There is proof that women participated in the civil rights movement well and effectively around 1960. Their ongoing participation, particularly in the south and delta areas, serves as evidence of this. Women activists frequently brought civil rights workers into their homes where they cared for, fed, and provided shelter for them, according to Zora and Hurston (25). Likewise, women stepped into traditionally female positions and took on leadership roles on the membership, hospitality, and secretarial committees. Women's involvement was also visible in their presence at protests and large gatherings, which demonstrated a readiness and support for their black brothers who were engaged in the struggle for freedom. In addition, women, encouraged each other to participate in voting which was a symbol of their quest for freedom (Baker 14).
Similarly, not only did the women participate in nurture roles and responsibilities but they also took part in development and execution of policies. For instance, the SNCC was founded and spearheaded by a woman. The statement serves as evidence that women took up leadership positions to support civil rights movement. The church also played a remarkable role throughout the civil rights movement. Zora and Hurston (27) explain that women participated more in church activities in comparison to men. In south, churches were the focal point for civil rights movement. Women formed a high percentage in terms of participation in the activities.
Notably, from the initiation of the movement, women risked their lives as well as that of their families by organizing demonstrations and teaching the illiterate peoples how to read for them to have education and spearhead liberation. In the year 1965, a widow of age 78 gave up her home to become a campsite where all the activists could gather to rest. In addition, a lady in the same region spent sixteen hours on a daily basis to prepare food for the activists. According to, Zora and Hurston (28) women gave evidence of hearts full of selflessness and commitment thereby encouraged their activists that they were not alone in that journey. During the movement, women often sang songs about freedom and human rights in the gatherings and churches that manifesting proof of home and power of a resolve for black American race (Rustin 33 ).
Civil rights became actively successful with the increased support of black women. By the year 1964, black women received long-term benefits and rights that seemed impossible because of discrimination. The participants were able to join professions where only white women participated earlier and well-educated black women gained positions in business and science (Zora and Hurston, 30). They provided basic strength, not only concerning their roles as homemakers, and mothers, but also as movement helpers and organizational leaders. The leaders mobilized black community on the importance of education as a tool through which they would fight against force of discrimination. The clamor proved successful because civil right movement proved effective in curbing rate of discrimination. Notably, without black women, civil rights movement would have proved futile (Cleveland 34 ).
Question 2: The significance of multiple long-standing political ideologies and strategies within black communities
There were different strategies that had been enacted before year 1955 including litigation attempts by t National Association for advancement of Colored People. The black people got frustrated in the year 1955. The individuals from the race adopted a combined strategy of a direct action with an aim to remain non- violent (Baker 17). The undertaking amounted to civil disobedience translating to conflict with the government. In addition, strategies, there was enation of boycotts that included Montgomery Bus Boycott that played a remarkable role in the civil rights movement. Additionally, there was an event in August 1963 named March on Washington for jobs and Freedom where Martin Luther King JR gave a speech that was titled “I have a dream” which circulated nationwide. The speech was a representative of what the community purposed to address. The realization was after numerous efforts to bring various leaders of civil rights together. The “March on Washington for jobs and freedom gave specific emphasis on combined purpose of the goals that each leaders had. The march brought together a unity for a specific purpose which was liberation.
Another important step against discrimination took place in Montgomery, Alabama where activists Rosa Parks and Edgar Nixon motivated Martin Luther King JR to lead a bus boycott of 1955-1956. In December 1, Mrs. Rosa Park who was riding on a public bus declined to give up her seat for a white passenger when the bus driver ordered her. Mrs. Parks was arrested, put on trials and was convicted with a crime of poor conduct and violation of local ordinance. The news spread to the Alabama black community, which united fifty of their most prominent leaders. The figureheads were effective in organizing the Montgomery Bus Boycott that protested against practice of segregating the blacks and whites in the sector of public transportation. The boycott lasted for 382 days and was successful in since law that allowed segregation of whites and blacks in means of transport was removed (Zora and Hurston 34).
In April 1960, there was formation of Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) who invested in non-violent confrontation and fought for various rights of black community. In 1962, Robert Moses who was the SNCC’s representative in Mississippi integrated several civil rights organizations in their country (Baker 19). This included SNCC, NAACP and CORE to form COFO. Despite Mississippi being one of the most lives threatening most regions in the south, Moses embarked on a door-to-door voter education project where volunteers educated people on the need and process of voting. Additionally, the spear headers focused on recruitment of youths in their activities. The undertaking amounted to assassination of some of the activists and jailing of several the members. The incarceration weakened the movement since most of the members were assassinated (Douglas 23 ).
Likewise, there was Birmingham campaign in 1963-1964, which was a voting rights campaign that engaged several non-violent confrontation tactics. The move entailed sit-ins, kneel-ins in churches and a march to the county building where such protests were banned and some leaders were arrested including Martin Luther JR (Rustin 36). There exists evidence that some strategies and campaigns were organized by the black community to enable them to address various aspects of discrimination. The undertaking not only brought people together but it also united their purpose towards fighting against discrimination. It created diversity in addressing the real issues that were faced by the black community, which strengthened the civil rights movement which eventually unrooted the roots of discrimination.
Works Cited
Cleveland. "The Ballot or the Bullet." 1965.
Douglas . Narrative of the life of Fredrick Douglas an American slave. Boston: Anti-slavery office no 25. Cornhill, 1845.
Baker. The black woman in the civil rights struggle" (1969"." Grant, Joanne. Ella Baker: Freedom bound . John Wiley & sons , 1998.
Rustin. "From protest to politics: The future of the Civil rights movement ." 1965.
Zora and Hurston . "Court order cant make races mix ." 1955.
