After weeks of studying about the Civil Rights Movement, there were many things that I found out that influenced and shaped what America is today. From learning about Brown vs. Board of Education, where it stated that "seperate is not equal", to listening to a clip of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, these events expanded my knowledge of ending injustice. One of the events that affected me the most was D Day, where African American children fought for their rights, not only for themselves, but for their parents. What I learned about this was that anyone can fight for their rights, regardless of age, when they truly believe that they deserve it. I thought that these kids, the "secret weapons", were really courageous marching into jail, and more importantly, still marching when being targeted at by fire hoses and police dogs. Another lesson that learned during this period was that different styles of speaking can influence and convince certain people. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X's speeches are perfect examples of viewing a certain way to speak towards an audience. Martin Luther King's booming voice focused more on overcoming discrimination by non-violence, and used imagery and metaphors to implant a vision "over the mountain" in the audience's mind. Malcolm X, on the other hand, focused more on "swinging than singing"; his words were bringing the humor out of people that made them laugh. The Civil Rights Movement was a major step in bringing the people of America together to conquer discrimination and racism.
But of course, America right now is not perfect. We face different struggles that are still going around, ones that we thought would never show up again. One major factor that's still with us is racism, people all over the country thinking that they're more superior than another race. Even though there were many acts in limiting racism, we still see some kind of form of it. Institutional racism and the white flight are ones that most people barely see, yet it may be happening right in front of them. Another struggle is equality and equity across the nation. For example, building elevators at schools ONLY for the disabled? Is that really equal? As we can see, it's hard solving these kind of problems and trying to give fairness to everybody.
There are many great things that came out of the Civil Rights Era. Our schools are no longer segregated, African Americans have the right to vote, and non-violent protests are what most people use today to prove their point. Despite the problems we still face today, America has grown into a much better place than it was 60 years ago. The Civil Rights Movement still influence people into speaking out and fighting for their beliefs; whether it's LGBT or animal rights. This movement really affected America into becoming a land of freedom, and hopefully it will carry on to future generations.
But of course, America right now is not perfect. We face different struggles that are still going around, ones that we thought would never show up again. One major factor that's still with us is racism, people all over the country thinking that they're more superior than another race. Even though there were many acts in limiting racism, we still see some kind of form of it. Institutional racism and the white flight are ones that most people barely see, yet it may be happening right in front of them. Another struggle is equality and equity across the nation. For example, building elevators at schools ONLY for the disabled? Is that really equal? As we can see, it's hard solving these kind of problems and trying to give fairness to everybody.
There are many great things that came out of the Civil Rights Era. Our schools are no longer segregated, African Americans have the right to vote, and non-violent protests are what most people use today to prove their point. Despite the problems we still face today, America has grown into a much better place than it was 60 years ago. The Civil Rights Movement still influence people into speaking out and fighting for their beliefs; whether it's LGBT or animal rights. This movement really affected America into becoming a land of freedom, and hopefully it will carry on to future generations.
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