Civil Rights Movement

The African-American Civil Rights Movement is one of various social movements in the United States aimed at discrimination in the aspect of racial harmony between African-Americans and their Caucasian counterpart. The movement was aimed at racial discrimination in the United States and the restoration of voting rights for African-Americans. The campaign had many great leaders such as W. E. DuBois, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X to name a few. The movement consisted of various strategies such as civil resistance, acts of nonviolent protest, and civil disobedience. One aspect of the Civil Rights movement that has often been neglected is its connection with the Cold War. The United States and its "Truman Doctrine" of the free peoples made Civil Rights a necessity. How else could the alleged leaders of a free world convince others to submit to its horrendous foreign policies if non-white minorities were being discriminated against on free soil. Politician after Politician from the greats of President Harry Truman to disgraced President Nixon understood the valuable role that Civil Rights would play in the Cold War. It was introduced in their speeches, political campaign advertisements and political agendas.

                   Disgraced President Richard "I am not a crook" Nixon in 1960 discussing Civil Rights in a campaign ad

Can you imagine disgraced President Richard Nixon caring about Civil Rights for people of color? In the advertisement he spends a good thirty seconds explicitly and implicitly telling the American public just how important Civil Rights are in the fight against Communism. Mr. Nixon contends, "Why must we vigorously defend them? First, because it is right and just. And second, because we cannot compete successfully against communism if we fail to utilize completely the minds and energy of all our citizens. And third, the whole world is watching us. When we fail to grant equality to all, that makes news-bad news-for America all over the world.

Let us if you may dissect this gem of history. Mr. Nixon, of all people, believed that all Americans should have equal rights? Well he states it very clear here that civil rights "is right and just." Why didn't ole tricky Dick not institute policy changes for minorities? Perhaps its because first he had to convince the "American cattle" that it was appropriate. Next, he shows the American citizens the value and equality of all minds by stating, "we cannot compete successfully against communism if we fail to utilize completely the minds and energy of all our citizens. Its interesting he used the word citizen especially since many African-Americans at that time were relegated to second class status. The third example Mr. Nixon cited was probably the most intriguing due to the fact that the world had already seen the non-violent protest that were met with fire hoses and police dogs-"bad news for America all over the world."

Civil Rights abuses by Caucasian "Law Enforcers"

 

                                             Lynching of African Americans at the hands of southern Caucasians

When we place this speech into context we begin to see the real reason why white politicians had to succumb to the movement. America did not randomly decide to be gracious to non-minorities specifically African-Americans especially since they had declined them rights since the Emancipation Proclamation, they had to in order to save their precious "capitalism," and to prevail over the philosophy of communism.

Civil Rights "March on Washington, D.C."

Citations:

Fernando Santos-Granero and Frederica Barclay; Tamed Frontiers: Economy, Society, and Civil Rights in Upper Amazonia Westview Press, 2000

Manfred Berg and Martin H. Geyer; Two Cultures of Rights: The Quest for Inclusion and Participation in Modern America and Germany Cambridge University Press, 2002

Mervyn Frost; Constituting Human Rights: Global Civil Society and the Society of Democratic States Routledge, 2002