Possitive and Negitive events During the Civil War Reflection

The Civil Rights Movement: Progress Through Struggle

When I think about the Civil Rights Movement, I'm struck by how every step forward met fierce resistance. The Ku Klux Klan rose again as a direct response to civil rights progress, using violent intimidation through attacks, burning, and harassment to block desegregation efforts. They infiltrated local governments and law enforcement agencies, making their reach feel inescapable.

Freedom Summer in 1964 brought these tensions to a breaking point. Civil rights groups launched campaigns to register Black voters, but the KKK responded brutally, burning Black churches used for civil meetings and making Mississippi one of the most dangerous places for activists. That same year, we saw "massive resistance" tactics like governors standing in schoolhouse doors to prevent integration.

After math of the 16th Street Baptist Church

The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing on September 15, 1963, showed the absolute brutality of racism. Four girls were killed and twenty people were injured at what had been a meeting place for nonviolent resistance. Over 8,000 people attended their funerals, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The fact that convictions didn't come until fourteen years later reveals the depth of systemic racism.

Yet I'm inspired by how the movement persisted through strategic nonviolent action. The lunch counter sit-ins started with just four people but spread to thousands, challenging segregation one meal at a time. The Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by Dr. King, became one of the first major victories. Then the March on Washington brought 250,000 people of all races to the Lincoln Memorial, where King's famous speech helped push forward the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965.

These legislative victories fundamentally transformed America. President Johnson's Civil Rights Act banned public segregation and discrimination, enforcing Brown v. Board's promises and ending Jim Crow laws while creating the EEOC. The Voting Rights Act banned literacy tests, poll taxes, and intimidation tactics, causing Black voter registration to jump from 23% to 61%. Organizations like the NAACP, founded in 1909 to fight racial violence, proved essential in securing these rights through decades of advocacy and legal challenges.

~AI disclosure: After taking notes while watching my classmates videos, I found the best source of AI to organize and provide a response (Claude.ai).  I then edited the text and added photos/links.