Stokely Carmichael: An Influential African American During the Civil Rights Movement

Essay by Chippin24High School, 12th gradeA-, August 2004

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The civil rights movement was a time period that lasted from the mid 50's through the late 60's. A time period whose affects were far bigger than that particular decade. The civil rights era was a time when African Americans wanted the same rights that the United States Constitution promised white males. An era that Martin Luther King Jr. had a " dream" and people wanted to fight for peace. It was a time that the youth were bolder and more courageous than ever. A time that blacks lifted the burden of oppression for the first time and fought back. A period when African Americans began to be proud of who they were. Although African Americans were pushing forward, there was an equal force pushing back, but African Americans didn't mind the fight as long as their voices were being heard. The civil rights movement favored no particular color although the participants were majority black, people of different races knew that the fighting for one was fighting for all.

Through many of the leaders and participants of the movement, blacks changed the way many people viewed the capabilities of African Americans forever. Education, injustices and unequal rights were faced head on.

The 50's were a time that was thought to relatively good. People were moving out of the busy cities and back into the suburbs, but there were some problems that stopped this time period from being a complete Utopia, racism and poverty among other things. Problems that went hand in hand. The reality of ghettos in a time when colored televisions and the popular music of rock and roll dominated the nation was unrealistic, but that was the reality for most African Americans during those times. "In spite of the fact that many black people were working a life...