The Civil Rights Movement
"...and justice for all."
The great American civil rights revolution of the 1950’s and 1960’s was one of the greatest and most successful social and political liberations of a people in the history of mankind. It was also an extraordinarily unusual historical achievement. Consider, for example, these facts:
It was achieved with relatively little violence.It was achieved in a relatively short period of time.
And it was achieved during a time of relative peace and prosperity, when America was at a height of its military and economic power.
Contrast the American experience with French and the Russian revolutions. Those movements were extraordinarily brutal and bloody affairs, they dragged on for years and they occurred at times of great national unrest and insecurity in those nations.
Why, then, did the leaders of the American civil rights revolution succeed in their great movement? Because we wielded a very powerful weapon. That weapon was a tenacious hold on the moral high ground that allowed us to appeal to the moral conscience of the American people.
Yes, there is still antagonism and discrimination toward minority groups in America today. But it is far less prevalent. And it is no longer blatantly legal or consciously sanctioned by government.
Read more about the civil rights movement and CORE's involvement in it:
It was achieved with relatively little violence.It was achieved in a relatively short period of time.
And it was achieved during a time of relative peace and prosperity, when America was at a height of its military and economic power.
Contrast the American experience with French and the Russian revolutions. Those movements were extraordinarily brutal and bloody affairs, they dragged on for years and they occurred at times of great national unrest and insecurity in those nations.
Why, then, did the leaders of the American civil rights revolution succeed in their great movement? Because we wielded a very powerful weapon. That weapon was a tenacious hold on the moral high ground that allowed us to appeal to the moral conscience of the American people.
Yes, there is still antagonism and discrimination toward minority groups in America today. But it is far less prevalent. And it is no longer blatantly legal or consciously sanctioned by government.
Read more about the civil rights movement and CORE's involvement in it: