The Civil Rights Movement

Paper Summary:

Whole books have been written on the subject of the civil rights struggle of African-Americans in the United States, a struggle that undoubtedly began when the first African slaves were brought to North America against their will. The paper shows, however, that in recent history, the period of time in the 1950's and 1960's were pivotal because of the significant gains made. This period of change was driven by changes in government policy as reflected by both civil rights laws passed and amendments made to the American Constitution.

From the Paper:

"In spite of multiple amendments to the Constitution as well as culturally accepted statements regarding the rights of all people to dignity and equality, by the mid 1950's African Americans were still openly and systematically oppressed in much of the United States. These attitudes toward people of culture had become embedded in social culture and embraced by people who believed themselves to be law-abiding Americans and patriots. However, little by little, social consciousness began to shift. The Supreme Court played an important role in forcing acceptance of change."

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