African Americans and Segregation The Civil Rights Movement

Imagine being a Negro in the 20th century. To be hated because of the color of your skin, to still be a slave in a â€Å"slave-less world†, to fear speaking up for yourself because it will only result in losing everything or being killed, or to be constantly reminded of how unworthy you were. How far would you go to be looked upon as an equal? Throughout the 1950s, African Americans experienced things that made them who they were – angry Americans. They encountered racial discrimination, segregation, and unequal opportunities. Within the play Fences, by August Wilson, we can see just how the play exemplifies what is happening in the world around them. African Americans experienced the hatred of the whites everywhere they went and soon it was†¦show more content†¦Dr. Kenneth Clark, an African-American psychologist, presented results from experiments he had conducted in which 16 black children between the ages of six and nine were shown black and white dolls. The majority indicated that the black dolls looked â€Å"bad† and the white dolls â€Å"nice†Ã¢â‚¬  (Schwartz). Blacks of all ages were being tormented by whites and this caused more harm than good. Within the play, Cory and Troy were the main characters who were portrayed this way. Troy didn’t like the way his father treated him and in turn made Cory disagree with Troy’s parenting. Because blacks could not place their angry on the right individuals, it left many homes broken and unsafe to live in. But like everything in life, it takes time for change to happen. African Americans always had to do as the whites demanded of them. But eventually they grew tired of being mistreated. And that was when everything began to change. African Americans began to speak up for themselves, â€Å"African Americans had been fighting against racial discrimination for centuries; during the 1950s, however, the struggle against racism and segregation entered the mainstream of American life (History 1950).† Even Troy spoke out about unequal opportunities when he was faced with it in the workforce, â€Å"why you got them white men’s driving and the colored lifting? What’s the matter, don’t I count? You think only white fellows got enough sense to drive aShow MoreRelatedThe Jim Crow Laws And School Segregation810 Words   |  4 Pagesthe population most affected by this were African Americans. Two of the most critical injustices committed in America during the 20th century were the development of the Jim Crow laws and school segregatio n. However, these injustices have been rectified as a result of the Civil Rights Movement and the decision of the supreme court of Brown v. Board of Education which brought important changes to African Americans. African Americans were deprived of many rights that they should have possessed as citizensRead MoreI Have A Dream Speech1508 Words   |  7 Pagesgained the support of thousands African-American people and not only from the ones who participated in the event. It also gained support of prominent colored members of the community. Martin Luther King Junior, a Baptist minister in Montgomery, emerged as a prominent figure for this movement. King helped to found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a civil rights organization that founght to end racial segregation in the south (History-Civil Rights Movement). In August of nineteen-sixty-threeRead MoreThe Importance of the Civil Rights Leaders Essay1391 Words   |  6 Pagesrisk that civil right leaders had to make. Civil right leaders constantly risk their lives and their freedom. Civil right leaders fought for equality and freedom for African Americans. Over 70% of African Americans were experiencing segregation and discriminat ion during the civil right movement. African Americans only had one another for support, so during this time African Americans appreciated civil right leaders. During the civil rights movement, many leaders helped African Americans cope withRead MoreImpact Of John F Kennedy On The Civil Rights Act Of 19641080 Words   |  5 PagesKennedy had a major influence on the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Prior to the act, segregation in the United States was still strongly supported, but civil rights groups continued to fight against racism. After the election of 1960, John F. Kennedy continually supported the civil rights movement and he created a Civil Rights Act to fight for equal rights. After his assassination in 1963, the Civil Rights Act act was passed. Segregation in the United States was very present prior to theRead MoreThe Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.1123 Words   |  4 Pagesleader for African Americans throughout the Civil Rights Movement. He was put in jail for his non-violent civil rights campaigns, spoke out for racial justice, and tried to find an end to racial discrimination. King’s legacy is still known present day, and continues to be one of the most well known leaders. Throughout Martin Luther King Jr.’s lifetime and the Civil Rights Movement, King was devoted to abolish segregation, while bringing equality and justice for his fellow African Americans. With theRead MoreAnalysis Of The Documentary Eyes On The American Civil Rights Movement 783 Words   |  4 Pagesa PBS documentary film series that eye lights the American Civil Rights Movement. The documentary series also depicts the struggle to end racial discrimination and segregation and how small acts of courage began the Civil Rights Movement. I was able to watch three one-hour series, Awakening (1954-1956), Fighting Back (1957 – 1962) and Ain’t Scared of your Jails (1960 – 1961). These series are poignant and takes us through the days of segregation and inequality and the grassroots protests to SupremeRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement Essay1259 Words   |  6 Pages The civil right movement refers to the reform movement in the United States beginning in the 1954 to 1968 led primarily by Blacks for outlawing racial discrimination against African-Americans to prove the civil rights of personal Black citizen. For ten decades after the Emancipation Proclamation, African-Americans in Southern states still live a rigid unequal world of deprive right of citizenship, segregation and various forms of oppression, including race-inspired violence. â€Å"JimRead MoreAnalysis Of The Explorer By Gwendolyn Brooks1318 Words   |  6 Pagestalk about how African Americans are oppressed by whites. To be specific, the main character, male or female, is on the run from white society. Brooks used words such as voices, scream, nervous, and griefs to describe what the main character is feeling as he is searching for a peaceful place. The reader can tell that society at that time was not perfect, but unfair and dangerous. Taking part in the civil righ ts movement herself, this poem specifically stresses that African Americans were tyrannizedRead MoreCivil Rights/Secret Life of Bees986 Words   |  4 PagesDiscrimination and Segregation In 1619 the very first African Americans arrived in America, coming over for the purpose of forced slavery. It’s been nearly four hundred years since then and African Americans are still not treated completely equal. But throughout the years major steps towards equality have been made and as a whole the United States is close to reaching this goal. The first key action taken was abolishing slavery in 1865, but African Americans didn’t start gaining equal rights until 1955Read MoreThe Segregation Of The United States1546 Words   |  7 Pagesdevastating history of segregation in the United States. A lot has changed in the past fifty years since segregation ended. The United States shifted from arresting African Americans for using â€Å"white only† facilities to integrated schools all over the country. Influential individuals such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr helped pave the way for African Americans to live as equals to along with their white counter parts in the United States of America. What is Segregation In 1896 the United