Before World War II, segregation was at its highest peak and African Americans were still treated unfairly because the word equality did not exist. However, after World War II grassroots activists fought for equality, freedom, fair employment, housing, equal opportunity, the right to vote, education, rights equal to whites, and many other things that had not been granted to African Americans before. People now had to worry on how to solve the issues society was facing instead of income issues as they did before the war.
Grassroots activists formed in order to fight for African American Rights and thanks to their marches, protests, and constants talks the Civil Rights Movement was a success, and several public policies along with actions came to place in order to defend African American rights. For example the executive order 9981, Brown v. Board of Education, the support of the SCLC, the protests by the activists known as the freedom riders, LBJs goal to pursue what President Kennedy had planned , fight against Birmingham’s racial ordinances, and the SNCC doing the march in Selma.
This policies and actions that people took, created alliance amongst African American people, awareness, and it gave attention to their respective cases. Awareness is a major part of grassroots activism because it lets people know what is happening day to day. For African American people, it started with the Executive Order 9981, “this order constituted a great milestone in the fight for civil rights” (Primary Source Supplement ! ). This ordered called for segregation to end in the Armed Forces and it was a very important policy because it was one of the earliest actions that was taken as part of the effort to bring equality.
It is essential that there be maintained in the armed services of the united states... with equality of treatment and opportunity for all those who serve in our country’s defense” (Primary source Supplement 1). This was because blacks in the military were treated different in comparison to whites. For example they had to undergo training for years before they could actually begin combat, while whites would begin in only months. In 1953 segregation in the Armed Forces had finally ended, and a change had been finally done.
Attention and unity definitely played a very important role in grassroots activism because they led to protests and actions. National Attention was was shown in the major court case Brown v. Board of Education which began the process of desegregation. Martin Luther King and several Civil Rights Groups acted together in order to end segregation in schools throughout the Nation. “together with the massive civil rights movement led my Martin Luther King... it outlawed segregated public facilities, whether buses, beaches… or schools”( Documents in U. S History Civil Rights, 240 ).
The desegregation of schools began based on the thought that separating students based on their race, would generate a sense of inferiority that would lead to an unhealthy learning environment for them (Documents in US History III, 243). The NAACP, CORE, and the National Urban League were some of the organizations that fought against the ongoing racial oppression by doing protests and marches. Martin Luther King founded an activist organization that was very important for the Civil Rights Movement.
In 1957 he founded the SCLC. ” even more important were the direct actions against segregated public facilities… led by Reverend Martin Luther King and the civil rights group he founded in 1957″( Documents in U. S History Civil Rights, 244). One of those actions was taken by Rosa Parks who refused to give her seat at the back of a bus, and she was arrested. Immediately, activists began protesting and it was very successful because by the next year the city desegregated the public transportation system.
This was a great example of how alliance amongst people and awareness can bring a major change. Similarly, another group of activists known as the Freedom Riders acted together in order to fight more. CORE sent the riders in buses to protests how the states had ignored the Supreme Court ruling that segregated buses and terminals were unconstitutional (Secondary Source on Civil Rights 1960s, 27). The people in the buses were attacked and many were injured by white people that attacked them with several objects, and even a smoke bomb was used.
A second bus marched to Birmingham, just to have the same tragic end as the first one leaving a lot of people injured. To prevent more tragedies form happening, President Kennedy was forced to act immediately. ” The activists forced president Kennedy to act… administration ordered Interstate Commerce Commission to issue rules prohibiting racial discrimination in interstate facilities… by the next year, most interstate travel and facilities had integrated” (Secondary Source on Civil Rights 1960, 29-30). Grassroots activism success was also based on the fact that it unified people.
Not unified them in a way where they would act together but instead, think together. This was the case with President LBJ, who after the Assassination of Kennedy gave a very powerful speech in which he reinforced and showed his support to Presidents Kennedys goal: The Civil Rights Reform. He focuses on how people should unite, and he urges Congress to pass the Civil Rights Bill that President Kennedy had been working really hard on (LBJ Speech after Kennedys Assassination, 3-4). This was not the only time President LBJ talked in favor of African Americans.
In his address to congress, the President talks about all the injustices African Americans have suffered and how all of the people no matter skin color, deserve the right to walk through the “gates of opportunity” (LBJ Address to Congress, 1965, 4-6). In an attempt to fight for voting rights, John Lewis was part of the Selma Marches in which he and many people were attacked by troopers. Lewis suffered a fractured skull, but he believed the marches made by the grassroots activists were directly responsible for the Voting Right Act of 1965. Therefore bringing another major policy change Interview of Participant in March, 3-4).
The most important part of Grassroots activism was awareness. This is due to the fact that awareness is what brought policy change. Unity and attention definitely helped too, but awareness was the most important constituent of grassroots activism, and it showed the African American people why a Civil Rights Bill was needed. A great example of why a Civil Rights Bill was needed can be found on the Birmingham segregation ordinances. The ordinances showed the darkest side of segregation by highlighting the specific set of rules each race had. Section 369.
Says that white and dark people cannot be served in the same place. Section 597. Says that a “negro” and white colored person cannot play together. (Birmingham Segregation Ordinances, 1-2). These ordinances caused for many people to become aware of the inequality that was going on during the time and it sparked more marches, protests, and actions that raised attention to all of the issues going on. Grassroots Activism was a success because it created protests, marches, talks, and actions that helped people understand how African Americans were treated unequally and actually act to change the situation.
It brought an allegiance amongst African Americans, attention to them, and awareness on how they were being mistreated. Thanks to this, people like LBJ, President Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and john Lewis worked hard to bring changes to the lives of African Americans with the hope of gaining the Civil Rights Bill. Without these grassroots activists the success of the movement would not have been possible, and African Americans would have been treated unequally for a longer time