The Civil Rights Movement

6 Pages 1424 Words

Civil rights means that people have the right to be treated the same regardless of their race, gender and/or religion. These rights are laws in the United States and many other countries. 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 whites were segregated. They were kept separate in public places including at theaters, restrooms, schools and transportation. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was formed in 1909 to push for civil rights (Civil Rights). That is just one example of programs established to fight for civil rights. Other groups have also fought for their civil rights including women, immigrant groups (Irish, Chinese, Japanese), and religious groups (Civil Rights).
Many events occurred during the Civil Right’s Movement. One of the most famous protests was the non-violent protest. Dr. Martin Luther King introduced the nonviolence philosophy into the civil rights movement. He adopted his philosophy from Indian activist Ghandi. King studied Gandi's approach and applied his beliefs in America's struggle for equal rights. King wanted to express how to use non-violence to gain equal rights. In the 1950's and 1960's Martin Luther King Jr. became known as the leader for the nonviolent civil rights movement (Nonviolence in Civil Rights Movement). The non-violent phase of the movement began with the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955 and 1956. (Ward and Badger 214). The Montgomery Bus Boycott officially started on December 1, 1955. That was the day when the blacks of Montgomery, Alabama, decided that they would boycott the city buses until they could sit anywhere they wanted, instead of being relegated to the back when a white boarded. It was not, however, the day that the movement to desegregate the buses started. (Wright 52-53). This phase bega...