In the last 60 years, the people of the United States has, for the most part, took a very liberal stance in society. Changes in legislation regarding civil rights was primarily the main topic. And of course, there were more than just civil rights movements. Movements/protests ranged from antiwar protesting to women’s rights. These were also very important but the majority of people if asked, about during the time period of 1945 to 2000, would usually name civil rights movements, Vietnam/Korean War, Cold War as heavier topics than the two previously mentioned. Prolific names such as Malcom X, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Richard Loving and so on, were all seen as leaders and faces for civil rights and propelled change in society. And each one had their own following of people that would listen and follow every order if commanded. However, if the folk I just mentioned were figuratively the faces/head of their respective movement and/or group, then their followers was the body. And without the body, the head would be utterly useless. Which leads me to my main point: it was the masses that really strengthened the voice of their leaders, it was them that would force society to take notice of whatever their respective movement/protest was about. They are without a doubt the unsung heroes of society that helped changed society from 1945 to 2000. We will be focusing only on 3 ways that the individual and/or group of individuals tried to change society whether it being successful or not; violent protesting, peaceful protesting and downright challenging the legal system of the United States government.
The first action I listed was violent protesting. And before I would begin I want to define the term “violent protesting.” For the most part, what comes to mind for most people, violent protesting would obliviously involve some sort of violence. Which usually is the case. However, I believe there is a better definition. Violent protesting from what I believe is some sort of protest that would involve illegal action or is partaking in an illegal action. By using this example, I believe that some sort of violence does not have to be the main topic. And the first example I would like to highlight is the illegal occupation of Alcatraz Island. In the book, it summaries how several dozen native Americans would occupy the abandoned Alcatraz Island for 19 months by claiming “first discovery” of the land. And it would go into more detail of the event in the PSA, “A Proclamation from the Indians of All Tribes, Alcatraz Island (1969).” The native Americans who occupied the island wanted to promote better civil rights and the horrible prejudice they receive from society. The title of the letter summarizes perfectly of what it is. It was claim that they had a right to claim the former prison of Alcatraz due to the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie between the United States and the Sioux. The PSA would also highlight of what they would with the land and the uses they would do with each building. And state similarities between the island and other Native Americans Reservations. This was very illegal. Alcatraz was an abandoned prison however; it was still government property and they were not amused at all. This action by the several dozen Native Americans who occupied this island was so provocative, it reached news first mainly in the Bay Area but soon national news. They wanted to promote and essentially let United States know and understand the prejudice that the Naïve Americans felt every day. And they succeeded, the first native American who attended UC Berkeley and one of the main organizers of this protest, Dr. LaNada Boyer claims that, “We are able to reestablish our identity as Indian People, as a culture, as political entities…” This protest, even though was illegal, proved to be successful as this created a snowball effect that would later essentially create better laws for Native Americans in the future. Moving on to the second example for “violent protesting,” it caught me by suprise. As a college student who used to believe that society did not care what we say and deemed us as essentially older teenagers who can drink, I was amazed of the stir that college students can really do. In 1964, primarily white students from UC Berkeley, protested against their school due to the University banned students from setting up booths and tables to recruit interested students fighting for a cause. This was first major size protest for college students, which sparked various colleges around the United States to also partake in various protest for their own reasons. Now, what makes this a “violent protest” is due to the actions they did. Led by many already civil rights activists, who came from the south from civil right movements, they occupied the administration building violating fire hazards and I would imagine was extremely annoying for the administration staff who just worked there. Almost 7 hundred students were arrested during this protest, and almost immediately the California Board of Regents lifted the ban. Now this example was not as controversial as the occupation of Alcatraz, this protest would be the primary example for students draw on for future protest such as the end for the Vietnam/Korean War. The simple action of being an annoyance for the university would be the spark that college students need for future protests. The last example of violent protest, would be the various riots created possibly and primarily the Black Panthers, which was led by Malcom X. Major cities such: Los Angeles, Newark, and Detroit were the worst in the year 1967. This really hits the mark for violent protesting. The Black Panthers believed in self-defense and promotion of non-passiveness. One of the main reasons for the Black Panthers massive following was not only was Malcom X very inspiring to listen to but also the fact that many African American veterans from World War I and II had changed the mindset of many African Americans. And in the PSA, “President D. Eisenhower Warns about the Military-Industrial Complex (1961),” it explains Eisenhower’s decision to desegregate the military to against the propaganda of the Soviet Union. Many of the African Americans who was in the military when this law was passed joined the Black Panthers. Their belief really resonated with many African Americans not content with nonviolent and passiveness, they literally fought police and government officials many times. By creating havoc and dismay around the nation the Black Panthers drew in national media and laws had to be changed to ease the growing divide between African Americans and White Americans. Violent protesting was one of the end of spectrum that heavily forced society to reevaluate their laws and essentially forced them to enter a new era of somewhat equality.
In the very opposite spectrum of protesting is peaceful protesting, a more passive approach that had a sense of decorum. People would do nonviolent or non-illegal actions, and not respond to aggressive attacks. They would simply take the hate and prejudice. Leaders such as Martin L. King was a heavy voice in this procedure and was seen as the figure face for the civil rights movements. The first example would be in 1960, when 4 African American students in Greensboro, North Carolina would sit in a whites-only Woolworth’s dinner demanding service. And in a few days, hundreds of people would partake in a similar fashion sitting in a Woolworth’s dinner. All those participated in this protest would be denied service, pelted on with food, and be called racial slurs. Similarly, as seen in the picture in pg. 749, Prof. John Salter Jr, and his two students were talking all the hate from the white crowd surrounding them and did not respond at all. This simple act of sitting in a whites-only proved that the treatment they were receiving was unfair and something had to be done. It created a sense of maturity for people to realize that this is a major issue. The next example would be the Montgomery Bus boycott. A plan devised by the MIA (Montgomery Improvement Association), which essentially asked African Americans to not use Montgomery Bus, which would result in many of those bus companies to lose money since a majority of bus users were African American. This was a direct result from Rosa Parks arrest when she declined to give up her seat. And during when this occurring a prominent would be selected to lead the MIA, Martin L. King Jr. The everyday African Americans would walk miles to just to get to work and prove that something could change. And soon their patience to police intimidation and harassment would finally would prevail. From our lecture, the exact date was 13. November 1956, when Alabama’s bus segregation laws were deemed unconstitutional from the Supreme Court. This was one of many steps towards civil rights. They used the economy to change a ruling. The last example would be the Students of Democratic Society recruiting over 20,000 and marched on Washington, DC to protest against ROTC programs, defense industry recruiters and military research programs. During this time period President Johnson elected to continue the war in Vietnam which angered many Americans due to the pointlessness they see in a war they are not even winning. This antiwar movement gained national coverage. News outlets coverage every major protest making it mainstream. This essentially divided the nation, the antiwar activist who wanted the end of the Vietnam War and those who supported the government, this group was primarily veterans who fought in World War I and II. As the years passed by with constant protesting. President Johnson was forced to engage in peaceful talks as the war in Vietnam was becoming more painstakingly useless and the antiwar activists were growing. Peaceful protesting was the main stance the many took during the civil right movements to promote change by participating in a march to challenging social norms, and when faced with aggression you do not respond.
The last action would be directly challenging the government through its own legal system. Instead of waiting for change to occur, groups would directly bring into court a case that would hopefully make a change in law since it would be deemed unconstitutional or if the right to an action was already not there. The first example would be the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) achieving their highest victory. The court case of Brown v. Board. They were a well-known civil rights activist group even was mention by President Truman who claimed all Americans deserved equal rights. The case was a collection 5 cases that would soon join together and would essentially travel all the way to the highest court in the Judiciary system, the Supreme Court. Soon the NAACP would support the case since it was gaining a lot of traction. This was an extremely controversial case and the leading lawyer from the NAACP and future Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall was the one who won them their victory by making the supreme court at the time realize that the separate but equal decision in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896 was unconstitutional since it violated the 14th amendment. Even though the case gained national traction however it would be a long time before society would actually start to accept it. Another example would be the Mendez v. Westminster that would essentially end the segregation of schools in California. Parents in Southern California collaborated with the LULAC (League of United Latin-American Citizens), to challenge school districts in the area that banned their children from entering schools. This was the first time that a federal court ended school segregation. This was the first step towards the end of segregation in all states. The last example would be a string of events that essentially land openly gay political leaders in positions of power to make a difference. Positions ranged from mayor to members of congress, this began the slow start for rights for gay/lesbian folk in the United States. The process of challenging the government using its own system is usually a long process but has proved successful.
We the citizens of the United States, have the right to dictate what laws should be in place and not in placed. And as such we must do an action that will provoke a reaction that will hopefully lead us to our individual goals for a better future. Through sheer will, people who want a change in society must fight through those who go against us by means of peaceful and passive protesting, violent and illegal action protesting, or even challenging the very system that placed the laws that were stacked against us. Change will always occur if some individual and/or group is willing to take a stand and say, “Society has to change.” These 3-different ways of protesting whether successful or not will surely but slowly provoke society to realize that their mindset on a current situation or law should be changed.