Client Name
Capella University
HIS-FPX1150
Instructor’s Name
December 2024
Living History
Dear Friend,
I am writing from the United States and hope that this letter finds you in good health. In today’s time, we are experiencing a widespread movement regarding civil rights. Fighting for civil rights is not new and I am sure you have already heard about the previous struggles of the people for the integration of equality and justice at all levels whether institutional, organizational, or systematic. HIS FPX 1150 Assessment 4 Civil rights movements started because of the inequalities people faced in transportation, public places, and educational institutes which created frustration among the people (Stepney, 2022). This frustration becomes the reason that people are standing up for their rights and local activists also effectively participating in protests for the implementation of laws and policies that are effectively ensuring the provision of equal rights to everyone. The struggle for civil rights started in the 1950s but this year 1964 seems to be a huge change in history due to people’s increased awareness and knowledge regarding the protection of their basic human rights.
We have experienced discrimination, and segregation for far too long but now is the time when the change will become the historical civil rights movement’s success. President Lyndon B. Johnson also showed a positive response in considering the agenda of the civil rights movement and making it the part of law. We are keeping our hopes high for the integration of civil rights in the policies and laws of the nation for the effective consideration of the reason behind the civil rights movement. I still remember last year’s experience of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which occurred on August 28, 1963, when thousands of people participated with the sole reason of standing and speaking up for their rights (Chowkwanyun, 2024). The National Mall was filled with people without any discrimination demanding their rights. The voice of Martin Luther King increased motivation among the people with which he shared his future dream that his children would not be judged by their skin color but by their character (Kaplin, 2023). King focused on fighting for peace but the opposition’s response was cruel which can be seen by the bombing incident of a Church in Birmingham where four little girls were killed. This cruelty increased the passion among the people to fight with more efforts for their rights.
The past events and the movement of civil rights have a huge impact on my personality as I grew up in Alabama where segregation is at its peak at every level. My father tried to say this is how it is but with each passing day, this reality is becoming unacceptable due to the increased brutality of the opposition. I was part of the sit-ins of 1960 led by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in which I faced segregation and discrimination at the highest which made me even stranger to fighting back for my rights. I started to participate in the protests, movements, and marches to bring hope to the people for the change and become an active part of this change. Struggling for the future in which our children will be free to get an education from any school without discrimination of black and white, they can go to any public place without judgment or being bullied is the dream of every individual. My parents were afraid of the brutal response of the opposition but I was so concerned about the need for effective change in the nation that I increased my participation instead of fearing and sitting back. After the efforts of so many years in 1964 people saw the light in the form of the movement started for civil rights which was so effective that people who once lost their hopes again started to struggle for a better future.
This movement will bring huge success for all the people especially black Americans who are facing huge discrimination and segregation at all levels (Jacques, 2021). It can bring hope and satisfaction to the people risking their lives in the struggle for equality and justice. The peace will become the part of not only one country but the whole nation with the validity of equal rights without discrimination based on race, or color. This Act will not only bring changes in the laws and the policies but also introduce the mindset in the people that together they can bring huge change in the nation. There will be equality among the children in schools which will create a positive impact on the personality of the children. The women of the nation will become aware of their rights and actively start speaking up for equality and justice. Once the segregation system is demolished the people will start to believe that together they can eliminate the oppression and improve the overall environment of the nation. I know admiring these changes will take a long continuous effort of not only the people but also the law policymakers, and leaders but I am confident that this collective effort of everyone at this time will ensure an effective future for the people.
The struggle for civil rights is very long and it can be seen from history that it comes with a lot of problems, challenges, and sacrifices. People lost their loved ones in struggling for their rights and dreaming of a better future. Fighting for civil rights demands the lives of the people along with huge other efforts that can drain them mentally and physically (Robinson, 2024). The brutal response of the opposition can only be tolerated by the ones who are strong enough to sacrifice everything they have for the validity of a better future. This change has its challenges including violence and hate which can be seen in the incident in Mississippi where a group of us registering the voters was chased by armed mobs. The bombing in Birmingham, the murder of the activists, and the growing Ku Klux Klan increased the threat among the people but also forced people to stand up against them for their removal instead of fearing for life.
The solution to all these threats and violence is the provision of education to the people and making them aware of the brutality of the opposition. This knowledge will keep on guiding them against the cruelty of the people who are not willing to accept equality and justice as the part of law. The Freedom Summer Project will be effective in providing guidance to black Americans regarding the importance of their vote and educating them on how they can improve their current situation by wisely casting the right vote (Morris, 2021). This project will empower them to vote for their bright future and keep their own opinion in selecting their leader. Understanding the importance of their voice in the matters of the nation is one of the major factors for the success of the civil rights movements and the removal of violence. Moreover, the support and accountability of the leaders hold great significance in the consideration of sacrifices of people for the nation’s wellness and will not be gone in vain. The ladders act as a cornerstone in implementing the change in the system regarding the development of laws and policies necessary for the integration of equality and justice at all levels.
As mentioned by Martin Luther King, protest needs to be nonviolent for the avoidance of any kind of mental and physical harm to the individual which has the potential to basalt impact their whole family. The peaceful protest gives the impression that we are only struggling for our rights at the educational, and organizational levels including equality at the public places and transportation (Lang, 2021). Moreover, answering hatred with peace and love shows the cruelty of the oppressors to the whole world which will ultimately restrict them from bad practices that can negatively affect the nation. We can not compete with them through violence but we will answer them with peace to create a difference. We will keep the struggles ongoing to ensure the success of the movement regarding civil rights and leave a mark in history for future generations.
Your friend,
Anna
HIS FPX 1150 Assessment 4 References
Chowkwanyun, M. (2024). Journal voices in the civil rights era — new horizons and limits in medical publishing. New England Journal of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmp2307360
Jacques, G. (2021). A new civil rights movement, a new journal. JSTOR Daily. https://daily.jstor.org/a-new-civil-rights-movement-a-new-journal/
Kaplin, D. (2023). Understanding the legal and historical context of migration to the United States. Elsevier EBooks, 3–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-823794-6.00028-1
Lang, C. (2021). The movement: The African American struggle for civil rights. The Sixties, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1080/17541328.2021.1996785
Morris, A. (2021). From civil rights to black lives matter. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/from-civil-rights-to-black-lives-matter1/
Robinson, E. (2024). The impact of the civil rights movement on educational segregation in the united states. European Journal of Historical Research, 3(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.47672/ejhr.1760
Stepney, S. A. (2022). Multicultural and diversity perspectives in art therapy: Transforming image into substance. Foundations of Art Therapy, 81–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-824308-4.00010-7
