When did the civil rights movement begin
The civil rights movement was a non aggressive stand against the segregation laws that disallowed African American citizens their basic rights. It was aimed at outlawing the racial discrimination and lack of basic human freedom suffered by the African American population in the south.
It is difficult to pinpoint the exact year that the civil rights movement began in the U.S. Many incidences occurred at various times as the African American population struggled for true freedom and liberty. One such incident being the Supreme Court ruling in 1948 in the case Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kans. This made it possible for desegregation to begin in public schooling. The pivotal event that pushed the civil rights movement into full swing occurred on December 1st 1955 when an African American woman named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. She thus defied the segregation laws and was promptly arrested for her defiance. After this incident the African American population organized a citywide boycott of the bus system. This lasted just over a year ending when the case finally reached the Supreme Court which ruled to desegregate the bus system in Montgomery. After this event many more peaceful protests were held in various cities and towns.
The civil rights movement began to become more organized and found influential leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr, Charles Steele and Fred Shuttleworth. Whilst the civil rights movement began to gain momentum in 1955 it was many, many more years before changes took place that led to less discrimination against African Americans and laws were passed to remove the segregation that was common in some areas of America.
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