Essay On Social Movements In 60s And 70s

The social movement history started a long time ago. It was not the 20th century when activists started to defend their rights, yet it was the 20th century when they often succeeded in that. The social activism became more intense after the end of the World War II. It can be said that protests and actions taken by the black population of the United Stated led to positive decision regarding the Brown v. Board of Education case. The court acknowledged the rights of African Americans to attend the same schools as the white Americans do. Furthermore, bus boycotts and an arrest of Rosa Parks in Montgomery also led to the intensification of the civil rights movement (Boyer 127). This event allowed Martin Luther King to demonstrate his leadership and promote the Gandhian strategy of nonviolent resistance. Civil rights movement became the national issue and resulted in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Most historians and sociologists agree that the classical phase of the civil rights movement was the time of Martin Luther King’s active involvement. The phase lasted about 10 years, from 1955 to 1965 and finally ended with the assassination of King in 1968. The society turned its attention to the Vietnam War issue, and the classical phase was over. However, it initiated the rise of social awareness among the American nation. It led to the series of unheard-of historical upheavals that undoubtedly changed the history of the United States.
The problems of social injustice were not left behind. African Americans wanted to get equal rights. They did not stop struggling, and their struggle led to the establishment of Black Power Movement. “Black Power” is both a slogan and a name of different political ideologies associated with achieving of self-determination by the African-American population. The Black Power is considered to be rather nationalistic and radical movement (Sanders 164). It fought against racism, economical preferences and civil rights. Many organizations united under the slogan supported black separatism. They justified the violence on the contrary to the nonviolence resistance offered by Martin Luther King. Members of one the most influential organization called Black Panther Huey Newton and Bobby Seal are convicted of killing a policeman during persecution. The movement gained a wide popularity among the African Americans. They saw it more effective than methods previously carried out by King. The Black Power also had a great impact. It influenced the whole society and extended to sport, arts and policy. For example, heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali refused the enlistment into the armed force because of his political and religious views. His decision drew a lot of attention to his personality and to the civil right of the black population of the United States. Another demonstration of Black Power took place at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Both US gold and bronze medalists John Carlos and Tommie Smith raised their gloved fists and kept them for a while as the sign for the black power salute. Peter Norman, a silver medalist winner from Australia, silently supported the protest. The Black Power movement created the pride in being black and influenced the arts as well. As a result of the movement, African Americans felt more independent from the white population, the decision to force black studies in colleges was made and the racial pride was established and promoted by artists.
Social movements are usually and mostly supported by the younger generations. It is undoubtable that they react rapidly and intensively on every change in the society and they are more assertive and less eager to compromise, than the elderly. Students are the most active participants of any meetings and demonstration. The violation of their rules and the struggle to obtain them resulted in the Free Speech Movement. It started in 1964 in Berkley, California when Dean of Students Katherine Towle forbade students to use the campus plaza for political actions. Firstly, students tried to resolve the issue using letters and asking to reverse the new rule. It was discovered that the Dean had no power for changing the ruling. Therefore, students ignored the regulation and set their tables as before. Besides, a rally against new rule was collected. The Dean asked students to follow the campus instructions. Students did not obey. Next day Jack Weinberg was arrested by the university police. Members of the United Front, the organization started the protest, surrounded the car and did not allow policemen to move for 32 hours. Students left only when priest begged for peace from the top of the car. The United Front tried to negotiate the issue but the university administration refused to meet them. Furthermore, the police was forced to arrest everybody found at the plaza in the evening. The issue was discussed and solved but the struggle did not end with this. After Jack Weinberg was released, the United Front was dissolved and the Free Speech Movement was established under the informal leadership of Mario Savio. The movement continued the demonstrations and sits-in. About 2 months after Weinberg’s arrest, students gathered in front of the Sproul Plaza asking for negotiations. The Administration refused to do so and the building was occupied by students. In the middle of the night Governor Edmund Brown asked to provide a mass arrest of the students. Around 800 participants of the sit-in were arrested and released only after few hours. After such mess and disturbance, University officials decided to allow more political freedom the students. Yet, it was only the beginning of the so-called “six-year war” on the premises of the Berkley university. Students actively participated in changing the rules of the university as they could freely meet, set tables, discuss and raise funds. The Free Speech Movement resulted in Ronald Reagan’s elections as the governor of California as he was supported by the students who were in desperate need for changes. The Free Speech Movement proved that students should be aware of their political and social rights and should struggle for them in case of violation.
Another movement also started from the little campus protests is an anti-war movement. By the end of the 1960s the anti-war movement appeared to be nation-wide and was supported by all the strata regardless their age, sex and other peculiarities. The Vietnam War started in 1955 and was actually the issue of the Cold War. The announced aim of war was the settlement of democracy on the territory of Vietnam. One part of the country was supported by Soviet Union and other Communist countries and the other received financial, technical and other aid from the United States. The first college protests began in Michigan. Soon many other colleges supported their colleagues with protests, marches and sits-in. By 1965, the United States increased their presence in Vietnam and it led to the frustration among students (Gilbert 121). The reason for that was an average age of an American soldier, who was about 19 when he was enlisted. The participants of the World War II were several years older. It appeared that students could legally fight and die but were unable to buy or drink alcohol. Another increase in involvement during the Vietnam War led to even mass marches and protests. It became obvious that the War could not be won without people’s support. The United States failed in the Vietnam War but managed to provide their citizens with more freedom.

Works Cited

Gilbert, Marc J. The Vietnam War on campus : other voices, more distant drums. Westport, Conn: Praeger, 2015.
Sanders, Vivienne. Civil rights in the USA, 1945-68. , 2008. Web. 16 Mar 2015
" The Berkeley Free Speech Movement ." the University of Illinois at Chicago. 2004. 16 Mar. 2015. <http://www.uic.edu/orgs/cwluherstory/jofreeman/sixtiesprotest/berkeley.htm>.
The Oxford Companion to United States History. Ed. Paul S. Boyer. New York: Oxford Univeristy Press, 2001.