The Civil Rights Era

Martin Luther king Jr. was a black clergy man, activist, and humanitarian his great speeches helped guide people who didn’t have full equality to freedom in the United States. Martin would not have been able to give his famous speeches that helped lead the civil rights movement without the democratic left wing of the government (John F. Kennedy). There are a select few presidential administrations that deeply contributed to the civil rights era such as Abraham Lincoln, John f. Kennedy, and Richard Nixon. These three presidents and their administrations all had an impact on where America is today.

The freedom that Abraham Lincoln bestowed upon African Americans by creating and enforcing the emancipation proclamation was what greased the wheels for equality for all. This also led to things such as John F. Kennedy declaring equal rights for all Americans as well as equal working opportunities for women and all ethnic groups which wouldn’t have been possible if Lincoln’s administration hadn’t made it illegal to own people for slavery.

Another historic moment made possible by this was the financial aid which was granted by President Johnson to give to low or even no income homes. The ghettos inside of the United States could finally get the money they need.

The left wing of the government also made so much possible for the civil rights conflict. JFK was forced to choose to support either the fight for freedom (which Martin Luther King jr was also a part of) or those who oppressed every one being equal (such as Wade in the court case Roe v. Wade). John chose to support Americans and their freedoms regarding abortions and Jim crow laws. The left wing was backing civil rights groups such as NOW (National Organization for Women), AIM (American Indian Movement), NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), NFWU (National Farm Workers Union), Etc. The democratic ideals really led to a breakdown of certain barriers for all sorts of men and women allowing people to be free without fear. Fear of discrimination at work, or not being allowed to work because of your gender, or how you won’t be treated fairly when you leave your home because of your color were all abolished.

The three best presidential administrations the first would be the Lincoln administration, for it had brought freedom to African Americans and other slaves. Then the next administration would have to be JFKs, which had brought the civil rights act of 1964 which ended Jim Crow laws and other injustices many people faced. The third important administration that also impacted the civil rights era was Nixon’s, which ended segregation issues.

Even though in 2013 segregation is no longer an issue among ethnic groups immigration reform is. Many immigrants were being deported without any criminal convictions. There are still racial injustices among all types of people, but compared to the 1960s people are a lot more humane making America feel freer than any other place.