Civil Rights Movement of African Americans in the USA Martin Luther King Jr.

Hello! I’m Dasha. I prepared a project about the civil rights movement of African Americans in the USA and Martin Luther King, Jr., the leader of this movement. My project was in Ukrainian but then I had an idea to share it in English because we discussed the main social issues, human rights and discrimination at our lessons of English.

Civil rights movement of African Americans in the USA. Martin Luther King Jr.

The reasons for the struggle were:

• Racial discrimination against the black American population, especially in the Southern states, and the policy of segregation.
• Increased civil activism among African Americans due to their participation in World War II.
• The growing national liberation movement in colonial and dependent African countries.

Despite the constitutional proclamation of equality for all American citizens, the United States of America was a country plagued by racial discrimination and inequality in the 1950s to 1970s.

In the mid-1950s, African Americans, led by the young Christian minister Martin Luther King, Jr., succeeded in achieving the elimination of segregation in public transportation in Montgomery, Alabama.

In 1960s African Americans’ speeches against racism activated. “Black Rebellions” were held in major American cities. Martin Luther King, Jr. organized campaigns of protest against the policy of segregation in the USA.

On August 28, 1963, the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom” was held. It was a peaceful demonstration with the participation of at least 200 thousand people. Among the participants were not only African Americans but also representatives of different races, political views, and religions. On that day, Martin Luther King delivered his historic speech titled “I Have a Dream.”

As a result of the widespread civil rights movement, the American government passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited segregation in public places, and the Twenty-fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which established equal voting rights for African Americans.

Martin Luther King also opposed the Vietnam War and advocated for the fight against poverty. The reverend won the hearts of millions of people with his unwavering dedication to fighting for equal rights.

In 1964, Martin Luther King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and in 1968, he was assassinated.

Currently, the law ensures equal rights for black and white people in the USA, but cases of discrimination and aggression against black individuals still occur frequently.