The Civil Rights Movements of the 60's
On May 4th, 1970, four students were killed, eight injured, when shots fired out everywhere across the Kent State University Campus (www.may4.org) . This tragedy both symbolically, and chronologically marked the end of a turbulent decade - the "decade of discontent" as some people called it (Gottlieb, 17). This incident was the result of a peace protest against President Richard Nixon, and was just one example of the many political, cultural, and spiritual revolutions that erupted from this decade. The Civil Rights Movement, the Anti-War Movement, and the Women's Right's Movement were three of the largest and most revolutionary idea's which sprung from a generation of counter-culturists. Each Movement contributed to the future American culture in varying degrees. Each had their heroes, their enemies, and their own morale. These movements were the frameworks for a young generation to build upon, who were looking to find a new way of life, and seeing the world. The assassination of President Kennedy on November 22nd, 1963 seems to be the turning point for a generation of teenagers. This was the event after which America began to change. (Gottlieb, 18). People felt that something had been taken away from them, and th
Flower children were springing from the earth. Marching for peace, with anti-war slogans in hand, and placing daisies in rifles, their actions were not gone unnoticed. Protests were happening on campuses all around the United States. Meanwhile, President Lyndon Johnson was sending more troops into Vietnam, and his National Security Advisor Walt Whitman Rostow was declaring, "The Vietcong are going to collapse within weeks. Not months, but weeks".(www.bbhq.com) Obviously, the mindset of the government was not concentrating on peace. In 1968 however, Johnson halted bombing in Vietnam to help promote peace. Earlier that year he had announced he would not accept nomination for another term as President. This could have been the result of the frustration felt with the anti-war movement, and his failure to please the growing population of youth angered by the war. With this, there were some indications that perhaps the movement was more successful than first thought. The sixties seemed to be a starting point for political fury amongst the people of America. The political upheavals of this time did not go unnoticed, although some were more successful than others. Women's rights have yet to be completely maintained, however the feminist reactions which took place in the sixties made a large impact. Women now have a much greater say in American politics and talk of women's rights are now greatly respected. The Anti-War movement left a great impression on the people of America. Although Vietnam was seemingly a failure, by the persuasion of the movement, politicians fought harder for the people. This ultimately should determine success. The same shows for the Civil Rights movement. There are still some aspects of American life that do not fulfill the dream of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, however during the sixties especially, much was done to make this dream a reality. The success and efforts of this movement have continued all the way through to the next century. American politics has never before taken the issue of black, and other minorities rights more seriously. Without the efforts of influential leaders of the sixties, this movement would not have had such a great bearing on politics today. It is evident that the Civil Right's movement was the most successful of the three. However each movement was a success to some extent. If anyone can change the outlook of the government to act for the people rather than against it, then something has been accomplished. If one person can shine light on a subject for a whole country to see, then something has been achieved. The sixties were a chaotic time for people living in the United States. However, out of the confusion, came a grown up generation. I
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Approximate Word count = 1854
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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