UFV History 242 Essay: Civil Rights Strategies and Visions

This essay provides a comprehensive analysis of the strategies employed by black American leaders in the United States from 1865, particularly during the Civil Rights and Black Power eras. It examines how these strategies, including nonviolent protests, civil disobedience, and more militant approaches, varied across different regions and time periods, influenced by factors like leadership, the level of discrimination, and the evolving political landscape. The essay explores the leaders' visions of a just society, highlighting their common goal of ending discrimination and achieving equal rights, opportunities, and justice for black Americans. The essay uses the provided sources to analyze the impact of the strategies and the central themes that united the movement, while also discussing the historical context and the significance of key events and figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., the Black Panther Party, and Elizabeth Eckford. The essay concludes with a reflection on the diverse approaches and the lasting impact of the civil rights movement on American society.

UNITED STATES SINCE 1865
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Introduction
The fight for civil rights, which took place in the1950s and 1960s, used a variety of
strategies. These strategies were different across various regions in the USA, and the
strategy also changed from time to time. Black Americans faced a lot of
discrimination and racial segregation even after the 14th amendment, which gave
black people equal protection under the law1. Even during the world war, many black
people were involved, but they faced a lot of discrimination, and they were not
appreciated even after fighting in the war. In the 19th century, white people came up
with segregation laws, which measured that black people could not share public
facilities with whites and marriages between black and white people were illegal. This
paper, therefore, examines the strategies used in fighting against discrimination and
how and why the strategy varied across places and time. The vision of the civil
movement is also discussed, and their factors that united the groups are also discussed
in this article.
During the fight against discrimination by the right civil groups in the 1950s, different
groups in different places used various strategies to fight against discrimination. Some
groups advocated for the use of peaceful and nonviolent sit-ins and demonstrations2.
1. Weaver, Brief History to the Present,17
2.King Jr, "LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL, 09-21

The demonstrations against racial segregation began in North Carolina, where four
college students refused to leave a Lunch counter designed for white people without
being served. These actions resulted in a series of demonstrations involving thousands
of people.
The demonstrations later came to be known as the Greensboro sit-ins. Some people
were arrested, but the owners of the restaurants gave in, and the students were served
in the counters which were reserved for white students. These actions resulted in the
formation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee(SNCC). This group
mostly focused on civil disobedience as a method of advocating against
discrimination. In his letter addressed to fellow clergymen, Martin Luther King
emphasized the need to direct action. King was addressing fellow clergymen who
were criticizing him for taking part in demonstrations in Birmingham because they
termed the demonstrations as untimely3. Martin Luther King tried to justify his
decision to participate in the protest in Birmingham. One of the reasons why he
participated in the demos was because injustice for one is injustice for all. He,
therefore, saw the need to spread the demonstration in all parts of the USA without
geographical limitations.
3.King Jr, . "Letter from Birmingham jail." ,234.

The black panther party was started in the year 1966 when one of the leaders of
SNCC shouted “black power” in an address to a freedom rally organized in
Mississippi5. The party was formed in Oakland, California, by Huey P. Newton and
Bobby. This movement advocated for equal freedoms, employment opportunities and
end of police brutality targeting black people. This group mostly advocated for the use
of violence and armed struggle to fight against discrimination. A protest by the group
took place in 1967, with members of the groups holding guns during the
demonstrations. Black panther positioned itself as a militant group of black people
whose aim was self-defence. The group protected black people against police brutality
and harassment by patrolling the black communities.
The message to the grassroots authored by Malcolm X in 1993 also advocated for a
black revolution. His ideology was that the black man should fight for his right
through armed struggle. He indicated that a revolution must involve the shedding of
blood to gain what the black people wanted because historically, there has never been
any revolution through negotiation4. He cited examples from the American revolution
of 1776, the French revolution, as well as the Russian Revolution. Malcolm
questioned why black people were told that violence is wrong when they try to fight
for their rights, but when they were fighting for America in the world war, the force
was justified.
4. Pauley,. Voices of Democracy,, 18-36.

The strategies used in fighting against discrimination varied from one place to another
because of the leadership. Some civil rights groups were led by more conservative
people who advocated for civil disobedience. One of these people was Martin Luther
King, who recommended demonstrations and sit-ins as a strategy for advocating for
their rights. The strategy also varied over time because initially, the level of
discrimination was very high. As the civil rights groups began opposing the
discrimination and segregation laws, segregation was reduced through the supreme
court or by executive orders given by the president. Therefore, at the start of the
struggle in the early 1950s, violent strategies were used. As the level of discrimination
and segregation reduced around the mid and late 1960s, the civil rights groups
adopted more peaceful measures because they realized that civil disobedience was
working to help them fight against discrimination.
The leaders saw a just society as one where the blacks had equal rights with the white
people.The groups wanted the freedom to enable them to determine their destiny. The
black people also wanted equal employment opportunities where they could be given
high paying jobs just like white people5. The groups also wanted the land, which was
promised as restitution for slave labour and murder of black people. The people also
wanted justice through decent housing and equal opportunities for education.
Additionally, the groups wanted an end to police brutality targeting the black people
and fair trial of black people by ensuring that they are tried by a black jury as
established in the United States Constitution.
5. Bloom, Class, race, and civil rights movement, 19-104

The central theme that United the visions of all the leaders was to bring an end to
discrimination against black people. Despite the differences in strategies among
different leaders, all the leaders aimed at ensuring that black people were not
segregated and that they had the same opportunities as the black people. The leaders
sought towards a country where the black kids would attend prestigious schools like
those attended by black people. The black people had fought for the US for many
decades, and they were fighting for what is justly theirs since they contributed to
nation-building, and hence there was no reason why they should be punished and
discriminated against and killed just because of their skin colour.
Part 2

Source :https://allthatsinteresting.com/civil-rights-movement-photos
The picture shows Elizabeth Eckford, who was one of the nine African-American
students integrated into Arkansas Little Rock Central High School. The photo was
taken at the Arkansas Little Rock High School. The image shows Elizabeth ignoring
the hostile stares and screams from white students who were opposed to her on her
first day in the school, and they were against her integration into the school. The
image was taken in the year 1957 by Bettman following a supreme court ruling,
which made segregation illegal in public schools. The decision was made in the case
of Brown v. Board of education. After the ruling, the administration of the school
asked volunteers from all-black high school to attend the school, which was formerly

segregated. When the students reported to the school, they met resistance from
Arkansas National Guard ordered by the governor, and there was a huge mob
threatening the students. The students tried to rejoin the school later, but they had to
be evacuated after violence broke out in the school. The picture was chosen since it
fully demonstrates the injustices that the black people suffered during the black power
era.
Conclusion
The leaders of the civil rights movement used different strategies to fight against
discrimination. Some leaders preferred demonstrations and direct action while other
leaders preferred use of a violent revolution. The strategies were different across
places because different leaders had different ideas about what a revolution means.
Some leaders also believed that negotiation would not secure the rights of the black
people. Despite the differences in strategy, the leaders had one common goal fighting
against discrimination of black people. The leaders wanted to ensure that black people
have the same opportunities as the white and there was no police brutality meted on
black people.
Bibliography
Bloom, Jack M. Class, race, and the civil rights movement. Indiana University Press,
2019.
Breitman, George, ed. Malcolm X speaks: Selected speeches and statements.
Pathfinder Press, 1989.
King Jr, Martin Luther. "LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL April 16, 1963."
University of Pennsylvania African American Studies Center, available at: www.
sas. upenn. edu/African_Studies/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham. html (1963).

King Jr, Martin Luther. "Letter from Birmingham jail." UC Davis L. Rev. 26 (1992):
835.
Pauley, G. E. (2010). JOHN LEWIS," SPEECH AT THE MARCH ON
WASHINGTON"(28 AUGUST 1963). Voices of Democracy, 5, 18-36.
Weaver, V. M. (2014). Black Citizenship and Summary Punishment: A Brief History
to the Present. Theory & Event, 17(3).