Women Organizers in the Civil Rights Movement

Women organizers in the Civil Rights movement (1950's-1960's) Women have always been regarded as key parental figure in raising and developing children in the society. During the period of 1950 to 1970, many parts of the world were marred with civil rights movement. The movements were characterized with protests and civil resistance complaining about discrimination economic and political self sufficiency. Women took up the initiative to participate in these movements. This situation later led to serious confrontation between government authorities and activists.Thousands of people took part in the civil right movement of that period especially in the United States. The key leaders of the campaign, include; Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael, Rosa Parks, James Meredith and Medgar Evers, played crucial roles for of the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement in America[1]. This paper covers factors that motivated women, the contributions they had, roles they played as well as the problems they encountered during the civil rights movement of 1950’s and 1960’s.Most of the women who were involved in these movements were born during the slavery period, hence the pain and suffering they experienced at that time stimulated them to speak out against oppression. One of the most vocal women who started to speak against oppression was Wells Barnett. She began her struggle in 1909, by travelling abroad to seek international attention on this issue[2]. She also formed National association for the advanced of Colored people. Her efforts were later joined by the struggle for gender sensitization by Mary Church Terrell. She was very vocal and spoke about segregation of the blacks in public eating joints.She led most of the citizens to boycotts and picketing to attract attention to racial injustice[3]. She established the black club movement that led to the formation of National Association of Colored Women similar to that of Barnett. She was also very instrumental in bringing up socially progressive institutions such as mother clubs and nursery schools. The three year struggles with authorities bow her fruits when the Supreme Court ruled that segregation of public eating places was unconstitutional[4]. Another very instrumental lady in these movements was Mary McLeod.She often worked together with both Terrell and Barnett. Mary became the president of National Association of Colored Women[5]. Being at the supreme of the organization, she became a good friend of Sara Roosevelt the mother of Franklin Roosevelt mayor of New York. She used the good rapport she had with this politically influential family to continue her struggle for social justice of the black[6]. She was later appointed to be the head of National Youth Council by President Roosevelt. Eleanor Roosevelt took the same path after being inspired by Terrell and Mary McLeod.After her husband was elected as the 32nd president Eleanor became instrumental in fighting inj ustice by calling for international and national attention to the effects of oppression and racial discrimination. She took a bold step and resigned from the Daughter of American Revolution since they had differed in ideologies. Ella baker was another activist who dedicated her time to speak out against oppression. She was regarded as the leader behind the scenes. She struggled to study due to the fact that her family was not well of. She graduated and became a teacher.She relocated to New York and quit her profession to engage in social change. She got involved with NAACP in the grassroots level in recruiting more people to the organization. She also was instrumental in the formation of other small organizations such as Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. These movements later were used by Martin Luther King Jr. to organize his boycott and nonviolent movement. The wave of women participation in the civil movement was unstoppable. Rosa Park, who was famously regarded as the mother of the civil rights movement, was also contributed in this struggle.She is believed to have started the main struggle of these civil rights movement. She experienced difficulty in completing her education due to the strict regulations for the black children. The black children were meant to study for only five moths in a year and the rest of the year they spent time in the cotton fields as laborers. Rosa graduated from high school after she got married to Raymond parks[7]. This sparked her efforts to fight racial injustice. She joined National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Montgomery chapter as the only woman. She was very instrumental member of this organization and was elected secretary.Her active involvement in National Association of Advanced Colored People led to her arrest on 1955[8]. Rosa’s life as an African American continued to face challenges. The mistreatment she received from the whites while she was in a bus made her to launch a huge boycott of using Montgomery buses by the Afro-Americans. She decided to organize this boycott after she got arrested for refusing to give out her seat to a white passenger in the bus. The boycott lasted for 381 days prompting her to be absorbed by the Montgomery Improvement Association which was formed by Martin Luther King Jr[9].This act of boycott was followed by a series of escalating protest, movements and insurgencies by African Americans. During the time for boycott Rosa coordinated for the blacks to get rides from car pool ups and other whites who offered to help. The used the slogan ‘don’t use the bus today. Don’t use it for freedom. ’ The boycotters together with Mrs. Rosa Park took the case to court disputing the segregation in buses[10]. They later worn the case after the court ruled on their favor. After the successful boycott Rosa and her families were not secure in Montgomery. They relocated to Detro it where she worked for congressman John Conyers.She continued to raise her voice and incited the youth to take up the struggle for African American Social and American progress. After the women political council had initiated the boycott in Montgomery, Martin Luther king came to the limelight taking all the credit as the leader for the nonviolent resistance. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X traversed different sections of the country giving powerful speeches and mobilizing nonviolent movements. Sparks of none violent movements were seen in other parts of the country[11]. These nonviolent movements escalated to violent racial rebellion in major cities in the U. S. s the movement went militant it provoked the whites against pro-black policies and the police. The success of events of this decade was at the peak when the Supreme Court decides the case of brown v board of education ruling in favor of brown. The court declared that segregation of schools unconstitutional. In the 1960 ’s many women rights group were established to continue the fight against racial injustice and oppression. This was the decade that saw progressive women rights movement in the United States and world Wide. Most of these groups comprised of female students who advocated for equal employment opportunity for both men and women.They also lobbied for enforcement of equal rights laws. Later that decade national organization for women was formed to replace women commission and it continued with the fight against sexual discrimination. The commission was disbanded due to lack of funds. The women equity action league founded in 1968, sought to investigate inequalities in faculty pay and promotions of both men and women in education workforce. These remarkable women played an important role in inspiring other activists and grassroots leaders who in turn mobilized more and more people to join the struggle.These women also helped millions of women to gain their fundamental rights as wom en. They were mostly motivated by the mass followers they had. Motivation also came from the cases they had in courts which ended up favoring the blacks and declaring most of the segregation unconstitutional. They drew their inspiration from civil rights movement they had organized. The organizations they were involved with had a lot of confidence in them hence they elected these women to high posts which favored their situation and gave them an upper hand in organizing the struggle[12].To overcome the problems they encountered they formed organizations such as national Organization for women. National Organization of Women key mandate was to enlighten the women to fully participate in mainstreaming of American society. These organizations brought them together in unity and increased their awareness on critical issues that affect them. This enabled them to have a strong voice over the oppression and neglect they were facing and forced the federal government to enforce the law. The i deologies fomented by certain black power movement were destructive and fostered cultural conflict.This posed a challenge to the efforts of the women who organized movements before. The other major challenge that affected these courageous women is the fact that most of the influential leaders, who had followed suit to lead mass movement, ended up being arrested or assassinated[13]. A good example is the cases of Malcolm x and Martin Luther King. The women’s morale was undermined by these acts. The supremacy of the white also undermined their efforts in the sense that they seemed to bend the law on their favor and oppressed the blacks in all sectors.The civil war escalated by the Ku Klux Klan and the lynch mob in the south were meant to threaten the activists from pursuing further with their quest[14]. The vocal contribution of Martin Luther King Jr. was faced with bomb attacks to his church and residence. The mass movements in America were a vital process to transform America to its current state. The vibrant voices of these women led to signing of the civil rights act to law. The law protects all minorities and women from discrimination in voting employment and use of public areas. They were also rendered freedom of choice.This was viewed as victory for both blacks and women. The revival of the African American militancy was an exceptional progress to the realization of democratic ideals[15]. The shared commitment to take the risk and highlight injustice and press the course for change resulted to the change in attitude of many American citizens. They tore down the oppressive racial and segregation system that had dominated the country for a long time thus bringing a remarkable transformation of American life. Bibliography Bermanzohn, Sally Avery. â€Å"Violence, Nonviolence, and the Civil Rights Movement. New Political Science 22, no. 1 (March 2000): 31-48. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed April 15, 2011). Gates, Henry Louis Jr. Bearing witness: selections from African-American autobiography in the twentieth century. New York: Pantheon Books, (1991). Greenblatt, Alan. â€Å"Race in America. † CQ Researcher 13, no. 25 (July 11, 2003): 593-624. http://library. cqpress. com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2003071100. Hine, Darlene Clark. Hine sight: black women and the re-construction of of American history. Bloomington: Indiana University, (1994). Jost, Kenneth. â€Å"School Desegregation. † CQ Researcher 14, no. 5 (April 23, 2004): 345-72. http://library. cqpress. com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2004042300. Naylor Gloria. Critical Perspectives Past and Present. New York: Amistad, (1993). ———————– [1] Greenblatt, Alan. â€Å"Race in America. † CQ Researcher 13, no. 25 (July 11, 2003): 593-624. http://library. cqpress. com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2003071100. [2] Darlene, Hine Clark. Hine sight: black women and the re-construction of of American history. Bloomingt on: Indiana University, (1994). [3] Naylor Gloria. Critical Perspectives Past and Present. New York: Amistad, (1993). [4] Henry Louis, Gates Jr.Bearing witness: selections from African-American autobiography in the twentieth century. New York: Pantheon Books, (1991). [5] Darlene, Hine Clark. Hine sight: black women and the re-construction of of American history. Bloomington: Indiana University, (1994). [6] Sally Bermanzohn, Avery. â€Å"Violence, Nonviolence, and the Civil Rights Movement. † New Political Science 22, no. 1 (March 2000): 31-48. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed April 15, 2011). [7] Greenblatt, Alan. â€Å"Race in America. † CQ Researcher 13, no. 25 (July 11, 2003): 593-624. http://library. cqpress. com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2003071100. 8] Bermanzohn, Sally Avery. â€Å"Violence, Nonviolence, and the Civil Rights Movement. † New Political Science 22, no. 1 (March 2000): 31-48. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed April 15, 2011 ). [9] Gates, Henry Louis Jr. Bearing witness: selections from African-American autobiography in the twentieth century. New York: Pantheon Books, (1991). [10] Hine, Darlene Clark. Hine sight: black women and the re-construction of of American history. Bloomington: Indiana University, (1994). [11] Jost, Kenneth. â€Å"School Desegregation. † CQ Researcher 14, no. 15 (April 23, 2004): 345-72. ttp://library. cqpress. com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2004042300. [12] Jost, Kenneth. â€Å"School Desegregation. † CQ Researcher 14, no. 15 (April 23, 2004): 345-72. http://library. cqpress. com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2004042300. [13] Hine, Darlene Clark. Hine sight: black women and the re-construction of of American history. Bloomington: Indiana University, (1994). [14] Greenblatt, Alan. â€Å"Race in America. † CQ Researcher 13, no. 25 (July 11, 2003): 593-624. http://library. cqpress. com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2003071100. [15] Gloria Naylor. Critical Perspectives Past and Present . New York: Amistad, (1993).

The Scale of the Post War Golden Age of Economic Growth Enjoyed

In your own words, outline the scale of the post war Golden Age of economic growth enjoyed by Western European nations. The Golden age of Economic growth occurred in the aftermath of World War two and continued until the mid 1970’s and led to the 1970’s recession. During this period of time the World economy expanded at never before seen levels, World output of manufactures quadrupled between 1950 and 1970 and at the same time trade in manufactures increased by 10 times the previous levels.Since then historians and economists have been attempting to explain the reasons for this unprecedented growth. Throughout this essay I am going to focus on the analysis of two particular economic historians Hobsbawn and Crafts. After World War two had ended the previously powerful Europe laid in tatters, France and Germany were virtually destroyed and Britain was near financial ruin. America emerged from World War two as the Largest and most powerful economy in the world and as such decided to aid the recovery of Europe.Clearly a strong Europe was better for America as a trading partner than a weak one. This resulted in America putting into effect the Marshall plan. It was a four year plan the began in April 1948 during this time America gave Europe $13 billion of aid roughly 5% of America’s GDP at the time. This clearly provided a much needed boost to a Europe that agriculture sector had been totally destroyed. Is this then the factor that enabled growth in western Europe.It was clearly a factor that aided growth but could it have been as Cradfts has suggested simply that Western Europe was playing ‘Catch-up’ with countries such as America. â€Å" This meant that growth had been below trend and the opportunity existed for rapid growth by correcting policy errors and repairing damaged economies. † The U. S. A was virtually untouched by WW2 certainly much less than Europe and this enabled rapid growth, once Europe had emerged from WW2, it was able to share in a technology boost that America had previously experienced and ultimately gain such high growth very quickly.

Female Genital Mutilation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Female Genital Mutilation - Essay Example Proponents of female circumcision emphasize social and cultural considerations of this practice (Shweder, 2002). However, the truth is that even though men believe this surgery keeps a woman’s virginity, FGM should be banned in all countries because it’s causing serious reproductive problems and other health complications in women. Although the practice of female circumcision remains unchanged for many centuries, debates about this ritual are relatively recent. Until the second half of the last century, the issue of FGM was barely known in the West, while in Africa it was rarely spoken about. Only about 50 years ago some European and American medical practitioners who worked in Africa together with African activists expressed concern about FGM and informed the United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO), and other international organizations about the health risks associated with it. However, it was not until 1979 that the international community finally reacted to the problem of female circumcision: the only reasonable explanation for such delay was that the practice of female circumcision seemed so alien and strange to the Western countries that they did not even know how to react. Therefore, only in 1979 participants of a seminar organized by WHO in Khartoum and dedicated precisely to the issue of female circumcision and its implications for health issued a Statement recommending that governments of those African countries which practice female circumcision make efforts to eliminate the ritual. ... Although the practice of female circumcision remains unchanged for many centuries, debates about this ritual is relatively recent. Until the second half of the last century, the issue of FGM was barely known in the West, while in Africa it was rarely spoken about. Only about 50 years ago some European and American medical practitioners whom worked in Africa together with African activists expressed concern about FGM, and informed the United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO), and other international organizations about the health risks associated with it (Platt, 2000). However, it was not until 1979 that the international community finally reacted to the problem of female circumcision: the only reasonable explanation for such delay was that the practice of female circumcision seemed so alien and strange to the Western countries that they did not even know how to react. Therefore, only in 1979 participants of a seminar organized by WHO in Khartoum and dedicated precisely to the issue of female circumcision and its implications for health issued a Statement recommending that governments of those African countries which practice female circumcision make efforts to eliminate the ritual (WHO, 1979). Nowadays, female circumcision is practiced in at least 28 countries located on African continent, namely in its northern part, although the prevalence rates across these countries range from 5% to 99%. Countries of Southern Africa and Arabic-speaking nations of the Northern Africa do not practice this ritual (Toubia, 1994). According to the most recent estimation, at least 100 million females are circumcised (Platt, 2000). Muslims, Animists, one Jewish sect,

Casey Anthony Investigation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Casey Anthony Investigation - Term Paper Example Her grandmother also explained that her mother had only reported not seeing Caylee for almost a month, after giving different explanations regarding where she was. Casey Anthony was also untruthful to the case’s detectives, for instance, claiming that she thought her nanny had kidnapped Caylee on the 9th of June, adding that, too afraid to contact the police, she had been trying to find her. In October of 2008, Casey Anthony was charged with 1st degree murder (Lundy et al, 2008). To this charge, she pled not guilty. Caylee’s remains were discovered in a wooded area adjacent to the family home five months later. Initial reports from the investigation and testimony in the trial pointed to duct tape being discovered on the skull’s mouth and front (Walensky, 2011). The trial lasted for approximately six weeks in 2011, during which time the prosecution asked the Court for Casey to receive the death penalty. They claimed that her mother who wanted out of parental dutie s, used chloroform to knock her out and suffocated her with duct tape had murdered Caylee. Jose Baez, countering on behalf of the defense team, claimed that, on June 16, Caylee had drowned in the Anthony’s pool and that her grandfather had sought to hide the body. Evidence in the Casey Anthony Case Roy Kronk first alerted the police to the presence of a suspicious object in August after coming across it on his job as a meter reader. The area where he discovered this object was in a wooded area that lay adjacent to the Anthony’s house. After failing to get through the first time, he managed to get police officers to look at the scene. However, they did not find anything despite Roy telling them to look for something that looked kike a skull in a bag. Roy called a second time in December to report the same thing and, this time, the police found Caylee’s remains in a gray bag together with duct tape (Walensky, 2011). The tape was attached to the little skullâ€℠¢s hair, and the police uncovered more bones after a more thorough search of the area around the discovery. Dr. Jan Garavaglia, the medical examiner in the Casey Case found that the child remains discovered were actually those of baby Caylee and that she had been murdered, although she could not determine what caused her death. Investigation of evidence discovered at the crime scene was also carried out through computer technology. Software from the computer investigations department, under the control of Dennis Bradley, also investigated the computer utilized by Casey Anthony, treating it as a crime scene (Walensky, 2011). Investigations showed that the user had conducted a whooping eighty-four searches on chloroform. However, Dennis admitted that the software had a flaw that had caused it to process erroneously forensic information. Apparently, Casey Anthony had only searched for chloroform once. In addition, the search result that the user had opened was concerned with how 19th c entury man had used the chemical (Walensky, 2011). The Casey Anthony prosecuting team presented close to 400 items of evidence, some of it put together from the crime scene investigation. During the investigation, investigators discovered a single strand of hair in Casey Anthony’s car that was genetically similar to another strand recovered from a hairbrush that belonged to Caylee (Walensky, 2011). The investigators could also determine that the former strand had come from a dead body because the hair root showed dark banding,

Cultural, Spiritual And Psychosocial Health Assessment Essay

Cultural, Spiritual And Psychosocial Health Assessment - Essay Example This essay discusses that cultural, spiritual and psychosocial assessment of a patient occurs after the health assessment where the nurse determines the possible causes of the patient’s condition. If the situation is an emergency, little or no social assessment of the patient is carried out as the health assessment is always the first priority of the nurse and the doctors. During a health assessment, asking the patient of their past medical condition is the first thing that nurses must do so as to find any possibilities of a recurrent health condition or relation of the current illness to the previous ones. The patient’s health is more important than their background or beliefs. An example is pain assessment where the nurse determines the location and amount of pain then he or she can prescribe pain drugs. After treating an urgent condition, the nurses then conduct the other parts of their assessment which now includes the cultural, spiritual and psychosocial aspects. T his only occurs after the patient is stable to conduct a conversation.This paper highlights that  the assessment of the patients’ health and general condition involves a number of questions. The answers given by the patient give the nurses a clear insight of the life of their patient and this enables them help them in any way possible to improve not only their health status but also their well being. Each question that a nurse poses to their patient must have boundaries and must be in line with the code of ethics of a nurse.... However, the main tools that nurses must put in use are good virtues and a sense of understanding of the patient. Virtues that give the patient comfort and trust when conversing with the nurse are tools used to guide through the assessment. A cultural assessment on a patient is mainly carried out through a series of questions and this may involve both the patient and the family so as to get a clear approach during the patients care. A nurse should have special guesses of the background of their patent so as to develop a sense of reasoning with the patient and to avoid getting shocked while the patient answers questions. The first question involving culture must be on if the patient has used any form of traditional treatment before and if the patient is comfortable with the whole treatment given to them. This question allows the nurses and the doctors to conduct their work without any conflict from the patient regarding some forms of treatment. For instance asking a patient if he or s he is okay with surgery before hand is important as some culture do not permit any surgery. (Giger, & Davidhizar, 2004) Moreover, spiritual assessment is a vital part of any health assessment of a patient. This form of assessment is mostly observed and conducted in patients who have serious illnesses especially those with no definite cure or to patients who have gone through traumatizing experiences that landed them in hospital. The purpose spiritual assessment serves is to provide the nurse with a person who they can relate and pour their troubles and thoughts to. Spiritual assessment must involve physical presence of the nurse and a form of good communication where the patient can discuss deep issues and get relief through the nurse.

Obama and His Decisions on Deportations of Illegal Inmigrants Essay

Obama and His Decisions on Deportations of Illegal Inmigrants - Essay Example Both parties wrote this legislation in 2011. While the Democrats passed the Dream Act, the Republicans never approved of it. The republicans shunned the bill after it got 55 votes in the Senate (Bray, 2006). The bill did not change in any way only politics changed. Obama’s decision would have both a positive and negative effect to the undocumented immigrants in the US. It would make no sense expel the â€Å"dreamers† who might be talented and be of enormous benefit to the economic development of the Nation. This is because they were raised as citizens of the US and they understand themselves as a part of it. Expelling such young talent would be a loss and unjust because they would serve the military or contribute in the economy as businesspersons. The fact that they were born of undocumented parents is not their fault. It is better focusing the immigration enforcement in the rightful places. It is better prioritizing border security (Gerber, 2011). The Department of hom eland security should focus on lifting the shadow of deportation from these â€Å"dreamers†. Individuals who are not a threat to US security are free to apply for work authorization. The congress should act rightfully. This year there is time for the Dream Act to be passage, because this would give these kids time to plan their lives in more than 2-year increments. The passage of the comprehensive immigration reform that will address the 21st century security and economic needs is crucial. This reform will give the ranchers and farmers certainty about their works. This reform should give technology and science sectors confidence the young immigrants who come Earn Ph.D.s. They, therefore, will not be forced to migrate and start their businesses in other countries. These reforms should improve the US border security and maintain their heritage of immigrants and law. This is the same reform that Ted Kennedy, John Mc Cain championed (Lopez, 2005). I believe that president Obama d id the right thing because personally I have been with such groups of young people. These people are dedicated to hard work and talk about what is best for the US. I know that some of them have live under the fear of deportation. Some of them have taken great risks and to their futures to contribute to the status of America. There have been stories of Americans in churches and schools and societies across the country that have supported them and rallied behind them. The have all guide them for better futures and careers and from fear, because this nation is more than just deporting innocent children. This is the right thing to do because if given a chance to live in America, the children will be extraordinary contributions to the economy. I have a relative who is working in the military, doing his best to protect this country. There is, therefore, no reason to treat them as expendables. This move has come in an election year. It will boost votes from Hispanics in a critical state li ke Florida, Nevada and Colorado. However, Latinos have been tempered by the slow economic recovery and Obama’s inability to win support for overhaul of immigration laws and the aggression of the administrations deportation policy ((Lopez, 2005). Activists against this policy went on a hunger strike at his campaign office in Denver. Congressional Republicans are likely to be against this move and would perceive Obama’

Evaluation of Exploitation of World Politics Using Marxist Theory Essay

Evaluation of Exploitation of World Politics Using Marxist Theory - Essay Example This essay stresses that The paradigm of Marxian production kind of politics where the economically strong exploit the weak has unfortunately laid emphasis on the historical materialism. That is, in the modes of production, yet little attention has been set aside for the historical importance of race difference, state-building, war, morality, and culture, etc. Further, within the confines of Marxian theories, a nation-state’s political vision would be limited to the defense of abolition of class relations and commodity production without clear vision of social order necessary to secure freedom outside the sphere of production. The self-interest perversion have humbled humanity at the mercy of crumbling economic forces and the steadily increasing environmental harm which would soon make the planet inhabitable. This paper makes a conclusion that the modern day politics is marked by exploitation of the economically weak countries by those which are said to be economically giants and developed. Internationalization of production has seen some powerful state take control of the very means of production in the various countries upon which though foreign their influence still dictates the very distribution of the produced goods. The resultant is the creation of hegemonic international social structure where the powerful have full directorship of young and developing nations.