Civil Rights

The Civil Rights movement began after World War II because the U.S was condemning the Soviets for human rights violations all while the second-class status of African Americans began to around national conscience. Fighting for freedom against tyranny abroad, Americans had to face the fact that minorities were still denied freedom at home. African Americans were a badly disadvantaged group and still worked low paying jobs and faced social discrimination. In the South for example, laws still forced blacks to be segregated from white society. Truman was the first president to try and turn racial discrimination around in America. In 1946 he appointed a commission on civil rights that reported back to the president with suggestions. They recommended reinstating the FEPC, or Fair Employment Practices Committee, the establishment of a permanent civil rights commission, and denial of federal aid to any state that allowed segregation in schools and public facilities.

Brown Vs. Board of Education ended in a result stating that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.” The Brown vs. Board of Education led to an attempt to desegregate schools. The problem with this was that states were told to desegregate with speed, rather than giving them a deadline which allowed many schools to take their time desegregating. Many schools resisted desegregation and organized to fight for the retention of racial separation, and school’s found ways to go around the court’s ruling. However, the Brown decision led to other advances. In 1957 the first general civil rights legislation since reconstruction. Despite congressional compromises, the final act created a permanent commission for civil rights. It also provided for federal efforts aimed at “securing and protecting the right to vote.”

The “Grass-roots” movement that pushed for civil rights was begun by courageous average people of all races, religions, and ages to challenge the status quo. A variety of tactics including