienne Rich was absolutely no exception. The radical feminist and poet opened her speech, “Claiming an Education” to the girls of Douglass College, in the most straightforward way as possible. In skimming the text, only the reader can imagine what was really communicated in the zeal and urgency behind her rehearsed words that day in 1977. Therefore, in light of under complication, it would only be right to focus on the three basic themes: the use of the weight of words, shown with “indivisible” to prove the relevant effectiveness, the relationship between orator to audience, and all together, what Rich’s underlying tone communicates. In “Claiming and Education” the orator, Adrienne Rich, with a foretelling voice, speaks to the women attending an all girls college, about the role they played to themselves and to their teachers, as students. Discussing the internal aspects, she explores the concept of not simply receiving an education, but rather claiming one, in the midst of obvious contradiction. Rich hopes for the idea that one day, the educational system will teach that ideas formulated from western, white men will be seen as important, but also limiting to all that education has to offer. She ends on the note of not easing up on the mindset that spins off an unpopular idea that women should be assertive in her ambitions...
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...maintaining equal rights. Women in the United States have faced a long and arduous road towards acquiring equal rights in the eyes of the government and still fight today to be seen as equals in all that they do. From the time before the Civil War until present day the issue of equal rights for women has been fought for by many activists. Women have struggled with issues such as the right to vote in elections and receive equal pay for equal work in the workplace. There have been many victories in the battle to become equal citizens by women, but there have also been many setbacks throughout the history of our country. In 1868 one of the pioneers of the women’s movement Elizabeth Stanton gave a speech to the Women’s Suffrage Convention entitled the Destructive Male. “Twenty years earlier, at Seneca Falls, New York, she had helped to launch the women’s right movement in America.”(History, Art & Archives 2013) In her speech she outlined how masculinity offered elements of negativity to the world and that a woman’s touch would be needed to help counter balance this fact. “The male element is a destructive force, stern, selfish, aggrandizing, loving war, violence, conquest, acquisition, breeding in the material and moral world alike discord, disorder, disease, and death.” (Stanton, Elizabeth, 1868) Her speech at the convention is important because it outlined how women of the time actually felt about what was happening in the world when it pertained to their rights. Women were not...
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