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What were the civil rights problems faced by black Americans during the 1950’s and 1960’s? How did Martin Luther King respond to these problems? Racism has been ruling America since way back in the 1800’s when African Americans were used as slaves by the white people. The emancipation proclamation was introduced to free people of slavery but of course this really didn’t change much. Things finally started to change during the 1950’s and 1960’s when civil rights problems were finally being acknowledged and dealt to with Martin Luther King playing a big part in this.
In America during the 1950’s and 1960’s segregation was a very big problem and it was even legalised because of “Jim Crow” Laws. “Jim Crow” Laws held a “separate but equal” policy but really this was not the case, the laws led to poverty and employment issues and the African Americans were treated unfairly at any opportunity. Public toilets, parks, swimming pools, restaurants, diners, even hospitals and schools were segregated. This meant that the hospitals and schools had inexperienced staff and insufficient financial support which majorly disadvantaged the African American people in the community.
Even busses were segregated and the first 10 rows were reserved for whites only and the African Americans were forced to sit at the back. One of the earliest responses to these civil rights problems was the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955. This was when Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus and was arrested because of this and a bus boycott started. The Montgomery Improvement Association was formed and Martin Luther King was appointed leader