Civil Rights for African Americans Ivalu Blanchett Civil rights is something that everyone should have. Not enough civil rights is a problem in many countries. In the United States, African Americans haven’t always had civil rights. The history of civil rights for African Americans was an inspirational, scary and exciting journey, which has had effects on how Americans live today. Before civil rights Before there were civil rights for African Americans, black people were treated badly. They weren’t allowed to drink water from the same fountains as white people, they had to use a different bathroom, they had to go to different schools and they always had to go through the back door of a building or a bus. There were also white power groups. The Klu Klux Klan was one organization that discriminated against African Americans. The Klu Klux Klan was founded in 1866. They would murder African Americans, and bomb houses, churches and schools. The Klan did many bad things to African Americans, Jewish people, and Catholic people. Even white people with relations with African Americans were scared of the Klan. There are still members of the Klu Klux Klan today, but they aren’t as violent as they were years ago. Civil rights movements Birmingham Bombing In the 1900s, African Americans were discriminated and hated to the point where there was violence. On September 15, 1963, in Birmingham, Alabama, a bomb blew up. It happened right before Sunday
morning services at the 16th Street Baptist Church. Mostly African Americans would go to that church. It was also a meeting place for civil rights leaders. Because of the bomb, many people were injured and four young girls were killed. After the incident many people were very angry, and they protested for civil rights for African Americans. Homemade bombs were also placed in black homes and churches. These incidents happened so often that people started calling the city “Bombingham”. When people protested the police would fight back and that filled the city with violence. By 1965, the FBI knew who bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church, but they did nothing about it. In 1977, Bob Baxley, the Alabama Attorney General, resumed the investigation about who bombed the church. Robert E. Chambliss, a Klu Klux Klan leader, was guilty of murder and brought to trial for the bombings. More people who were proven guilty were also convicted. The bombings made many people angry throughout the US, which raised more support for African Americans. The March on Washington There are many memorable events in American history, and this one was an especially great occasion. In 1963, in Washington D.C. by the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington monument, more than 200,000 people gathered for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The march was arranged by different civil rights leaders and religious groups. It was formed so that people would see and understand the challenges for African Americans. It was a great event because many people of different races shared a day of prayers, songs and speeches. On that day, the famous Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I have a dream” speech. The March on Washington was a great event that symbolized liberty, equality and hope. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 Eventually, some people began to understand that racism hurt others and that it was bad to segregate someone just because of the color of their skin. That’s when President John F. Kennedy suggested a civil rights act. It was signed into law by his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson. It was called the Civil Rights act of 1964. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination (that means that it didn’t matter what, race, religion, national origin or gender you have to work in a certain place). That civil rights movement was an important part of African American history because it helped equalize