Civil Rights Essay

Civil Rights The Civil Rights Movements fought for what constitutional Civil Liberties could not guarantee. Protection and freedom from discrimination. These newly acquired Civil Liberties did not defend the segregation of racial and gender differences. Even after the abolishment of slavery, African Americans were still greatly victimized, leading to a struggle for equality concluded through different forms of nonviolent protests. Additionally, women also protested against gender biases, preliminary with the right to vote and later leading to the demand for education and economic dependence. Violence against the LGBTQ community arose a need for federal protection, protesting their human rights as Americans. The African American, Women, and LGBTQ Civil Rights Movements had comparable, yet different, objectives and strategies, and in turn, each had victories and disappointments which collectively add to our pluralistic democracy. Since the start, African Americans were treated improperly. Even after the abolishment of slavery, segregation was still prominent. Following WWII, African Americans found a sense of importance within society. The war gave them the ability to recognize their value within humanity, especially after being enslaved for so many years. They fought for equality through boycotts, sit-ins, Freedom Rides, mass marches, and other forms of protest, most of which were non-violent. These protests began after Rosa Parks’ arrest for not giving up her bus seat to a white male, resulting in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. This protest, in particular, sparked a seed within American Americans, shining a light on all other areas within society which advocated segregation. As a result of nonviolent protests, African Americans forced the nation, especially the south, to accept their identity and expel segregation. Although segregation was federally abolished, racism against African Americans is still a struggle throughout the nation. Just like African Americans protested, so did women in regards to gender equality. In the beginning, the main objective women fought for was suffrage, the right to vote and be involved in politics. After gaining this freedom, the door for gender equality opened. In 1963, Betty Friedan, an American Author, published The Feminine Mystique, which asserted that women were restrained by the suburban culture denying their rights to independence and individualism. Friedan’s proclamation arose the second wave of feminism, fighting for women’s access to education and economic independence. Frustrated with the government, Friedan and other female protestors, formed the National Organization for Women, petitioning complete equality for all genders. Leading a march in 1977, women were the initiators of the Equal Right Amendment, guaranteeing equal rights to all American citizens regardless of sex. Despite the execution of this amendment, women today are still fighting for equal pay in the workplace. The LGBTQ community also had an abundant struggle in attaining equality and acceptance within society. After a violent police raid took place at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar located in Manhattan, a sequence of violent riots from the gay community began to take place. These riots, although violent, helped the LGBTQ community gain recognition throughout the nation, leading to most states relinquishing sodomy laws. The Stonewall Riots also led to the Gay Liberation movement, which urged gays and lesbians to take pride in their sexuality and engage in direct action against individuals or organizations who shamed them. In addition, the growth of gay liberation was followed by protests in support of gay marriage, which was shamed by both the government and society. These protests steered the acceptance of the LGBTQ community throughout the United States. All of these groups individually faced discrimination within society, which led to protests advocating their Civil Rights as Americans. By forming organizations accompanying their distinct struggles, they all had a similar fundamental goal of gaining acceptance and equality within society. Each movement resulted in the government being forced to change or create laws towards ending segregation. By public demonstrations, these organizations put their inequalities at the forefront of society, forcing the actions of the federal government. Inversely, these movements differ in that they affected different people. Each group fought for separate individual freedoms and had different motives for doing so. Also, none of these movements took place at the same time period. Without the Civil Rights Movements, a government based on a pluralistic democracy could not exist. Pluralism is a system where two or more states, groups, or principles coexist. If certain groups within society are not given the same equal rights as others, the government and the people cannot heterogeneously balance. Also, if everyone is not given the same opportunities to participate in politics, then democracy is lost. The Civil Rights Movements, through acts of protest, brought light to the segregation which was polluting a pluralistic democracy.