Factors, Goals, and Events in Civil Rights Movement, Essay Example

World War II can be seen as the culmination of factors that led to increased efforts in the Civil Rights Movement. There are many examples of increased African American presence where there had not been before, improving upon the segregation instilled by the Jim Crow laws. In World War II, African-American combat units were used extensively. Jackie Robinson played in his first game in 1947. Also, legally African Americans were gaining ground, such as Sipuel v. Board of Regents of University of Oklahoma (1948), Shelley v. Kramer (1948), and Morgan v. Virginia (1946), for example.

Following the leadership of the “Big Six,” which notably included Martin Luther King Jr., African Americans gained ground by the mid-1960s. With clear goals in mind, such as the general elimination of segregation and deep-seeded racism in the United States, they saw success by the 1960s. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Civil Rights Act of 1968, were landmark legislations that supported these goals. Perhaps the most acclaimed legislation was the Voting Rights Act, which, in 1965, outlawed discriminatory voting practices in the United States against African Americans.

In the same decade, the Black Power movement sought a different view than previous leaders. Citing oppression and continued racism, violent outbursts were seen. One public note came in the form of the 1968 Olympics Black Power Salute. In the same year as the Voting Rights Act, Malcolm X was shot and killed.