Political Movements Essay Research Paper Many social

Political Movements Essay, Research Paper

Many social changes that were addressed in the 1960s are still the issues being confronted today. the ’60s was a decade of social and political upheaval. in spite of all the turmoil, there were some positiveresults: the civil rights revolution, john f. Kennedy’s bold vision of anew frontier, and the breathtaking advances in space, helped bring aboutprogress and prosperity. however, much was negative: student and anti-warprotest movements, political assassinations, and ghetto riots excitedamerican people and resulted in lack of respect for authority and the law.

The decade began under the shadow of the cold war with the sovietunion, which was aggravated by the u-2 incident, the berlin wall, and thecuban missile crisis, along with the space race with the ussr.

The decade ended under the shadow of the viet nam war, which deeplydivided americans and their allies and damaged the country’sself-confidence and sense of purpose.

Even if you weren’t alive during the ’60s, you know what they meantwhen they said, “tune in, turn on, drop out.” you know why the nationcelebrates Martin luther king, jr.’s birthday. all of the social issuesare reflected in today’s society: the civil rights movement, the studentmovement, space exploration, the sexual revolution, the environment,medicine and health, and fun and fashion.

The Civil Rights Movement

The momentum of the previous decade’s civil rights gains led by rev.Martin luther king, jr. carried over into the 1960s. but for most blacks,the tangible results were minimal. only a minuscule percentage of blackchildren actually attended integrated schools, and in the south, “jim crow”practices barred blacks from jobs and public places. New groups and goalswere formed, new tactics devised, to push forward for full equality. asoften as not, white resistance resulted in violence. this violence spilledacross tv screens nationwide. the average, neutral american, after seeinghis/her tv screen, turned into a civil rights supporter.

Black unity and white support continued to grow. in 1962, with thefirst large-scale public protest against racial discrimination, rev. Martinluther king, jr. Gave a dramatic and inspirational speech in washington,d.c. After a long march of thousands to the capital. the possibility ofriot and bloodshed was always there, but the marchers took that chance sothat they could accept the responsibilities of first class citizens. “thenegro,” King said in this speech, “lives on a lonely island of poverty inthe midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity and finds himself an exilein his own land.” King continued stolidly: “it would be fatal for thenation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate thedetermination of the negro. this sweltering summer of the negro’slegitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumnof freedom and equality.” when King came to the end of his prepared text,he swept right on into an exhibition of impromptu oratory that wascatching, dramatic, and inspirational.

“I have a dream,” King cried out. the crowd began cheering, but king,never pausing, brought silence as he continued, “i have a dream that oneday on the red hills of georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons offormer slaveowners will be able to sit down together at the table ofbrotherhood.”

“I have a dream,” he went on, relentlessly shouting down thethunderous swell of applause, “that even the state of mississippi, a statesweltering with people’s injustices, sweltering with the heat ofoppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. ihave dream,” cried King for the last time, “that my four little childrenwill one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color oftheir skin but by the content of their character.”

Everyone agreed the march was a success and they wanted action now!but, now! remained a long way off. president kennedy was never able tomobilize sufficient support to pass a civil rights bill with teeth over theopposition of segregationist southern members of congress. but after hisassassination, president johnson, drawing on the kennedy legacy and on thepress coverage of civil rights marches and protests, succeeded wherekennedy had failed.

However, by the summer of 1964, the black revolution had created itsown crisis of disappointed expectations. rioting by urban blacks was to bea feature of every “long, hot, summer” of the mid-1960s.

In 1965, King and other black leaders wanted to push beyond socialintegration, now guaranteed under the previous year’s civil rights law, topolitical rights, mainly southern blacks’ rights to register and vote.king picked a tough alabama town to tackle: selma, where only 1% ofeligible black voters were registered to vote. the violence, the march,the excitement all contributed to the passage of the second landmark civilrights act of the decade. even though there was horrendous violence, rev.king announced that as a “matter of conscience and in an attempt to arousethe deepest concern of the nation,” he was “compelled” to lead anothermarch from selma to montgomery, alabama.

The four-day, 54-mile march started on the afternoon of sunday, march21, 1965, with some 3500 marchers led by two nobel prizewinners, the rev.Martin luther king, jr. And ralph bunche, then u.n. Under secretary forspecial