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Explain briefly the Civil Rights Movement which took place in the U.S.A. between 1954 and 1968.

This topic is a part of the chapter- Democracy and Diversity.

The Racial problems in USA was not eradicated even after the abolition of slavery in 1863. In fact blacks were still being prevented from voting, forced to attend separate schools and discriminated in several other ways. The following steps were taken to eradicate this problem:

• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was formed . However, it could not prove to be very successful and the discrimination continued in the period of second world war too.

• In 1946, President Truman took steps to eradicate the discrimination. Schools were ordered to be desegregated, black people had to be added in all juries.

• The 1960 Civil Rights Act provided that blacks had to register as voters.

• However, this too did not work and so the blacks raised their voice again.

• This time Martin Luther took up the leadership of the movement. The immediate reason for the renewed agitation was the arrest of a black lady Rosa Parks for sitting in a seat reserved for the whites.

• Luther began a peaceful agitation. In 1963, Luther organized a peaceful rally in Washington . He presented his view of a America where all would be treated equal.

• Under Kennedy, America's first black ambassador was appointed.

• Johnson introduced the Voting Rights Act(1965) to ensure that all blacks got the right to vote.

• The Civil Rights Act of 1968 made it illegal to discriminate in selling property or letting accommodation.