The Civil rights movement is among the developments of the 20th century in the U.S history which appear controversial yet significant. Lawson and Payne are great historians of race relations of the civil rights and racial segregation. In their two essays, they present and argue about significant figures and activists in the civil rights of America. The two authors, however, disagree on some aspects of the fights for change in the race relations by presenting their argument from different angles of view. They also agree on some common aspects such as Supreme Court justice and young people at grassroots. Their emphasis on the effects of the civil rights movement also differs leading to a conclusion of the great work accomplished through and by African-Americans. The text “Debating the civil rights movement” presents two contrasting views in regard to the civil rights movement. This essay thus gives a summary of each of the author’s stand point, what they argue and the manner through which they develop their argument as well as my personal stand about the two authors.
From one end, Payne gives his argument from a point of the Civil rights activists, the view from the trenches. He argues from the perspective of the Americans’ understanding that racial injustice was wrong and consequently activists proceeded to eliminate racial prejudice and discrimination from the American life. In this view, the civil right movement as constituted by Payne concentrated on discrimination as an issue of moral sense, leaders and national institutions, interracial cooperation, restricted leadership roles in order to elite men, the irrationality of radicalism, etc. In a broad sense, Payne gave a narrative of the civil rights movement of what can be referred to as a normative perspective or the naïve perspective.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Lawson on other end argues from a point based on the actions by the government. From the side of Lawson, he argues that the federal government was a key player in shaping the outcomes of the civil rights movement. The Presidents right from Roosevelt to Johnson is argued to have taken good steps in the establishment of the civil rights revolution. Majority of the governmental actions set the pace for this movement. Roosevelt took the first step towards achieving racial equality. In favor of the civil rights movement, Roosevelt acted towards changes in legislation in regard to the heightened demands of equal rights for African Americans towards the end of the Second World War. He created the fair employment practice committee to monitor racial bias which set a precedent for future action in regard to civil rights. Additionally, President Truman established the president's committee on civil rights to investigate the discrimination against the registration of black voters. The report aided in the civil rights movement by arguing that segregation was morally wrong and economically draining. In response to this report, the federal government heightened its fight against racial discrimination. Truman ordered desegregation in the military through several court cases as amicus curiae.
The actions of Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson advanced the hopes to civil rights activists. Eisenhower employed the forces against a case of discrimination which he regarded as an obstruction to justice. Kennedy rekindled the hopes during his presidential campaigns although he faced opposition from southern democrats but advanced through civil cases which supported equality. Johnson displayed a great passion for civil rights by bushing the civil rights bill through congress and warned that he would accept no compromise or delays. This led to the reconstruction of the civil rights statute in 1964, the civil rights act.
On a personal take, and as it has been argued, I agree with Steven Lawson. It is evident that the federal government played a significant role in establishing the civil rights movement via the leadership of the five presidents through congress legislation and Supreme Court rulings. By 1960s the federal presidential system achieved the best in the establishment of the civil rights in terms of equal voting rights.
In conclusion, both Lawson and Payne are significant in the civil rights revolution. However, the federal presidential system which fought for these rights is regarded to have been more strategic and effective than the activists from the trenches as argued by Payne.
Reference
Lawson, S. F., & Payne, C. M. (1998). Debating the civil rights movement, 1945-1968 . Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Pub.
