Civil Rights Movements and Civil Rights Act 1964

Civil Rights Movements and Civil Rights Act 1964

Introduction

The history of the US is filled with various civil rights movements. The struggles of Black Americans form the major part of the US history. The activist efforts of black Americans during the period 1955-1968 are referred as civil rights movement. The movement initiated to claim those civil rights which were not provided to Black Americans also to end legalized segregation. The movement's objective was to fight unjust customs and laws of racial discrimination, which led to violence against Black Americans. The civil rights movement represents one the most extensive struggle by Black Americans to foster a social change, which would enhance the acceptance of Blacks in the American society. The movement directed at improvement in intergroup relations among Whites and Blacks (Williams, 1987). The essay covers civil rights act and the movements which led to its drafting. The effect of Civil Rights Act on education is also discussed in the essay.

Civil Rights Act 1964

The movements of 1960s led to the drafting of the Civil Rights Act 1964. The objective of the Act was to guarantee equal treatment and access to every American despite one's race in the US. The Act was structured on titles, which suggested the improvement of rights in certain areas of life. For example, Title 1 provides voting rights to Black Americans. Title 2 deals with discriminatory behavior in public accommodations while Title 3 deals with the segregation issues in schools and other public facilities. Title 4 focused on equal employment opportunities to each citizen irrespective of religion, gender, national origin or race (Eckes, 2009).

The Montgomery Boycott

One of the major events which highlight the civil right movement of 1955-1965 periods was the arrest of Rosa Park in 1955 (Blake, 2004). Her crime was that she refused to leave her seat for a white male during her travel in Montgomery, Alabama. In response, the NAACP and Women's Political Council to boycott the segregation system, as well as, Rosa Park's arrest. However, the real purpose of the protest was to curb the unjust norms in the US society against Blacks. Montgomery Improvement Association led the boycott and the movement was very successful. Dr. Martin King, Jr. led the association to bring changes in Montgomery including the segregation system of bus service. The case is known as Browder vs. Gayle Supreme Court ruling which outlaws segregation in bus services.

The leaders of the Montgomery Improvement Association decided to combine with other civil rights entities in order to strengthen the overall civil rights movement happening in the United States. The grouping led to more boycotts and eventually the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was established in 1957. Luther King became the national figure due to his exemplary leadership of the Montgomery Improvement Association and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, as well as, the development of sweeping efforts across whole America.

The efforts continued in 1960s and during the early period of 1960s entities like the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the ...