I have been watching a show on PBS over the last few weeks called Many Rivers to Cross. This show is remarkable and brings to light the challenges that African Americans have faced over the course of time. I recently completed an American History class at Ashford, and we went into detail on all the struggles that occurred for this culture. I am sure that most of you know about all the trials African Americans went through but for those of you who do not I want to share the paper I wrote about the topic. Please note that this is an academic paper where strict guidelines were set. I did not have much of an option on what I wanted to focus my paper on, and so I cover a wide variety of issues. Because of this, I was not able to add all the facts and events that occurred. If you are interested in learning more please feel free to read over all the sources I listed. I also highly recommend watching or even buying the DVD from PBS called Many Rivers to Cross. I swear this show is a wake-up call and there are parts that made me tear up. I certainly have a few new heros because of the strength and courage these people showed.
There
are people in this great country of ours that believe that America was founded
and built by the Pilgrims and white people. They would be wrong in more ways
than one if they carry that opinion. In fact, there would not have been
progress in America had it not been for African Americans. They came to America
as slaves and helped build this country from the bottom up. However, there lay
the problem for African Americans. They came here as slaves and it stayed this
way for some time. Over the course of history, however, they built a culture
and identity for themselves no matter how much slave owners wanted to destroy
that. It all came down to slaves wanting equality and freedom and in the 19th
century they fought for those rights. The Civil War was a war fought for many
reasons but one of the main reasons was the freedom of slaves. In 1865 when it
ended, slaves finally received freedom. But it was not the freedom they thought
they would have.
In 1866 congress passed the Civil Rights
Act giving all African Americans citizenship. During the Reconstruction Era
many positive and some negative changes occurred for African Americans and life
seemed to be getting better for them. In 1881 however, Tennessee passed one of
the very first Jim Crow laws and this eventually led to Plessy v. Ferguson making
segregation legal. This is where achievements for African Americans began to
decline. Events taking place in the south and life for African Americans in
general got so bad that many African Americans moved up North in search of jobs
and such. This was known as the Great Migration. Race riots began to break out
everywhere leaving many dead in its wakes. Then comes a great time for African
Americans, the Harlem Renaissance in which the culture of African Americans
began to shape our country. All the
while, before and during this amazing time for African Americans, they are
still living without true equal rights as whites. They are still segregated and
are building up for the final battle so to say. The Civil Rights Era is perhaps
the most important period for African Americans and in the end was the last leg
of the race to freedom and equality. They eventually won and received the
rights they had fought for since America had begun. All the events that
occurred and the tenacity and will power of African Americans and their
supporters was the driving force that in the end gave them freedom and
equality.
We all know the struggles that occurred to
even start this great country we know today.
From battles fought abroad to right here at home we gained our
independence and settled issues that made us great. The Civil War is important
for all Americans but not like it is for African Americans. When the North won
and slavery was abolished many African Americans went through a rough time. In
1866, congress passed the Civil Rights Act and this was expected to be a
positive change for African Americans. This Act ensured that African Americans
were allowed the same rights as the white man but did not enforce these rights.
When the Reconstruction period came, many issues looked promising for African
Americans. But that was cut short when Tennessee passed one of the first Jim
Crow laws and soon after many more southern states followed.
When ugly Jim Crow reared its ugly head
things went downhill for African Americans for the most part. Jim Crow laws
basically stated that African American’s in southern states were “separate but
equal” and allowed segregation in all public places. Making matters worse was
the fact that most of the places that were specified for African Americans were
not the same standards as the white people putting many at a disadvantage in
fields like education and social standards. A huge loss for African Americans
was when the Supreme Court ruled that segregation was legal in the Plessy v.
Ferguson case. It seemed that all the accomplishments African Americans had
made were for nothing in some cases and a decline in those accomplishments
occurred afterwards. Maybe it was impart due to fear because of the violence
from the Ku Klux Klan. Whatever the reasons all these events lead to African
Americans looking for a way out and for a better life and this is what started
the Great Migration.
More than six million African Americans
moved from the south to the north and other cities across the United States
trying to gain better employment and living opportunities in 1916 and
continuing for quite a while afterward. This was coined the Great Migration and
had huge impacts on America. Due to War World One many industries were in high
demand for workers and advertised this need. African Americans seen this as a
way to better their financial standings and escape the horrible conditions they
were living with in the south. This move did not come with all positives
however. Because so many migrated to these cities they had to compete for jobs,
where most landed one eventually in places that offered awful working
conditions. Adding to the distress of work was home life. African Americans faced
trying to find a home in an overpopulated city. This lead most to pay rents
that were outrageous and living conditions were hardly reasonable let alone
good. As if these issues were not bad enough they also had to deal with racism
from white people. Though the north did not have segregation there were many
that did not like “black” people and mistreated them by way of words and
actions. This made relationships bad between the two races and eventually led
to major race riots.
In 1919, race riots began and seemed to be
at their worse. Probably the most infamous of these riots took place in
Chicago. This particular riot occurred because a “black” teen was swimming in
Lake Michigan and accidently went into a white only area of the lake. His
punishment for his accident was drowning. They drowned him and the authorities
did nothing to the white people for it. And so began the riots and lasted for
thirteen days. In the end, 537 were injured, 38 were dead, and 1,000 black
families were without homes. These race riots occurred in cities such as Omaha
Nebraska, Washington DC, Longview Texas, and Knoxville Tennessee. This time
period became known as the “Red Summer”. Though bad things had occurred, some
good came from the riots such, particularly from the Chicago incident, such as
it being a wakeup call to the violence and steps towards peace.
Let us take a look at a positive occurrence
for African Americans. The Harlem Renaissance was a time when African Americans
made a new name for themselves. In the 1920’s and 30’s huge accomplishments,
mostly in literature and arts, came from a city called Harlem in New York. This
period paved way for the “New Negro Movement” advocating for civil and
political rights. It was done though beautifully written books and other works
of arts. Though it did not accomplish its goals it did some good by waking up
some people towards the notion of peace. Some influential artists that made
this happen are Walter White, Du Bois, Arna Bontemps, James Weldon Johnson, and
Zora Neale Hurston. Though these people and the many others that hand their
hand in the Harlem Renaissance did not achieve true equality they certainly
paved the way for others in the future to do so. This brings us to one of the
greatest achievement for African Americans and a change that shaped our modern
world today. This was called the Civil Rights Movement and it was a hard and
grueling fight.
The Civil Rights Movement officially began
in 1954. The NAACP had been trying to convince congress to banish Jim Crow Laws
for quite some time before 1954 with little to no success. In 1952, however,
five different cases of it being unconstitutional for states to allow
segregation went to the Supreme Court. They combined all these cases and named
it, Brown v. Board of Education. It took a while to get a unanimous vote but in
1954 the Supreme Court finally had a ruling. They ruled that it was indeed
unconstitutional to allow segregation and banished the Jim Crow Laws. This was
a huge victory for the NAACP and African Americans. One would think that this
would have been the magic answer to all the problems that existed but that
would be far from the truth. In fact that was just the beginning to the
struggle. The Supreme Court did not give any direction as to how to carry out
the process of desegregating schools and left it up to each individual state.
Because most states were for segregation, they had no intention of hurrying the
process along. And so the Civil Rights Movement began in earnest.
Many African Americans from all over the
south began to stand up for their rights after this. Rosa Parks was a lady who
refused to move to the back of the bus that was designated for “colored
people”. This actually kicked of a bus boycott. In Montgomery Alabama in 1955,
African Americans began this bus boycott, with Martin Luther King Jr. leading
the way. These boycotters refused to ride any city bus, going so far as to
arrange carpools, so that they could get rid of segregation on buses. This
lasted over a year and on 1956, federal district court ruled in Browder v.
Gayle that bus segregation was illegal and this was yet another major feat for
African Americans. Martin Luther King Jr. stated, “We came to see that, in the
long run, it is more honorable to walk in dignity than ride in humiliation. So
… we decided to substitute tired feet for tired souls, and walk the streets of
Montgomery”, (Stanford University, n.d).
What happened in 1957, nine African American
students in Little Rock Arkansas enrolled in an all- white high school. The
students of Little Rock Central High School were not allowed to enter the
school however because of the violent threats and remarks by current students
and the Governor, Orval Faubus. The parents of the white students threatened to
block the school doors and the Governor called in the National Guard to keep
the nine African American Students out of the school. This went national and
President Eisenhower federalized the National Guard and sent troops in from the
Army to protect the nine students and allow them to go to school there.
Needless to say this group finally was able to attend Little Rock Central High
School though it came with a price of bullying, mental and physical violence,
and a hard long year. This group became known as the Little Rock Nine.
The whole time all of this was going on
Martin Luther King Jr. and advocates for African Americans Civil Rights were
still carrying out peaceful protest. In Nashville Tennessee in 1959, a large
group of African American college students planned and carried out sit-ins. They filled stores and restaurants in downtown
that were “white only” and peacefully sat there until they were forced out by
authorities. They were arrested but persevered and in 1960 the city officials
and business owners agreed to desegregate businesses. This was a huge stepping
stone for African Americans and though they were close to winning the fight for
Civil Rights they still had a long road ahead of them. Determination drove them
to continue.
More peaceful protest were carried out such
as Freedom rides, the March of Washington D.C., speeches from Martin Luther
King Jr., and Malcolm X coming into the mix with his violent protests.
Throughout all of these things African Americans were gaining ground and in
1964 President Lyndon Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act. It was victory for
African Americans allowing the Federal government to step in and protect them
in areas of education and discrimination. Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded
the Nobel Peace Prize and life was getting better. But there was much still
left to be done.
In 1965, Martin Luther King Jr. led thousands
of men and women on the march to Selma for voting rights. But it truly all began in
earlier in the year when this march proceeded and cruel violence and death
occurred. It was known as “Bloody Sunday” and Dr. King set the peaceful marches
into action. It was a long hard road but eventually gained to support it
needed, even from the President of the United States. In August of 1965
President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Another amazing victory
for African Americans but sadness was still to come.
Many positive changes began to occur after
1965 for African Americans. Though still, riots broke out in some places and
issues were still going around. The majority was looking up for them during
this time. It was in April of 1968 that a major tragedy occurred for African
Americans and in general America. In a Memphis Tennessee after giving a speech
at the Mason Temple, 39 year old King was shot and killed. He later died at a
local hospital and the nation wept. James Earl Ray was arrested for the murder.
It was sad day to say the least. Though sad that such a great man was lost his
accomplishments and the accomplishments of all involved in the Civil Rights Act
live on today.
It is important to remember that though
African Americans came to this great country as slaves, they were still human
beings. Without them, their hard work, dedication, drive, forgiveness, and
culture the face of America would not be what it is today. They not only lived
through some of the worst times but have been here through the best as well.
The brilliant and passionate individuals that pushed for freedom and equality
deserve more than just respect but also they deserve to remain in name in
American History.
In 1866, when congress passed the Civil
Rights Act giving all African Americans citizenship it was a turning point in
our history. The Reconstruction Era may
have failed at so much but paved the way for African Americans for the future.
In 1881 however, The Jim Crow laws and Plessy v. Ferguson making segregation
legal was a back track in progress but it once more was the path to improvement
of the lives of these great people. The Great Migration and Race riots changed
the culture of American across the board and gave opportunity to people who
never would have had it. It came with a price but as we have seen throughout
history, it was always something African Americans were willing to pay for the
fight. It just shows the strength these people had. The Harlem Renaissance was
a remarkable time for African Americans in which the culture of African
Americans began to shape our country and their true identity of them began to
shine. The Civil Rights Era is perhaps the most important period for African
Americans. It pushed Americans apart and then brought us together. It brought
us some pretty magnificent people like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., The Little
Rock Nine, Rosa Parks, and all the college students of the sit-ins just to name
a few. They eventually won and received the rights they had fought for since
America had begun during this time. Again, can you not see how hard work,
dedication and strength play a major role for African Americans? All the events
that occurred and the tenacity and will power of African Americans and their
supporters was the driving force that in the end gave them freedom and
equality.
References:
Beacham,
T. Gilmartin, B., Grobman, S, Ling, C., & Rhee, V. (Producers), Libretto,
J. (Director). (2004). Let freedom ring:
Moments from the civil rights movement, 1954-1965 [News program]. New York, NY:
NBC Universal. Retrieved from http://digital.films.com/OnDemandEmbed.aspx?Token=40565&aid=18596&Plt=FOD&loid=0&w=640&h=480&ref=
Here is the link to the show, Many Rivers to Cross, on PBS. I highly recommend exploring this link.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/
