The civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s was started by people in favor of giving the same rights to African-Americans as those of the white population. Fifty years have passed, since people of all ethnic and racial backgrounds began to protest about inequality and discrimination. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 became a law and banned segregation and discrimination in the workplace against African-Americans. To remember this significant change fifty years later, celebrations across the states have been going on since 2014 and continue to go on today to show great appreciation for the change. Last year was the 50th birthday of this law.
Why did the civil rights movement take place?
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In the 19th century, there were laws that favored segregation and discrimination against African-Americans. They were relegated to separate schools; they had to use public restrooms designated “colored” or “negro”, and were denied service at many restaurants; and voting qualifications were constantly changed and limited their right to vote. These were only some problems they experienced in the 1950s and 1960s when something began to change.
That change happened when people like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., along with many others, began fighting for equality. He wanted all minorities, African-Americans, women, Hispanics, and others to share the same constitutional rights. His tireless work along with that of many others helped foster the women’s movement and others in later years. Therefore, we consider Dr. King a national hero who was seeking equality for all people no matter who they were.
For additional information about this historic event, take a look at this link:
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/civil-rights-movement-overview.