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Assess the Importance of federal government In advancement of African American civil rights In the period 1865-1992. Throughout this period, African American civil rights made a massive progress. Although for any progress to be made, federal government needed to implement new laws and legislations, but usually, government were not keen to act and in some cases actually made little impact on the civil rights movement. The African Americans themselves pushed the government to make changes through the leadership of the organizations set up, that led to the change in the civil rights that they eventually gained.
The presidents themselves never really showed any support towards the African American civil rights movement, because many had changing views about what to do about African American civil rights. Many of the presidents during the beginning of the period such as Woodrow Wilson and Herbert Hoover were against the Idea of African Americans gaining civil rights so didn’t make any new laws to help advance the cause. Warren Harding even went as far to allow new laws about segregation to be developed even further from the Jim Crow laws.
This showed Just how strongly they wanted to keep the whites as the superior race and keep them in control. However the presidents change their views over time and were more lenient towards the advancement of civil rights for African Americans; for example Democrat Franklin. D Roosevelt (1932) introduced the new deal in 1933, which resituated the economic growth and employment, but he did little else to directly help the African American civil rights because he was dependent on support from Southern Democrats to pass other laws, who were obviously not so keen to allow blacks their civil rights.
Even approaching the end of the period presidents such as Nixon and Bush, were still not supporters of civil rights advancement for African Americans, and were still vetoing civil rights bills that would allow blacks equal opportunities in employment as they believed they had ‘more important’ things to be doing, due to international relations and situations. Supreme court, was often considered the only option for organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples (NAACP), however this was always a lengthy process.
Although it was the most lenient of federal systems to African American civil rights and the most subject to change. Between 1937 and 1941, seven of the nine justices were changed my Roosevelt causing verdicts for blacks to begin to change. Many trials were carried out in this period that actually allowed African Americans to make advances with civil rights Like the Linda Brown case of 1954, which ended segregation in schools. The final federal authority, Congress, showed the least amount of support for the advancement In African American civil rights.
It was normally run by Southern Democrat ma]orioles that were unmoved by any pressure for change In laws. And rights for blacks, they were often preoccupied with other matters to force congress to pass any legislations, who were always very much against change. However it has to be considered, that the African Americans and the organizations themselves were more important in the advancement of blacks gaining their civil rights. The African Americans, always seemed to have a strong leader, all the way back to Booker. T Instigation, who was one of the first people to lead the blacks in their civil rights movement in 1865.
It could be argued that Martin Luther King was in fact the main reason for such progress with blacks gain in civil rights. King, much like Washington, Nas focused on equal education and their right to vote. He had a charismatic personality that not only appealed to the African American community, but he also created a great impact on other minority groups in America, like the Jews, and even many white supporters of equal civil rights, because due to his peaceful ministrations he was able to show the true brutalizes of the police force and other Unites who were opposed to the movement.
It was people like King that caused the Presidents to take action on the issue as he brought it to their attention, Just how out of control it all was and how desperately the situation needed to change. For example after Kings protests in Birmingham during 1963, which not only got attention from America, but also has been said to gain the most international attention as well. Not only do the leaders cause the government to change, but also the sheer organizations such as the NAACP cause people to rethink the legislations and laws in place.
Mainly because of the sheer size of these organizations. The government was also influenced by international affairs. Throughout the period, America found itself fighting in many battles against strong regimes, such as the second world war against Nazi Germany and the cold war against a communist Soviet Russia. America didn’t agree with how these countries were being run and how minority groups were being treated. However this raised the moral question of how could America fight hose regimes, when the African Americans still didn’t have equal civil rights?
This caused the government to rethink the laws they had in place segregating the blacks from the whites. In conclusion, although the Federal government, had to pass new laws and legislations for the African Americans to actually gain civil rights, but they Newer forced and put under pressure from mainly the African Americans themselves No were persistent for change. The government also came under pressure due to the international situation that was occurring and the change in opinions.