Overview

            Since the dawn of European settlement in America, the institution of slavery was present and the racial suppression slavery fostered became deeply entrenched in American society. Following the Civil War and Reconstruction, Americans in the South found it difficult to eliminate their patterns of racially fueled discrimination and to create lasting changes on the path towards equality. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s was a culmination of the hundreds of years of racial tension and prejudice that was present in America. African Americans were tired of being treated as second-class citizens and unworthy of the protection of their government, so they joined together to protest for their basic freedoms as American citizens. In today’s society, it appears as history is repeating itself, as media coverage is highlighting instances of police brutality targeted at African Americans. Innocent African American victims like Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown prompted the creation of the Black Lives Matter movement, which is working to highlight and remedy instances of racial discrimination present in America today. The Black Lives Matter Movement parallels the purpose of the Civil Rights Movement when African Americans turned to protest and relied on media attention in order to affect lasting change. The history of racial discrimination against African Americans is long and violent, and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement in recent years suggests that the issues presented during the Civil Rights Movement were never truly resolved.

Source: denverlibrary.org, Selma March

Source: crisismagazine.com