Civil Rights in the 1960's
In the 1960's, African-Americans were denied the right to vote, barred from public facilities, subjected to insults and violence, and could not expect justice from the courts. However, instead of backing down and giving up, the youth and adults of America took charge and changed things. "In February 1960, four black college students sat down at Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, N.C., and asked to be served. They were refused service, and they refused to leave their seats. Within days, more than 50 students had volunteered to continue the sit-in, and within weeks the movement had spread to other college campuses. Sit‑ins and other protests swept across the South in early 1960, touching more than 65 cities in 12 states. Roughly 50,000 young people joined the protests that year." This story proves that active youth of the 1960's cared about the unjust problems occurring. However if this happened today to a group of gay men it would only make the 5 O'clock news. Some people would protest, but definitely nowhere near 50,000 young people. And if teens did protest, it would be through Facebook or Twitter. Today's youth is physically lazy compared to the youth of the 1960's. People would literally chain themselves to tree's until a problem was resolved. Now, teens don't really care about whats going on in the world, and care more about themselves and their own problems.
The Iconic Figure, Martin Luther King Jr.
In the 1960’s there were many iconic figures. However, one of the figures stood out from the rest. His name was Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born in 1929 in Atlanta Georgia. Growing up in a religious family and attending seminary school, Martin Luther King was gifted at preaching to people. Little did he know that his ability to lead people would one day change the world. Back in 1896, the Supreme Court approved the case Plessy vs Fergusson, which allowed public segregation, stating that segregation is “separate but equal.” In 1952, MLKJ started to give sermons and public speeches about racial inequality and it’s unfairness. Inspired by King’s words, a fifteen year-old girl refused to give up her seat on public bus, and later Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat. Already, African-Americans of all ages were taking stances and doing sit-ins to stand up for their rights.During his "I have a Dream" speech in 1963, King held the largest civil demonstration in history with 250,000 in Washington D.C..