DHS US History II DHS US History II

Over the course of the Civil Rights movement there were many events that lead to the eventual improvement of civil rights. However, one event that is seen as a breaking point for the movement were the “Freedom Rides” that took place on May 4th 1964. The plan was for the group to leave Washington D.C. on a Greyhound bus set to arrive in New Orleans, Louisiana so that they could show supports for the Brown v. Board of Education trial that was currently taking place. These rides were a way to show the world what kind of discrimination that African American and many different races had to endure as they were attempting to go through their typical day. These rides were an attempt to create improvement in how different races were treated. One of the desired effects of these rides was to draw attention to the violations of the Supreme Court ruling that had been set earlier. They did these rides in a public fashion so that they would be able to generate attention within media outlets and hopefully create friction between the government and the people to create change.
As defined by “Holt The American Nation Full Volume” the Freedom riders were “A group of civil rights workers who took bus trips through southern states in 1961 to protest illegal bus segregation.” However, they were much more than just a group of Civil Rights workers. These were people who were actively attempting to make a difference even if they had to endure mental and physical pain along the way. These people were a part of CORE (or the Congress of Racial Equality), which meant that they had a large role in changing the way that certain races were being treated. But, not all of these thirteen protesters were of African American descent, seven were African American and six were white American according to an article created by History.com, this meant that at this point in time there was a strong backing for the improvement of civil rights by all races, including John F. Kennedy who supported the rides, but did not want them to end with violence between the people. Which is precisely the opposite of what the rides ended with. According to an article from NPR on May 14th 1961 the bus arrived in Anniston, Alabama shortly after arriving the bus was greeted with around 200 angry white supremacists. While this crowd was expected, a bomb was thrown under the bus and the riders escaped as it was exploding into flames. The group was then brutally beaten using a variety of weapons including metal pipes. They were then transferred onto another bus that was driven to Birmingham, Alabama. Once they arrived they were again brutally beaten. After this incident Greyhound gave up on the group and would no longer transport them. However, due to the impact that this ride was having an activist from the SNCC (The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) was able to get a group of 10 students from Nashville Tennessee to continue the ride. With all of this pressure on the government from this movement John F. Kennedy secured a driver and bus and sent the riders off from Birmingham, Alabama on May 20th under police escort. However, soon after departing the station the police departed from the bus due to the huge crowds of white supremacist’s rioting around the bus and police escorts. This process continued as they went through Montgomery, Alabama. It was finally put to an end when they reached Jackson, Alabama and they were greeted with hundred of supporters. This that they did the same and these rides happened for several months until change finally came inspired so many people

Sam Katz
Mael P.3
US History II
May 2, 2017
Background on the March on Washington;

The March On Washington was a giant gathered march to help protest for civil rights for African Americans. The leaders of the civil rights movement and also religious groups organized the march. More than 200.000 Americans were apart of the March on Washington D.C. This march was a huge eye opener to American citizens about the social and political damage that America was inflicting on the African American culture. This march also led to one of the most famous American speeches of all time, delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. The I Have A Dream Speech, is something that will forever be famous in American history, however what many people don’t know is that Martin Luther King Jr. was given the worst speech time slot. He delivered the final speech and it was assumed that most reporters would be gone at that point and that not many people would ever even hear the speech. Surprisingly many people heard the beautifully spoken MLK speech and it would forever be engraved into American history. There is a very famous photo from this I Have A Dream speech, showing just how many people cared about MLK and were still there to listen to him. This speech alone was enough to push many American citizens into social change. It also was enough to sway the government into making political changes involving civil rights. One act that was most likely passed because of this march was Civil Rights Act of 1964, an act that outlaws discrimination based on race or religion. This shows how much of a giant impact this march truly had on America.

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June 28, 1969 -- The Stonewall Inn Riots by DHS US History II

Luke Bernier
Mr. Mael
4/30/17
U.S. History II


How the Civil Rights Address Movement Affected Civil Rights


The Civil Rights Address was a speech given by John F. Kennedy, following the famous stand at the schoolhouse door. During the stand at the schoolhouse door, Governor George Wallace of Alabama stood in the doorway of the University of Alabama in an attempt to block two African American students from entering the school. To get the students in the school, the national guard was required. In response to this event, JFK created a speech that would go down in history as one of the best presidential speeches of all time.

Traditionally, JFK had not expressed concern or acknowledged the civil rights movement, as, while he believed in their cause, he could do nothing for the movement. According to the New York Times, “The president had been routinely criticized by black leaders for being timid on civil rights, and no one knew just what to expect when the cameras started filming.” Despite the speculation that he would downplay the event, JFK instead brought the issue of civil rights into the nation’s eye. He calls on the American people and pleads to them to find it within their hearts to accept the African American as just another human. JFK says that he, “hopes that every American, regardless of where he lives, will stop and examine his conscience about this and other related incidents. This Nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.” JFK truly believes that he can convince the people of America to help their fellow American out, regardless of skin color.

The reason this was such an important speech for America was because it had never been done before. No other president had ever brought up civil rights like this before, and especially not on the national stage. What many presidents do when they need to talk about a polarizing issue, like JFK had to do about civil rights, is they try and compromise with both sides, because for many presidents, they want to appease everyone. This is not what JFK decides to do. He calls out racists and bigots across America, and tells them that what they are doing is killing the country, and they are wrong in their beliefs. This is what made the Civil Rights Address so influential; it not only helped out the civil rights movement, it also reached the hearts and minds of the American people.

Bibliography
“Civil Rights Address.” American Rhetoric. Accessed May 2, 2017. http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkcivilrights.htm.

Joseph, Peniel. “Kennedy’s Finest Moment.” New York Times. Accessed May 2, 2017. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/11/opinion/kennedys-civil-rights-triumph.html.

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