_{Photo from The US National Archives}

There are plenty of historical events that influenced American life and politics. These influences stretches back to the time of its founding and more recently.

One of the most critical times was the Civil Rights Era.

This was a time when many people stood up to say that everyone should treat everyone the same. Regardless of skin, gender, orientation, religion, nation of origin, etc., a life of dignity should be for everyone,  

For a long time, America did not live up to its promise that “all men are created equal.” Despite that claim being a foundational phrase during the founding of the nation. 

The Civil Rights Era changed how our government works and how we live together. It helped ensure more people could have a voice in how our country operated and that the law would treat all people with the same dignity as any other.

_{Photo from Wikimedia}

What Was the Jim Crow Era?

Before the significant changes in the 1950s and 1960s, there was a period known as the Jim Crow era. This was an unfortunate and difficult period for Black Americans. 

After slavery ended, new rules called Jim Crow laws were made. These new regulations kept Black people away from white people in a state-enforced act called segregation.

Under these laws, Black people could not go to the same schools as white people. They had to use different water fountains and sit in various parts of buses. The government even segregated the use of different hospitals and parks. They also constantly underfunded and under-invested the amenities for Black people. 

These rules were not just harmful; they were intended to keep Black people from having good jobs or a good education. 

Jim Crow was a system that tried to keep people “subordinate and marginalized“.

The Civil Rights Movement Begins to Grow

In the 1950s, things began to change, and discontent spread quickly. Many people growing tired of being treated poorly just on the basis of their skin.

This started the civil rights movement. 

One significant moment occurred in the Brown v. Board of Education case in 1954. This was the case where the Supreme Court said that having separate schools for Black and white children was constitutionally and morally wrong. The Justices said that such a practice was “inherently unequal”.

This win gave people hope for a better future. Thus, they began protesting peacefully and had marches and sit-ins. This was because they wanted the world to see that the old laws were unfair and were actually holding society back for everyone, including white people. 

Even though it was hard, they kept pushing for “human freedom and equality,” wanting to ensure that every person had the “rights of full citizenship” regardless of their skin color.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s Impact

When we think about this time, we often think of Martin Luther King Jr. His work had a massive impact on how people felt about right and wrong. He taught people to use “non-violent” ways to solve problems and fully believed that love and peace were stronger than hate.

Because of leaders like him, the “white American power structure” had to start listening. His words helped people see that change was needed to keep the country together. He helped people understand that “logic is an enemy and truth is a menace” to those who want to keep things unfair.

His dream was for an America where people were judged by who they are inside, not by what they look like.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and New Laws

One of the biggest wins of the Civil Rights Era was making sure everyone could vote. For a long time, Southern states used tricks like literacy tests and poll taxes to stop Black people from voting. 

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 changed that, making those tricks illegal so that every citizen could use their “right to vote“.

Other laws were passed, too. 

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 made it illegal to treat people differently at work or in public places because of their race, religion, or sex. These laws were “key civil and political rights” that protected people from being left out and helped open doors that had been locked for a very long time.

Breaking the segregation laws in America was not easy. Many people did not want things to change. In some places, like Little Rock, Arkansas, the governor even used soldiers to try to stop Black students from going to a white high school. President Eisenhower had to send his own troops to protect the children and enforce the law.

This show of “Federal authority” proved that the government would stand up for civil rights.

_{Photo from The US National Archives}

And though it took many years and many brave people to end the old ways, these victories “extended the rights of full citizenship” to everyone, making American democracy stronger by including more people in the “we-the-people” that our country is built on.

Why the Civil Rights Era Matters Today

The lessons from the Civil Rights Era are still important because they showed us that when people stand together for what is right, they can change the world, and reminded us that “a society simply needs to have faith” and “moral superiority” to stay strong.

Even though there is still work to do, the changes from that time created a “federal safety net” and new ways for people to get ahead. It helped “level the playing field” for jobs and school. America is a better place because people fought for “liberty, equality, and justice” during those years.

Today, we look back at those “social movements” and see how they changed our “cultural ideas, customs, and beliefs“.

We must remember to be “people of integrity and honor,” just as the heroes of the past were. 

To keep our democracy healthy, we need to be “informed” and act with “wisdom“.

If you want to learn more about how our country has changed over the last 75 years, read Dennis Joiner’s The Turn; it discusses the significant events that have shaped our lives and how we can make our future better.