Isabela Castro

Mr. Patton

AP U.S. History

March 3, 2025

Summarizing the Civil Rights Movement

​ The struggle for the civil rights of Americans is inextricably linked with the nation's

history of racial oppression, beginning from the history of slavery. For over two centuries,

African Americans suffered forced labor, dehumanization, and institutionalized

disenfranchisement. Even though the abolition of slavery during the Civil War was

commemorated by the incorporation of the 13th Amendment into the U.S. Constitution in 1865,

actual freedom remained elusive to them. The Reconstruction Era first brought promise of

change with the 14th and 15th Amendments, granting citizenship and suffrage to African

Americans. These gains were soon erased by the rise of Jim Crow legislation and the Supreme

Court decision in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), upholding that segregation on the basis of race was

constitutional under the principle of "separate but equal." The decision solidified institutionalized

racism and sanctioned decades of discrimination and segregation. It was not until the mid-20th

century, and the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement, that African Americans began to win

significant legal and social battles against this centuries-old oppression.

The best place to start in the retelling of the story of the Civil Rights Movement is the

1954 Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education. Brown v. Board of Education was a

landmark ruling that declared racial segregation in schools unconstitutional. In a unanimous 9-0

decision, the Supreme Court overturned the precedent set by Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which

established the oppressive “separate but equal” doctrine. The significance of this case lies in its
challenge to institutionalized segregation, resulting in a legal victory for the Movement. While it

did encounter roadblocks such as massive retaliation and the vague order to dismantle

segregation in schools “with all deliberate speed,” it ignited the push for desegregation across the

nation. Brown v. Board of Education symbolized the possibility for steps towards equality and

justice in public life, and it laid the groundwork for future civil rights activism.

​ The Civil Rights Movement was catalyzed by a number of tragic events, the most

prominent of which being the heinous lynching of Emmett Till in 1955. Emmett Till, a 14 year

old boy from Chicago, was brutally murdered in Mississippi after allegedly whistling at a white

woman. Till was kidnapped, beaten, shot in the head, and tossed in the Tallahatchie River. Till’s

mother insisted on an open casket funeral that exposed the gravity of racial violence and sparked

national outrage. The case’s subsequent trial where the accused murderers were acquitted,

emphasized the structural racial injustice in the South. The tragedy galvanized activists and

attracted widespread support for the Civil Rights Movement, contributing to the momentum that

propelled the movement forward.

​ The Civil Rights Movement was marked by powerful acts of nonviolent resistance, such

as the Freedom Rides of 1961. This movement involved interracial groups of activists, known as

the Freedom Riders, traveling by bus through the South to challenge the segregation of public

transportation. The Freedom Riders were extensively trained in nonviolent tactics which

included allowing themselves to be beaten without retaliation and intentionally exposed

themselves to violence from white mobs to demonstrate their unwavering commitment to racial

equality and provoke national attention to the injustice they faced. Despite facing brutal attacks,

firebombings, and imprisonment, the riders remained steadfast and never retaliated. This strategy
was in line with the philosophy of peaceful resistance championed by the Student Nonviolent

Coordinating Committee and Martin Luther King Jr.

​ Of course, one cannot effectively tell the story of the civil rights movement and omit

Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, which was delivered at the March on

Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. This event marked the epitome of the Civil Rights

Movement, as most people see it, with over 250,000 participants demonstrating mass support for

racial equality, economic rights, and an end to discrimination. Dr. King’s speech, emphasizing a

vision of racial harmony and justice, became a defining moment for the movement, setting a

distinct goal that inspired future generations. This march not only showcased the movement’s

power as a peaceful force for change, but increased the pressure for lawmakers to act on civil

rights.

​ The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a monumental legislative achievement that prohibited

discrimination based on race, color, creed, sex, or national origin in education, employment, and

public accommodations. The Act was the result of years of activism, protest, and widespread

calls for political reform. Its passage marked a significant victory in the Civil Rights Movement,

providing legal protections against discrimination and setting the stage for future legislation like

the Voting Rights Act. The Civil Rights Act remains one of the most paramount pieces of civil

rights legislation in U.S. history.

​ While many idealist history teachers may like to wrap up the retelling of the Civil Rights

Movement with a nice little bow that is the legislative victory of the Civil Rights Act to make the

story more digestible to school children and the easily offended patriot, the truth is the fight was

(and arguably still is) far from over. The Selma marches of 1965, demanding voting rights for

African Americans, were met with violent repression from law enforcement despite the previous
federal legislation that urged an end to discrimination and implied racial justice. The most

infamous incident occurred on “Bloody Sunday,” when state troopers attacked peaceful

protesters at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. The utter cruelty shocked the nation and

garnered increased support for the Movement. This violent suppression exposed the fact that no

amount of federal legislation would erase the deep-seated resistance to racial equality still held

by many Americans and proved to many black Americans that they could not trust law

enforcement to protect their rights.

​ Although the Voting Rights Act of 1965 came hot on the heels of viciousness witnessed

at the Selma March, it didn’t fix the social disparities between the segregated-but-not black and

white societies. Many started to become fed up and frustrated with the peaceful strategies and the

Civil Rights Movement began to take a more militant approach. The Black Panther Party for

Self-Defense was founded by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in Oakland California in 1966 as a

response to the systemic violence against African Americans and the lack of protection from law

enforcement. The party advocated for self-defense, armed resistance, and establishment of social

programs in black communities. The formation of the Black Panther Party marked a more

militant stance within the Civil Rights Movement which diverged from the previous nonviolent

principles of the earlier movement. While initially advocating for black power and addressing

issues such as police brutality, the Black Panther Party’s more militant stance eventually paved

the way for increasingly violent approaches, such as racial riots, in the battle for racial equality.

​ The Kerner Commission Report, released in 1968, was a comprehensive government

investigation into the causes of racial riots and urban unrest in the United States. The report

concluded that the nation was “moving toward two societies, one black, one white — separate

and unequal,” which ironically enough echoed the “separate but equal” doctrine of Plessy v.
Ferguson that had been overturned over a decade earlier. It acknowledged systemic issues such

as poverty, inequality, and police brutality as root causes of the unrest and called for reforms to

address these issues. Although the recommendations of the Commission were mainly ignored at

the time, the report’s analysis stressed the need for political, social, and economic reform in

closing the gap in American society caused by racial division.

​ The Civil Rights Movement was not just a fight for rights under the law, but a fight for

dignity, justice, and the American soul. Each step of the way, from the landmark decision in

Brown v. Board of Education to the violent opposition to the Selma March, served to highlight

the deeply ingrained nature of racism and the staggering courage of those who fought it. The

brutal murder of Emmett Till opened the eyes of the nation, and the Freedom Riders and the

March on Washington demonstrated the power of nonviolent resistance amidst hate. Legislative

victories like the Civil Rights Act came hard, but backlash against them, emphasized in brutal

suppression by the police and the rise of more radical approaches like the Black Panther Party,

proved that full equality could not be achieved by legislation. Even the Kerner Commission's

warning of a bifurcated America fell on deaf ears, a dismal reminder that change is not

inevitable, but must be fought for anew every day. The actions of the Civil Rights Movement are

not just something read about in history books. They are lessons, warnings, and inspirations that

must be rediscovered every generation. They are reminders that justice is never a gift; it is

demanded, fought for, and defended at great cost. The movement's legacy calls us to remain

awake, to ensure that the fight for equality and human rights does not end, because a threat to the

civil liberties of one community is a threat to the rights of us all.